Not often do I share progress pics. It’s not that I am secretive….. I am forgetful! Or rather, I get lost in the rhythm of painting. These are the progress pics of “Coulee Ponies”.
1. I establish shape and form through a composition. I wanted the piece to feel as if the horses were floating. Living on the prairie, tall grass is my “waves on the ocean”.
2. In this second pic, you can see that I brought in a few bold complimentary color brush strokes. I wanted the painting to have a little bit of pop. I also redefined the horse shapes.
3. In this next step, I brought in more horses to make the viewers eye move top right to left to bottom. That serpentine type of composition really gets the viewer to engage with the piece.
Over the last two months, I’ve had fun painting this piece. But, it’s time for me to make definitive decisions and follow through. I also had to bring up the surface value/texture so that what is closest to us is the thickest. This creates a natural order.
Last step:
I saturated the color, but left a ton of the lighter tones showing underneath. I redefined the horses and gave them their highlights. This painting is largely about patten and texture.
And for a little instant gratification, we placed “Coulee Ponies” into a room. I would love to see this painting go to a white room…or a dark wall with white leather furniture…or a gray wall that this painting will “pop” off of. I love the overall clean feel of this piece. To me, this piece is an example of how western art can be both modern and traditional.
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