Tweaking Process

A day or two after I consider a painting finished ...or even longer, sometimes weeks, I find that some tweaking is necessary. The shadows cast by the barn, horse and groom
had to be pulled closer in hue to unify the painting. The ground in the distance was toned down to push it back.. and the bright sunlight on the horse's back needed adjustment.
This process is part of how I work all the time and the biggest help in this finishing stage comes from using Photoshop. I photo the painting in bright natural light then load it into my computer. This is where the real fun begins. I check for tone values by removing the color and making the image black and white, or flip it horizontally (like looking at it in a mirror) to find distortions. This saves so much time and seeing a painting on a monitor is like looking through a different set of eyes..I've included a black and white image that's been flipped to show you.
hmmm.... in another day or two there will be a few more subtle adjustments.
I guess "The Final Touch" is an appropriate title....

The Final Touch

Choreographer Twyla Tharp got it right when she said , "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." As the snow piled up outside our house today my head was working out this scene in pastel of the Fryeburg Fair. We enjoy wandering through the livestock barns at the fair, especially where the draft horses are stabled. When I took this photo there were lots of people around oohing and aahing as well as the horse owners and handlers, but I was interested in this twosome who were preparing for a show. I snapped the shot before they moved.
The reflected light and shadows caught my eye and also the way the Percheron's head was framed by the barn opening across the way. This is 14 x 11 Unison toned pastelboard..It's available..
I had a reality check when the painting was finished and shoveled a foot of snow off the roof and walkways in 15 degree temps with my husband ...the painting getaway was fun while it lasted..

Wildwood Stables - Acadia National Park

Things have been happening for me this year regarding national art shows and this is one of two paintings that will be going to the American Academy of Equine Art 2007 Fall Open Juried Exhibition at the International Museum of the Horse, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY., Sept. 21-Nov. 4. The painting was done from photos taken several years ago while I worked as a private groom at Wildwood Stables in Maine's Acadia National Park. This popular recreation area located on Mt. Desert Island is just outside of Bar Harbor and was the summer retreat for many wealthy families in the 1920's and 30's. The Rockefellers, who still spend summers there and eventually donated the land for preservation , built almost 50 miles of beautiful carriage roads way back when, so that they and their friends could ride and drive their horses while enjoying the breathtaking scenery that overlooks Frenchmen's Bay and the coastline. The park still welcomes horse people as well as hikers, cyclists, and nature enthusiasts who come to experience Maine's finest, but most often overlooked, natural resource. Wildwood Stables (the barn is pictured here), offers daily carriage rides to the top of Day Mountain and boarding facilities for horse owners who come to travel at their own pace on the well maintained roads. One very special summer I was able to bring my horse and it was an experience I'll never forget. For a memorable start to your day in the park...go to the top of Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise ...On a clear day you can see 100 miles in all directions.
Talk about stepping back in time....this elegant carriage was owned by Jack Seabrook and was put to a four in hand of white Kladrubys, a breed of carriage horse first developed in Bavaria. What a handsome sight they were. Mr. Seabrook's grooms , Chris and Jeff at the ready, were sitting on the back seat...those were the days...