Painting Like Mad

I started this new painting today, horses breaking out of the gate. Fellow artists know the impetus of driving to produce new work but not wanting to compromise anywhere in the quality. I want some fresh pieces for my exhibit next week at Gallery Central.

Oil wash drawing.

Horses breaking from the gate is another classic subject, cool yet already painted a million times. I liken it to landscapes of sunsets - the good ones are timeless and always appreciated. Of course I've painted this scene many times before. However, my knowledge and desire are at odds. I want to paint dynamic, you know, mouths agape, eyes wild, nostrils flaring. Reality is that most runners sport either nosebands or figure eights which keeps their mouths closed (facilitating beneficial racing results, I won't go into details here). This sometimes produces odd facial expressions.

For awhile, I was obsessed with the thunderous power of horses breaking. I stood at the gate with camera in hand, every day, every race. Being a racetracker, I had access. This resulted in literally hundreds of photos.

To create a composition such as above, I consult my reference photos, rely on my experience as a painter along with my drawing skills and create a composite from multiple sources.

CRASH!!!