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When digging through a drawer earlier last week, I came across a little study that I started as a demo for a beginning painting class I taught last fall. It’s tough when I do these demos to pay attention to color, value, proportion, and maintain some sort of intelligent dialogue. This one was no different – the head was too tiny, the neck too thin, the curve of the belly didn’t quite line up with the rump. I loved the pose, though, and figured I give it another try today.

After all, I had stretched a large 42x28 canvas for this same image – I even went so far as to begin to block it in. The larger painting continued some of the same issues I saw in the little study. In order to do this pose justice, I needed to solve things on a smaller scale first. So why not today?!

It was difficult shifting gears from the scale of yesterday’s painting to this little 5x7 board. My brushwork was too loose at first, and I found myself fighting with the boundaries of the edge of the board. I’ll take that as a sign that I’m ready to move onto the big canvas, perhaps as soon as tonight (after I attend a show opening).

This horse is full of circles, just layers and layers of curves. I also like how he becomes a solid abstraction when I squint down at the painting. That tells me I have a strong composition happening. And once I corrected the foreshortening in my reference photo, things read much better.

“Going Study,” 5x7, acrylic equine painting on canvasboard, $60. Inquiries on this and the larger version may come to ksantini@turtledovedesigns.com .
SOLD. (the study, not the big, unfinished painting)

Congratulations (and thank you) to returning collector Donna Benson for purchasing yesterday’s untitled draft mare painting. I appreciate all the title suggestions – I’m still mulling it over. Some of the possibilies are “Prairie” and “Breeze” and “Dusk.” Than you to those who took a few minutes to share their thoughts with me.

Thanks, as always, for looking.
And for sharing these paintings with your friends and family.
Kim

Kimberly Kelly Santini
http://www.turtledovedesigns.com/
distinctive pet portraits
& 4-legged paintings

http://www.paintingadogaday.com/
come. sit. stay.
enjoy the art.

Founding member of the Canine Art Guild
http://www.canineartguild.com/
the gateway to canine art on the web

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