GOLD AND BLUE ON PARADE
The morning is bright and sunny, and it's horse show day. In a few minutes, it will be time to ride into the ring in the Parade Horse class, and these two, with their brightly polished silver, blowing fringe and sequins, are just about ready.
I love the brilliant color and movement in a Parade Class. It's all so Old Hollywood, and such fun to watch.
I've always enjoyed the 'behind the scene' activities in anything, and so many of my paintings are about what goes on before or after an event. You'll find just as much drama and emotion there as you will in the ring, albeit usually a quieter type of emotion.
In this painting, I used several references (as I always do) but in this one, I changed a grey horse to a palomino to enhance the bright atmosphere I was after. The original barn was natural weather- bleached cedar (silver grey), but I felt it needed to be done in golden brown tones to keep the sunny feeling going, and I changed the rider's clothes from a T shirt and breeches (she hadn't changed yet!) to the colorful turquoise Western outfit, complete with fringe, sequins, and matching hat. I guess there is still a little 'costume lady' blood in my veins, even after all these years. :-0
I'm pleased with this painting - I feel I have achieved the warmth and bright atmosphere I was after and created an image of a beautiful horse and rider enjoying a happy day.
GOLD AND BLUE ON PARADE is a 14 x 18 watercolor on Arches 300lb Hot Press. Original, small prints, and note cards available.
www.heatheranderson.animalart.com anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca
For quite some time now, I've wondered if I have "a voice", something that distinguishes my work from others; that elusive 'something' that immediately says that this is a Heather Anderson painting. It can be hard to know, because I am up close to the painting and the inspiration behind it.
I've come to the conclusion that now I can say Yes, I do have a voice that makes me an individual, not just one of the crowd (where ages ago, we all started out). My animal paintings are consistently light, bright, and even the ones that are filled with action, have a sense of peace or fun.
Recently, there appears to have been some ridicule directed towards me because I choose to use a lighter hand with color - light and bright as opposed to vivid, and because I choose to draw my images instead of tracing them. Vivid is good, it's exciting, and I long ago accepted that many people prefer to trace. If that's what feels right, do it. It doesn't feel right for me. I need to draw the image in order to feel connected with it and I need to create a light, bright, clean image where, when it comes to color and detail, less is sometimes more. ( This doesn't mean I don't use many layers of color or that I don't love using detail - it just means I'm selective about which details I use and which colors I put together and how intense I let them become.) I was always taught to leave a place for the eye to rest, and even when I'm painting action, I make some small peaceful spot to rest.
I know where I'm going, and I like the path I'm on. I have every right to be here and talk about my art journey. In short, I'm comfortable in my own skin and painting with my own voice. And really, isn't that what it's all about?
The painting I've used to illustrate this blog is APPALOOSA SPRING, a 14 x 18 watercolor on Arches 300 Hot Press.
