This past year I have been experimenting with oil painting. I finished my first painting in 2010, and I have started two others. I really like the quiet application of paint with brushes. Most of my painting life—all involved with finishing my horse sculptures in either resin or ceramic—has been using the airbrush. It is fast and beautiful, I have always thought, but noisy and mechanical tool-intensive. I’ve wanted to branch out a bit from horses in art and working on “flat” landscape paintings with oils was a good way to do that plus learn something new. Paul and I have traveled a lot in the past 10 years and got on a huge art-museum jag where we saw a lot of the most significant old masters paintings on the planet. So naturally I was itching to try oils myself after all that quality art exposure!

Enjoyment of painting naturally led me to thinking about finishing my sculptures in oils. Especially since I have a sculpture in resin edition at the moment, and some unpainted white ones staring at me in the studio every day. I just finished my first Roundabout resin in oils, and here he is. Since this horse is a British Cob, I named this one “Marlow”, after a delightful town in England near where we lived during our year there…

I am so pleased with my first attempt with oils, that I’ve started another one which will be dappled palomino:

The palomino will be for sale… if I am satisfied with the results. Next, I will be interested to figure out how to paint a dappled grey in oils. I’ve spent 30 years perfecting dappled greys with the airbrush for both acrylic paint and ceramic glaze (because it is my favorite horse color) so that will be a challenge!

By the way, you can buy an unpainted Roundabout in resin at my Etsy Store. They are in stock and ready to ship.

What else am I up to? I’ve started another sculpture (about 4″ tall) that I’m not near ready to talk more about yet. Plus I will be getting back into the china glazing too I hope… Roundabout in ceramic IS coming this spring! I am thinking about glazing a small edition in an OF color, probably 10 pieces all the same color. But that won’t come until much later in the year, after I get the molds and get the hang of casting and cleaning them.

All work has been slow recently because I’ve been struggling with sciatica in both legs since September which makes it painful to sit for very long. After flailing around with chiropractic and physical therapy, I’ve been escalated to a spine specialist which I see tomorrow. I sure hope they will be able to help me because not being able to sit really inhibits my work time!!

Lastly, here is the first china horse I completed in 2012. An earthenware Boreas I cast myself. Isn’t he amazing looking in chestnut sabino color? A great color idea from the person who now owns it!

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