Day 15

Waverunner Study

(6x8", Oil) Price: $110.00 Framed!! SOLD

Continuing on with the horse theme...

I painted this using the same toy model from Day 14 - Horse Head Study. This time I loosened the rules of strict interpretation and applied imagination to come up with this little painting. Yes, we are allowed to 'interpret' our models as our creative eye sees fit. It all depends on your style of painting and application of paint and/or imaginative expression thereof. In a nutshell, it's commonly called 'artistic license'.

For this painting, I used a reference photo I took of a wave on Naussett Beach at Cape Cod. The breaking wave fit nicely with the angle of the toy horse's head. Without planning too much - explains the slightly unplanned look of the piece - I used big brushes to make sweeping colour curves and curlicues with lots of soft edges to create the wave. I only wanted the impression of water, not an exact replica of the photograph. And as 'whitecaps' only suggest the flying manes and horse heads, I didn't want to overly define the head of the horse itself. It's supposed to be a day dreamy rendition; a fantasy. My only criticism of this effort, is that the 3/4 angle of the head itself lends to a misinterpretation of the horse's noggin being too chunky. Most 'waverunner' horses are usually defined as delicate with thin noses, not with the slightly aquiline bent that this one has.

The palette consisted of: French Ultramarine, Cadmium Yellow Light, Transparent Gold Ochre, and Titanium White. The canvas was pre-tinted with a combination of Burnt Sienna, T. White and Cadmium Red Light - dried before using.

Well, there'll be another horsie type tomorrow, in a fresh interpretation.

I'll see you then,
Marianne.