May

3

Katie Part 4

Filed Under Carrie Lewis | Leave a Comment

Every now and again, a painting comes along that practically paints itself. I feel as though I am merely a physical hand holding a brush and Someone Else is actually doing the painting.

Katie’s portrait is shaping up to be one of those.

I worked on Katie around a morning wedding, the Kentucky Derby and some writing. I think the largest chunk of time I spent today was 20 or 30 minutes.

But at the end of the painting day (at least for this portrait), the entire canvas had been covered and it looked very nearly complete.

And I’m not quite sure how that happened!

What happens next with this painting will be determined by how the paint dries before my next studio day on Monday. If it is wet enough to work freshly wet-into-wet or if it is completely dry, I may try to finish it up. If the paint is anywhere in between, the painting will probably get another day or two off before more work. To be honest, I have a mind to put it in the drying room so I can get a fresh look at it the next time.

Paintings like this are always fun, though, so it will be difficult to hide it away in the drying room for any length of time.

My sympathies go out to the owners and connections of Eight Belles, the gallant filly who finished a strong and accelerating second in this afternoon’s Kentucky Derby, only to suffer a life-ending double injury while being pulled up. My prayers are with all of you. Thank you for sharing her with all of us racing fans. May God comfort you in your loss.

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.

May

3

Transitions

Filed Under Donna Ridgway | Leave a Comment


This isn’t so much a painting as it is the exploration of an idea.

There’s one thing you learn when you’ve spent your life with animals. They get old way faster than humans do. In a lifetime of working and living with animals, you see so many of them leave this earth before you’re ready to let go of them.

I can not bear the thought of seeing their lifeless forms upon the ground, but I got to wondering what it must be like for them when they find themselves in another world. This horse is just beginning his new life and coming to the point of realizing things are different now.

I myself had a taste of what it would be like to die and pass into another world. I very nearly took that trip and it was a wonderful experience. Very natural, not frightening…full of love…. It gave me a different view of death and for the first time in my life, I was able to understand when people say, death is part of life…for it is.
Donna

©Copyright 2008 by Donna Ridgway. See original post here.

May

3

Bard The Beautiful

Filed Under Karen Baker Thumm | Leave a Comment


Well, I couldn’t very well leave poor Bard in that ugly stage for very long, so here you see him with his first coat of “real” color, or “local color” as we artists say. Where that phrase came from I have no idea. It doesn’t seem to make sense in this day and age, but maybe it did decades or centuries ago.

At any rate, having learned my lesson from the last painting session on the Belgian painting, I started out by oiling out the canvas with linseed oil and then wiping off as much as I could, leaving just a thin coating. The paint went on much more smoothly this time, and I progressed in good time, spending five hours on Bard yesterday to get to this point. I was so happy to have spent so much time doing the value study and then the underpainting because both served as guides as I added the color, highlights and shadows. Now Bard will be set aside to dry for at least a week while I study him some more and plan how to proceed and what changes to make in the next layer of color.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to change and head for the barn to ride my own red horse before the thunderstorms hit that are predicted for today.

©Copyright 2008 by Karen Baker Thumm. See original post here.

May

3

YL Duncan, Part 8

Filed Under Carrie Lewis | Leave a Comment

I missed my self-imposed deadline by one day, but Duncan’s portrait is now complete, finished on May 1, 2008.

As often happens, when it came down to the final painting session, all that was required were a few brush strokes here and there to finish the portrait.

This past Thursday, Neal participated in a special band event at Valley Center High School. Valley Center is just south of Newton and the high school band director, Mr. George Naylor, is also a member of the Senseney Music Wichita Community Band, where Neal also plays on a regular basis.

Every year, the school hosts a mass band concert that includes performances of the fifth grade through high school bands and concludes with a group performance of all bands.

Neal is not an alum of Valley Center, but this performance marks George’s last year with the school and some friends and others had commissioned a piece of music to be played in his honor by current and past students and friends. Neal was part of that ’surprise performance’ tucked into the schedule.

I am always in awe of musicians, who spend hours practicing their craft, then get up in front of people and perform live. I have often told Neal I’m glad I don’t have to do that, but I have to confess that when everything is right and the audience rises to its feet cheering, shouting and applauding, it has to be a huge rush. The immediate feedback of a good performance has to be very satisfying.

The mass concert was one of those times for me. The bands were great and the high school band, which recently earned 1s and 1+s in Branson, Missouri, played Shenandoah as well as I have ever heard it played.

Then the whole band got together to honor George Naylor and that was absolutely awe inspiring. The event concluded with a combined piece called Fidgets in which students and alums played together. That group was so large, both high school directors conducted and band members stacked the bleachers behind the band floor. Awesome!

It made me wish there was some way to move audiences that way myself.

Well, God is good and has provided just such a thing.

I received two emails from the contact person for the portrait of Duncan and she relayed to me the responses of Duncan’s girl and other members of the family. Without going into specifics, I can truly say that I am moved by their responses to my work. Duncan’s owner, in particular, has endured the exquisite pain of losing a long-time pet and companion.

It is my most earnest prayer that this portrait will be a constant and enjoyable reminder of that faithful friend and of those many years of fonder memories in the years to come.

To that family, I pass on my gratitude for the opportunity to paint Duncan’s portrait. Thank you so very much.

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.