March Rhythm

 

Here we are again! Remember how I told you I was trying to trick my brain with doing tiny work so that my small work seemed large? Well here is the result. I love how this one came out. When I finished with it I was a little doubtful. Then I took a photo of it (photographing it for it's eBay listing) and realized that hey, it actually came out looking pretty good! The shiny on his hip gave me pause. It wasn't until I took a step back (which is what taking pictures of my paintings often helps me do) that I realized it came together quite nicely. Maybe my magnifying trick with my brain is working too well.....

 

Here is another example of how my "trick" is starting to effect my "larger" pieces.

 

 

This one I am super happy with. The detail is right were I always wanted it. I always imagined something like this only being possible if I were working on a larger scale. Maybe a 16x20 or an 18x22 would have previously given me enough room to capture all the little highlights and shadows of each muscle. Now, I can do capture the detail I love on a canvas the size of an 8x10 (which this is)! I will still be working on larger pieces as time allows. Hopefully this summer I am allowed a few times here and there to work large (cross those fingers!). But now I am not allowing size to dictate what I can and can't do! Why can't an 8x10 be just as much of a show stopper as an 18x22?!

 

The Appaloosa has been snatched up already, but the paint is still listed on eBay. If this horse needs to become part of your "stable" collection don't forget to place your bid! Follow the link at the bottom of the page for the auction info.

 

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the fruits of my labors. It is interesting to see how the mind works and how with a bit of maneuvering we can trick ourselves into doing things that previously we thought impossible. I never thought I'd get that much detail into a small painting!

 

Next time we'll see some of the dressage influences that have benefitted from this more magnified mind's eye!

ACEO madness!

ACEO you say? What the heck is that? Well it is a little painting the size of a baseball card (2.5 inches by 3.5 inches). ACEOs are collectable art cards.

Now, I have never painted that small before. It was a bit intimidating honestly. However, I felt like I needed to expand my horizons a bit and challenging myself to do something a bit more out of my comfort zone. Why? Okay, here is my reasoning.

Reference Provided  by Holley Underhill

Over the past year I have had millions of ideas buzzing around in my head. Its a curse really. I swear I have what is called an over creative mind, sort of like ADD for creative thinkers. Yes, I know I shouldn't be complaining about having all this inspiration floating around in my head begging me to do something with it. Its just I don't have the time to devote to each and every idea to the magnitude that I want. Most of my ideas involve series of art done on huge canvases that knock your socks off when you walk into the room. When you can only paint one 24x24 canvas every 2-3 months you have to come to the conclusion that the 100 inspirational ideas for 100 24x24 paintings is going to take you forever unless you change your tactics. My dream is one day having my own studio (outside the house) where I can spend 8 hours a day throwing paint at the canvas till all those ideas are out of my head. Till then, I have to do something with these ideas.

Reference provided by Holley Underhill

So.....since it takes me awhile to cover a larger canvas, I needed a way to make my brain think that the smaller canvases I have been using (and which are much easier to transport, cover, paint while sitting in the living room watching the girls) are really "large" works of art. This means getting the detail into these smaller canvases like I want in the larger pieces. So we trick the brain. Frequently work tiny and what before was "small" now becomes large. If I can fit a horse into a little 2.5x3.5 card then I shouldn't have an issue fitting a horse into a 9x12 canvas!

It has definitely made a difference I believe.

Now, what ACEOs have I completed. I posted them here for you to see. The top chestnut paint horse is still up on eBay here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/201316551011?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649. The other two have been sold already. Be on the look out, if you like this idea, for more! I'm definitely going to be working on a few each week.

Reference provided by Colourized Stock on Deviant Art

Next time I'll show you some of my latest "large small" work that has certainly benefitted from this concept.

So what do you think of my idea? Do you like the card concept? Would you consider collecting art in this manner? You can post your thoughts below!

Thanks for joining me on this artistic journey we call life! I could never ride the roller coaster alone, so thanks for being with me!
Until next time....