Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Party Begins Now - illustration cowboy oil painting book cover


24 X 30 Oil on Canvas
Contact Artist for Availability
This is 95% completed - as usual, when I take the photo, small issues become more noticeable. I still need to change the hat color, but it needs to dry more. The grass needs a little more detail and I also noticed that one clump of flowers is too "perfect". Also, I want to add some little purple asters and a bit more detail to background shrubbery - but not much.
I really had fun with this painting and I'm proud of the fact that I did not rush through it and followed my "game plan". I also thought a lot about the title and all it's levels.
If you notice, the horse in the foreground is wearing a rope halter - not a bridle. While painting this, I imagined the story behind it. These guys are trappers and they have been to the rendezvous and traded in their furs for supplies and things they need for the next year. Part of the trade was for whiskey (that's obvious). But the guy in the foreground also traded his well broke horse for a young, unbroke animal - a green horse that needs a lot of riding and experience before he becomes a solid mount. The trapper takes a risk in giving up his dependable horse for the young one, but if he recognizes a "diamond in the rough" and can successfully bring the young horse along in his training, then he has made a wise decision.
But in the meantime, the party begins now and the two friends can celebrate their good fortune!
I will take a better photo (with no glare) when it is truly finished, but you can get an idea now, and I can start on the next one. I suspect this one will go to the Dutch Art Gallery in time for Christmas, if I don't sell it myself first. CONTACT ME if you want it first!!!
Isaiah 40:8
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.

1 comment:

Flowers said...

You are an artist with practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface. Your painting are really wonderful. Flower in your painting looks too perfect. Keep it up the good work.