55 - 61 ish

9 x 12 with Seven Horses...
Years ago I taught photography and Edward Curtis was one of the master photographers we studied.  A good friend loaned me a wonderful book of Curtis photos of the 'first Americans' and he had photographed this scene.  Horses from lots of angles, so I am counting each one!  The name of this book is Visions of the First Americans.  Low and behold I just noticed this is on the cover of the book!  Must have been the authors favorite too.

#54 to catch up!

Bad photo, lots of glare.  I am in a rush to pick up our tamales we made last night!  YUM

#53

This border collie reminds us of Dottie, a dog friend in San Diego.  I guess the horse could be called Dottie!  This is references from a painting by Steve Atkinson.  I love his work.  I really fell for this one with the cowboy leaning down to the dog.  Steve I hope you don't mind me practicing horses on one of your paintings!

No horse today, but the copper piece of Visitation is completed!

Monkey is keeping them company today.

#51, 52

This is a portion of a painting I found in a magazine on western art.  There was also a cow and a herd of cattle....I omitted for obvious reasons.

#50 Half way there!

The copper has been mounted on a board.  Next, I paint the faces.  As you tool the copper it tends to get out of square.  The wood border is not even all around.  I think it would be less noticeable if the border was larger.
On another note, I added the blog address for the class I am teaching at KCAI.  Today was class #2.  Lots to do today!

The underpainting.

#50!

#49

8 x 10 from magazine photo reference

#48

This is not a fav of mine, but I'm counting it anyway as not to get an further behind.  It just goes to show, some paintings are not 'keepers'.  The staff the Indian has in his hand looks more like a fairy Godmother wand.  Sorry about this one folks!  The next one will be SO much nicer....promise.

Ash Wed. Horse # 47 plus Copper Relief

One of my favorite horse breeds.  The American White and American Cream come in any breed, including the draft horse.  

About 95% of the copper 'tooling' is complete on this piece.  Next I will cut away the areas for the faces and possibly the hands.  The copper will then be placed on a wooden board and the faces (and hands) will be painted with oils.  The copper will then be flipped over and the hollow areas will be filled with putty or spackle as to  help prevent denting later.  The copper will be mounted on the board and the oil areas will be finished.  One of my favorite ladies at my church, Visitation, requested this piece.  I had done one of the exterior view of the church as a gift to my RCIA director when I joined the church.  I am delighted she requested this.  Ironically, her name is Peg!

CACTUS CREEK!!!

I am thrilled to be the featured artist today for Cactus Creek in Weston, MO.  If you haven't been to Weston to visit this shop, you will be in for a visual treat.  This store is on my 'must do' list when I visit.

Our family has made an annual trip for the Weston Apple Festival in the fall since we moved to Mo from San Diego in 1983.  (Apple Dumplings to die for!)  They also have a heck of a party for St. Patricks day.  Christmas they decorate the town and have wonderful home tours.  Weston is the perfect setting for a 'get away' from the city.

Now my art is not AT the Cactus Creek shop, so you will have to contact me if your are interested in a purchase!  But I think you will really enjoy the blog for Cactus Creek.

Blog address:

http://www.cactuscreekdaily.com/news/artist-peggy-wilson

#45,46

This was from a photograph, and the back horse only shows 3 legs!  I have since, added a slight indication of a leg in the painting.  It just looks too weird with out it.  I also changed the riders.  The left horse's rider was not a cowboy, but a racing person with a long flowing jacket and small cap.  The other rider didn't have on a hat.  Now that I study this photo, I need to revisit the chest on the left horse!  Ah, what did we do before digital photography?  

#44

#44 is much nicer than 43.  I guess I have to get excited over the horse.  42 horse and rider seemed to be a poor choice.  Paint and learn!

#43

I'm not so crazy over 43, so I did a second painting today.

#42 Sue

A stinker landscape sneaked in....

I had the urge to try a snow scene when we had snow last week.  I used a reference photo from an artist in a magazine.  I wish we had this creek in our back yard!

I just don't know how this happens.  I meant to paint a horse yesterday and post it.  Then my friend Jim Love let me use one of his extraordinary photos I couldn't refuse.

Happiness #41

What a fun coat to paint!

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

― Mahatma Gandhi

#40

Cutie Potutie #40

39/100 Palomino

Now that I look closely at this post, the eye is too large.  I'll change that.  This one was fun to do.  Quick and fun.
Next week will be hectic, so this one is for Monday, Feb. 13, just in case.  I am painting with my friend Jim, and probably landscapes on Monday.  Lent is next week and I have plans for something every day.  Decorate the church Tues.  Mass and lunch with girlfriends on Wed.  Church candles  duty on Thurs. and Friday get ready for my class that starts Sat. for KCAI.  Throw 3 classes for exercise in there.  Well I guess it's not like work....so I am not complaining.  Just a lot of stuff and driving all over town.  I live a very BLESSED life.  I do.

#38 for Feb. 12

38/100
I actually got on a roll and painted 3 today!  So post is for Sunday, just in case I don't paint tomorrow.  Yeah, right, like I won't paint a day.  I loved painting that red barrel.  Horses on a tilt are really hard to paint.  This one was adjusted late in the day.  The girls face is refined after Derald told me she looked like a cartoon character.  I love his 'no bars held' comments.

#37/100

#37/100  Moving right along...

Next Sat. I begin teaching a 6 week  class  for KCAI.  Painting and Mixed Media.  How can in incorporate horses in to this?  hum....

#35, 36

12 x 12

#34 and Zion

Zion from a photo of course!  On the blog this looks large, but it is actually an 8 x 10".

#34/100 of the Smithville Lake horses.  8 x 10 on gessoed wood panel.  The panel is rather rough, and I will admit I did a shabby job of preparing this panel!  This is unfinished due to my side track of Zion!

#32, 33

After a few tweaks this is the finished painting.  I may be cheating, but I am counting this one as 2 horses.  

#31

Lest you think I forgot to paint yesterday....I am also working on landscapes from photos we took last summer .

Horse from study on location

#30

This was a painting I began on location.  There were only 2 horses, but they kept moving!  Painting horses has proven to be a challenge, especially en plein air!  This 9 x 12 is a knife painting.

#29

Derald and I drove out to Smithville Lake yesterday.  We found a place that had a couple of horses very close to a bike trail.  He rode and I painted  Actually I started 6 paintings, but the horses kept moving on me.  IMAGINE THAT!  So I have 6 days worth of painting material to work on.  Unfortunately it will be from memory as I forgot my camera.

A tip from Rusty Jone's blog: I MUST get a CD rack ASAP!

One of the things I want to share this year through my blog is those things I do that save time, money and energy. I have limited storage space and I am committed to keeping my mess to one room in the home and not allowing it to take over other areas in the house until it gets to the point that my studio consumes the home. My mother's favorite saying is "been there, done that, read the book and saw the movie" and that would apply to me having a studio in the home. So I want to share a nifty item I picked up at Best Buy for $20 that I use as a drying rack for paintings.
















This gadget is a wire CD rack. It was on the close-out table after Christmas. It is perfect for drying small paintings. I paint mostly 9"x12", but it will hold 12"x16", 8"x10" and 6"X6" as well. It will hold up to 50 paintings.

I'm hopeful that those industrious artists reading this blog will share their studio tips as well.