On the Move Exhibit at KAGS

Today I was at KAGS to open the Gallery in the morning for the Still Life class, but I was unable to stay for the Snow Day theme as I had an eye appointment this morning.








I returned later to stay for the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group afternoon where I thought I would be able to work on some paintings.














Unfortunately, that was not to be. The person who was supposed to sit the Gallery in the afternoon did not bother to show up for their obligation for being able to exhibit.










I ended up sitting instead as I hadn't set up to paint in the studio.











I ended up making a number of phone calls until I had dates for this person to sit in place of this time slot that she missed.












Afterwards I had plenty of time to enjoy the show which featured the many ways that people have travelled from one place to another through the years.
















The show runs from 28 November - 21 December 2018, then closes for the Christmas Holidays and reopens from 02-20 January 2019. The Opening Reception is on 03 December 2018 from 1-4 p.m. If you have a chance, please come out and enjoy the show.

Rural Outlook Exhibit

Today my co-conveners Cindy Allan and Norma MacEachern and I measured out the wall space in the Gallery for each of the fourteen exhibitors and then we could start hanging our work in our assigned spaces.















The first thing I did was hanging my featured painting in the centre of my space and then set out paintings on the floor to fill the remaining space.













It took a little while to get the paintings hung on the wall, when I realized that I need another painting to balance my display.

I put the tablecloth on my table and then headed home to get a couple more small paintings to see which one would make a good fit on the wall.

When I returned I finished hanging the paintings on the wall and made up the name cards.

I cleaned the glass on the paintings to remove any finger prints.

Next I picked up all the cartons and put them out in the car to take back home.















I then brought in my print rack from the car and placed it on the table.















Lastly, I sorted the matted and shrink wrapped paintings and put them in the print rack.

Now it was time to go home and relax.

Invitation for Black & White Plus One Colour

Today I was informed that my image of The Standardbred was chosen for one of the invitations for the Black & White Plus One Colour Art Show coming up later this month.

For the full image of the black and white drawing of The Standardbred please go to my post on 01 April 2013.

It is of a Standardbred stallion, Remlap Joe that my parents owned and raced back in the mid 70's.

He sired two foals that also made it to the racetrack.

When they retired from racing they were exhibited in Roadster classes in many of the local Fairs and Exhibitions in the area where they won many awards for their speed in the show ring.

If you have a chance please come out for the show at the Kawartha Artists’ Gallery and Studio. It runs from 24 Aug - 11 Sep 16, with the opening reception on 28 Aug 16 from 1-4pm.

Trotting

It is another nice sunny day with the temperature slightly above seasonal at 74F (23C)

After working in the garden most of the morning I decided to take a break and watch a program on Standardbreds after lunch.

I wanted to do some quick sketches and did this trotter while I watched the program.
















It still needs a lot more work before it is a completed drawing but, I have the basics down.

The back is too long, the body is off kilter and it needs a lot more detail.

I will post it again at a later date once more work on it has been completed.

Cross Roads - Winter

It is another warm, sunny and beautiful day with the temperature reaching 54F (12.2C).

The crow wouldn't have survived outside on his own. His eyes had sealed shut overnight and after I cleared all the crusting from around his eyes so he could open them and see again he is doing much better.

He is eating well and is a little more active than he was yesterday and I moved him from the box into one of the large dog crates and put a couple of branches across for him so can sleep on a perch.












If he keeps improving I will release him back into the wild once his eyes are clear.

Today I wanted to do the last of my Cross Roads sketches (see posts on 13 and 25 February and 06 March 2016) which is Winter.

I thought it fitting to do a sketch of two sleighs having a race to the cross road.

I will post this sketch at a later date, once it has been completed.

Cross Roads - Autumn

Today I wanted to work on the third sketch in a set of the four seasons at a Cross Road (see posts on 06 and 25 February 2016).

This one is of my favourite season, Autumn with all its beautiful colours.













It is a team of harness horses pulling a carriage. I just have to decide which type of carriage I want.

I will post this painting at a later date when the horses, carriage and background have more work on them completed.

Pacer 1-3 - Three Works in Progress

Last night we went to Kawartha Downs for the Harness Racing. We haven't been to the track for quite a while.














Pacer 3

They have drastically cut back on the number of race dates at the track from 95 races in 2012 to 20 in 2013 when the track almost closed to 18 days in 2014 and now 21 days for this year. It is just sad that the government is trying to destroy a local industry that supported so many people.














Pacer 2

I was able to get three sketches of the Standardbreds doing their warm up and training miles prior to their actual races.

All of them are of pacers as there are usually only two trotting races on the card compared to the eight races for pacers.















Pacer 1

When I develop the sketches into outline drawings I will post them again at a later date.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.

Today I am on my way to the Knoepfli Inn located at 5484 Highway 124, Magnetawan, Ontario for a couple of days to paint with some of the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group.

Harness Horse III - A Work in Progress

Today is the second day of Art @ the Locks held at Lockside Trading Company in Youngs Point, Ontario and it is going to be even more hot and humid than yesterday with the temperature going up to 86F (30C) with the humidity making it feel like 106F (41.1C) and once again there were severe thunderstorm storm warnings along with the possibility of a tornado.

Needless to say, there wasn't as much boat traffic or people out as we had yesterday which gave me a little time to work on one of the drawings I brought to the show (see post on 08 July 2015).

I started working on the head and added the some of the bridle, indicated the reins and then continued working on the harness.














Once I placed the saddle and the belly band I indicated where the shafts would go and did a little work on the horse's belly and hind leg.

I will post this drawing at a later date once the outline drawing has been completed.

We were about to take down the display when the clouds started rolling in and thunder started to rumble. Fortunately, the storm held off until I made it home.

Harness Horse I-III - Three Works in Progress

These are some of the sketches I did last month while at Brooklin Spring Fair.














Harness Horse I

It was an enjoyable day and in the not too distant future I would like to do more work on each of these sketches.

















Harness Horse II

I haven't decided whether I will use all three of the horses in one painting or do them as individual pieces.

Harness Horse III

I will post each of these drawings at a later date as more work on them is completed.

Harness Horse Head Study

Today I was at the Brooklin Spring Fair and enjoyed watching the Light Horse show with classes for Carriage Horses, Hackney Ponies, Harness Ponies, and Haflingers.

As usual I took along my camera and sketchbook and took photographs of the classes and did a number of sketches.

During the course of the day I probably did about 20 sketches which could be worked into paintings.

I also took well over 500 photographs of the various classes at the show.

Needless to say, I am very happy that I have switched to digital as I would have hated to pay the cost to develop the film.

This quick sketch is of one of the Harness Ponies.

Fortunately, I took a series of photographs of the stages of this head study sketch.

A lady who had been watching me sketch on and off during the course of the day came over an asked if she could purchase one of my sketches.

I would like to thank new collector Mrs. Marcia Darrin of Toronto, Ontario on her purchase of this sketch.

As I develop more of these sketches I will post them at a later date.