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| No. 356: "Captain." Watercolor, March 2017 |
I find horses heavy beasts — steamy, shining and aloof. Not huggable, like a hairy dog is lovable.
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| Aloof. Not huggable. |
Have had a few dogs, but never a horse. I have, however, come to know several very dedicated, very educated horse women.
It is quite a bond of love and money. Horses demand real estate, investment and maintenance.
There is something very fine about a woman and controlled equine power.
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| The beginning sketch, to be painted over. |
This, “Captain,” is my fourth horse painting, and there are another nine horse drawings. So I have had plenty of time for studying them, and for getting to know their riders.
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| Washing in the initial watercolors. |
“Captain” is slightly different from the others, however, in that I have not yet personally met his owner, who lives in a Columbus suburb. She ordered the painting after seeing one that I had done for my cousin, a friend of hers. We are now planning a meet and greet, as well as a picture exchange.
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| Washed in the trees. |
The painting mimics a photo that I was emailed, and though the horse was prominent in the image, the rider was not; nor was she well-defined.
That made this painting difficult, as did its depth: The horse and rider in the foreground, kicking up dust; and the track and woods behind the fence.
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| Trees and grasses in their unfinished state |
I wanted the light on the horse and rider, but wanted the light to show through the darker trees. This was accomplished by trial, error and a few layers of paint — the trees got painted three times (no small ordeal with watercolors).
In fact at one point I despaired that I’d ruined the painting.
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| Still working on the trees and the dusty hooves |
But what did result is a painting that suggests a lot of things, such as the rider’s face, and those tree leaves and branches. Distance betters the illusion: From a few steps back, the trees look realistic, and horse and rider capture the sunlight.
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| Finished, with trees and dusty hooves lightened up and smoothed put. |
I’m not quite a confident painter, not really there yet. The point where I know whether things will work, or not, isn’t as clear to me as it is with my drawings. But the sense of relief is greater upon completion.
I know you, rider. Or I will soon enough.
