Star Gaze
oil on canvas
20 x 20 in.
Here is my mare again, but not exactly--I added the star. Unique just has a sprinkling of white hairs on her face, and I wanted more of a focal point on this piece, and a shape to break up all of that red. This piece came about rather quickly...two weeks ago I had to cancel a photo shoot for a commission because it was too overcast to get a good shot of the subject horse. But later that morning, the clouds broke up a little, and I took my camera out to my own horse paddock, and snapped a couple of shots of my mare looking at me from behind the swayed back of the Quarterhorse gelding. I didn't realize what I had until I downloaded the pictures and saw the glowing light in her eyes and the intensity of her gaze. I zeroed in on her eyes and forehead for the square composition, and chose a complimentary soft greenish blue for a background color. This painting went faster than usual--but there wasn't a lot of fussy bridlework, just clean, simple color. The only thing I needed to fuss over were the forelock hairs.
This is on a thick gallerywrap canvas--my support of choice lately, and like the Dressage Face, the image continues around the edges. I still need to paint the bottom--always the last thing finished, so I can't even say this one is off the easel yet.
