Let Your Spirit Run Wild!

'Let your spirit run wild!'
24" x 36"
acrylic on canvas
sold
private collection
Tucson, Az





She's signed, sealed and delivered!
My oh-so-patient client took delivery of her wild mustang Annie's portrait this morning and I'm happy to report she was delighted with the finished piece.
I am a bit sad to see her go, but pleased she's loved.
I thought I'd find enough time to get her painted and delivered within 3 weeks of start, but life, well, life kept throwing me curves that kept me out of my studio. So, it actually took six weeks to find the necessary chunks of painting time I needed to get this portrait done.
My wonderful client knew 3 weeks was a guesstimate going in, and was kind and patient with me needing the extra weeks. 
This first commission since B's been ill provided the perfect opportunity to answer those questions I'd been asking myself a few months ago in this blog.
Yes, while finding studio time may be a challenge at times, it can be done, and, yes, I didn't completely forget how to paint during those long months away. Yay!

Here's the reference photo the client provided for this piece. You can see, in the finished painting,  that I used creative license to liven the photo up in a way that suited the unusual cropping.

It also included, at the client's request, a painted script along a 4" black band across the bottom that read "Let your spirit run wild!", hence the title of the painting. These words pay homage to her love of marathon running and of course, her love of her wild mustang Annie. 

More progress pics of Annie~Portrait of a Wild Mustang

Thought I'd get this commission finished by this weekend, but chores, B's Scottsdale Dr. visit and an all day headache on Thursday kept me out of the studio most of the week.
I did make headway though these last few days and should (in a perfect world) finish tomorrow. Finally got her 'eye' done just the way I wanted so the rest should be fairly easy. Her mane is still just blocked in and needs finishing and a few value adjustments are needed on the shadow of her muzzle, but that's pretty much all that's left to finish.

So, here's where I left you last post.

I started adding warm colors and definition to her mane while still leaving bits of blue peeking out on the hair's edges.








And I wasn't digging the far right sky area, so I rewashed it with the Phthalo Blue until I decide what I want to do there.

Her coat and eye are still roughly blocked in here.

Here, I continue to fine tune her eye and mane.
I've also softened her coat and almost have the shadowing correct.
The shadow area of her muzzle is still blue. That will be softened to a light, almost white lavender at some point.

I've decided, before working on any other part of the painting, to get her eye completely finished.
It's the focal point and the window to her soul. It needs to be just right!

Yay! I finally have her eye just the way I want it!
It has so many pretty colors in it! 
And, she now follows me around the room with her gaze.
I love it when a portrait's eyes come to life!




Next, I'll soften some of the shadows on her coat and start working on her still blue muzzle.

This pic shows the client's reference photo on my laptop.
You can also see the small blue monitor on the easel's shelf for helping me keep connected to B while I paint.
No Luddite here, I love technology! 



Her coat is now shadowed and softened just the way I want it, I've almost got her muzzle done and I added a nice sky blue to the far right area of the painting. 
The value of the muzzle shadow is still a bit too dark so I will lighten it next.
I love the hints of lavender and violet in her eye, mane and muzzle shadow.

I've taken all these pics with my iPhone so far so quality isn't top notch but it's sufficing.


When the portrait is complete, I'll use the better camera for final pics. 


So far, I'm digging the results of this commission, but I've decided I don't like painting with a deadline. If I accept another commission, I'll be sure to add a few extra weeks to the finish date so I can spend more time with B.
But, this piece has definitely got me 'back in the painting saddle' again. And for that, I'm grateful it came my way.

Annie~Portrait of a Wild Mustang

Started a new commission piece. It's been a long time since I've accepted any commission work. As many of you know, B's illness has kept me out of the studio for quite a long while.

The gracious client of this commission is okay with me perhaps missing the delivery deadline if any issue with B's health pops up and keeps me out of my studio for a while.
That said, I've got a few days of painting in and I'm actually making pretty good headway so far. Hopefully (in a perfect world) I will be able to deliver this portrait of my client's wild mustang, Annie, right on time.

Annie's owner wanted me to work from a photo she had with this unusual cropping of her horse's face.
This cropping feels like pop art, so I'm taking a bit of artistic liberty, and will include very small hints of a contrasting color peeking out along edges here and there throughout the painting. This will add to the painting's modern, bold feeling, while still allowing me to be true to Annie's beautiful reds and golden white colors. It will be yummy!

Here, I began the painting by adding a black border on the
24" x 36"
canvas to accommodate the reference photo's unusual long, narrow size.
Then, I blocked in most of her dark lines with black and purple.

Next I washed the whole canvas with transparent Phthalo Blue and a bit of Thio Violet.
Almost all of the blue and violet will disappear as I add the opaque top coat colors. I will only let small bits of these under painted colors peek through here and there to add interest to the finished piece. I can control how much or how little I let show as I proceed and will let the painting tell me what is right. These hints of modern color will work great with the bold cropping.

Below I've started to add the opaque rusts and red tones of Annie's coat. I also worked a bit on her eye, although it still needs some tweaking to make it come alive. It is the main focal point, so I want it to be spot on when finished. It is, after all, the window to this beautiful horse's soul.

I still haven't worked on Annie's mane, which will be a warm golden color with white highlights. I'll start that in my next session. Remember, most of the blue you see will disappear, with only smidgeons peeking through around the edges here and there.

Here's a close-up detail of the eye. You can see the rough brush strokes that will ultimately be softened as I finish bringing her to life.








My 60's painting (below) is on hold until the commissioned piece is done.
I did block in a tambourine, VW microbus and another flowered square before I accepted the horse portrait, but those squares look like the pages of a coloring book, with just black outlined drawings. I still love playing with coloring books and it will be fun coloring in these new designs.