I am living out my idea from the previous post. My first painting will be a classic gray Arabian with bay foal runny through the grass. The photo I am working from is old-looking because it is a little fuzzy, and the client wants the painting for her mom. I am thinking of using complimentary colors red and green with a vintage feel with a twist of newness. I like the idea of the fuzziness, but I think I will seclude that to the background only, as well as using neutral tones there. In the horses, I am going to pull the most exciting reds and greens. The mother will be a grayed green, but not to crazy, because I don't want to shock them, and the baby will be red. Even though green represents new life, I feel that red is also symbolic of this: blood flowing, heat, vibrancy, excitement.
I was originally very concerned about tweaking the colors, but I am sure this is what will be the best, and if they have a problem with it, I will keep it and make a new one!
I will upload pix as I get my ideas together.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Commision Idea
I have been sitting on the idea of using my art to raise money for either my 4H club or my county's Equine Committee (the 4H body that puts on horse shows). Well, today I sent out an email to have people send me pictures so I can at least have something to do outside of the college art classes I am taking--which are kind of and kind of not ok. Wish me luck!
Monday, May 11, 2009
The AP test is in! Concentration Piece 1
Advanced Placement Studio Art's online test commenced Friday the 8th of May. My concentration was the relationship between horse and human shown through color. In a series of 10 works, I used the color magenta to show all kinds of conditions of that special relationship.
I began with blatant symbolism in an acrylic on canvas piece that depicts a blue girl on a stormy day crouching in the mud with her head resting on crossed arms over knees. Before her, a horse that is glowing in magenta magnificence is looking at her with concern. A nearby shelter has lone horse laying down in it and there are several horses standing out in the reflective pasture. However, the glow from the horse is being reflected by the horses, the sky, the shelter, the water, the background hills, and the girl. The magenta symbolically overcomes the gloom. This piece represents the the affect that a horse has on the sorrow of the human spirit. It is quite significant that the horse has chosen to stand over his human because horses tend to prefer to be with other horses if there is such a choice; all the other horses standing off from the two legged being illustrates this. The girl casts a shadow on the ground behind her, which represents the lingering pain that she feels from the sorrows which have brought her to this state. Seeing my horses is almost never enough for me to completely lose myself in them: I must touch their nose, dance with them in the pasture, feed them a handful of grass. Thus, the shadow.
In technical conversation, I was very unhappy with this piece for the longest time because I delight in vibrancy of color, and this, for the longest time, was not vibrant. I finally got the push I needed and I am satisfied with it now--satisfied enough to leave it as is for a month or two before going back into it. The focus on light is very strong and important. Unfortunately, the subjects are very small and not placed with composition in mind. I had planned to have the angle of the rain, Blu's neck, and the barn roof all be the same, but I doubt if any of that happened. Linearity did remain an element of interest, though: look at the treatment of the focal horse, the barn, the sky, the water: LINES! Fortunately, the eye is lead around a bit by the magenta reflections and the yellow shining through the clouds. My favorite part of this piece is the reflected horse figures in the middle ground, an idea inspired by the breathtaking Journey Series by Kathleen Conover (a notable artist folks, check that woman out!)
The models for this painting are me and my 4 year old, inquisitive QH Appendix Paint gelding, Blu. No matter what, when he sees me, he comes walking over to greet me. Taking the picture was quite difficult because he kept getting to close to me and putting his nose by me. Luckily, I did not fall in the mud! Luckily, I have a horse like him so I can know how marvelous it is to feel that special feeling you get when you know that you have a place in a horse's heart.
I began with blatant symbolism in an acrylic on canvas piece that depicts a blue girl on a stormy day crouching in the mud with her head resting on crossed arms over knees. Before her, a horse that is glowing in magenta magnificence is looking at her with concern. A nearby shelter has lone horse laying down in it and there are several horses standing out in the reflective pasture. However, the glow from the horse is being reflected by the horses, the sky, the shelter, the water, the background hills, and the girl. The magenta symbolically overcomes the gloom. This piece represents the the affect that a horse has on the sorrow of the human spirit. It is quite significant that the horse has chosen to stand over his human because horses tend to prefer to be with other horses if there is such a choice; all the other horses standing off from the two legged being illustrates this. The girl casts a shadow on the ground behind her, which represents the lingering pain that she feels from the sorrows which have brought her to this state. Seeing my horses is almost never enough for me to completely lose myself in them: I must touch their nose, dance with them in the pasture, feed them a handful of grass. Thus, the shadow.
In technical conversation, I was very unhappy with this piece for the longest time because I delight in vibrancy of color, and this, for the longest time, was not vibrant. I finally got the push I needed and I am satisfied with it now--satisfied enough to leave it as is for a month or two before going back into it. The focus on light is very strong and important. Unfortunately, the subjects are very small and not placed with composition in mind. I had planned to have the angle of the rain, Blu's neck, and the barn roof all be the same, but I doubt if any of that happened. Linearity did remain an element of interest, though: look at the treatment of the focal horse, the barn, the sky, the water: LINES! Fortunately, the eye is lead around a bit by the magenta reflections and the yellow shining through the clouds. My favorite part of this piece is the reflected horse figures in the middle ground, an idea inspired by the breathtaking Journey Series by Kathleen Conover (a notable artist folks, check that woman out!)
The models for this painting are me and my 4 year old, inquisitive QH Appendix Paint gelding, Blu. No matter what, when he sees me, he comes walking over to greet me. Taking the picture was quite difficult because he kept getting to close to me and putting his nose by me. Luckily, I did not fall in the mud! Luckily, I have a horse like him so I can know how marvelous it is to feel that special feeling you get when you know that you have a place in a horse's heart.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Artistic Recognition
This weekend has been completely dedicated to filling my quotas for art class, even staying home from school on Friday to work. I am still eight pieces behind, and even though each piece is drawn out and shows great potential (and has to do with horses, of course), I am starting to feel arted out. That is until I went to an art show today and received an honorable mention for the piece I entered, and, more importantly $25. Nothing like that to motivate a tired artist.
Unfortunately, my larger inspiration (actually interacting with horses) has not been a highlight for this weekend. I have been down to feed them, but I have been investing my time in other things these past three days.
I am hoping that next weekend is more successful as far as horses go. . . and that I am not so heavily burdened with art debts!
Unfortunately, my larger inspiration (actually interacting with horses) has not been a highlight for this weekend. I have been down to feed them, but I have been investing my time in other things these past three days.
I am hoping that next weekend is more successful as far as horses go. . . and that I am not so heavily burdened with art debts!
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