Is this the Start of My Modelling Career ?

Everyone has to start somewhere so....

I am going to teach myself how to model in Clay.

Attempt Number one is nothing serious it is just playing around with a lump of Off-White Plasticine and here is Katt1.

Palaces and Coblets

Had a lovely week so far the Icing on the cake being a visit to Blenheim Palace.

This is me posing by the waterfall at the end of the lake.

Rejuvenated I have cracked on with Lester and here he is in my eyes nearly completed.

Grassing Up

Progressing Well with Lester for some reason the photo isnt as good as the actual picture.

I have spent time on the background as a mistake I have made in the past is leaving this until last. You can never get the colour balance quite right if you do that.

A Day of Mud and Horses

I have had a wonderful day to day. I dug a new part for my shade border. I have a spot along the fenceline where the grass fails and moss and weeds grow at the end of the border. Its my quiet comtemplative corner on hot days always in the shade so I have cleared part of it and dug it over to let the heavy rain that is forecast knock the lumps about. I have rescued and potted up some self-seeded ferns and foxgloves and over the next week I shall plant the spot up. I would post photos but its now chucking it down.

I really got stuck into my painting of Lester today using a lot of pastel pencils. I took a few photos of my progress. I could not see enough detail in the original photo so I wacked up the brightness in Paint Shop Pro to get some of the detail right. Here he is today.

Its now 9 weeks since I gave up my horse and just over 3 weeks since he was sold. For the first time in ages I actually felt like playing with horses and as my friend Diane is on holiday I went over to her place and played with her horse Bella. She is somewhat overweight so needs work so I took her out to the field and worked her on the lunge. She was quiet challenging but I did get some decent work out of her. Then I spent an hour poo picking her field and loved every minute of it how sad is that.

I phoned her later to let her know that I had worked her horse and asked if she was always so tricky on the lunge and she said I dont know I have never lunged her well they say ignorance is bliss!!

Ups and Downs with my Luck Dragon

It is a long time since I posted on here I am horrified to discover it was January. Well as they say a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then. I finally bit the bullet and sold my beloved horse Drifter he proved to be too much horse for me as him needing more time spent on him coincided with my mother becoming ill. She has been in hospital twice since March but now I appear to have my head back together.

Well that was the Down. I have been very lucky to be asked to do portraits of two lovely horses by previous clients.

Firstly here is Robbie painted posthumously a cheeky chap who lived to a ripe old age before his heartbroken owner Judy had to have him put to sleep. I painted him as my first ever commission when he and I were both a lot younger. Here is his portrait happily grazing in his field.

This will be Judys 3rd Commission as I painted her Lurcher Pebbles in 2002.

My second Commission which I am just working on is of a rather lovely Piebald Cob called Lester. He is only 5 and he is an absolute sweetheart.

So heres a quick progress pic.

A Beautiful boy named Gump

I have to thank HHO member WoopsiiD for putting up a photo of her beautiful Cat Gump. The handsome chap passed away in 2009 and was perfect for my next foray into Velour portraits.

Tiggy Done!

Well I finally finished off my Tiggy portrait. I always add pastel to my backround but as this is the first time I have used Velour I have left the velvety background as is.