"Kenzie"

"Kenzie" oil on 8x10 board

I am in the process of changing my style, Marcia Mcleary Hodges has been very kind giving me a few tips to try. I had this picture of  Kenzie a little girl that attends Little Green School run by John's granddaughter, Emma. 

Kenzie was mesmerized looking at a pool of water which gave a lot of reflections and was a challenge but the experience has given me an opportunity to peruse this  style , it certainly was fun . 

Small children are curious and full of life, and I hope you can see it in this painting.  

Oil on board 8 x 10.

Thank you Marcia for your help and kindness, and information!

Babs 

Marcia can be seen here http://paintingbythelake.blogspot.ca/

"By the Grackle, Schomberg"

By the Grackle! Oil on 8x10 board

Grackle Coffee in Schomberg has fast become very popular,now having a Barista
that serves some of the best coffee the whole of King not only that they encourage
Good Eating and the best selection of ice cream you can imagine.

It's a small place that's fun to visit and enjoy their company , pop in and meet them
it's the Schomberg fair this weekend a great place to visit for a fun day.
John took this picture some time ago, I decided to try a small painting oil on
board 8 X 10. just to show you this little treasure!
Babs
Ps the Grackle sign has changed since the photo was taken.

Work in progress!

What next!

Got a bit lost here, you stare at horses and riders and paint what you see, then you look at your painting and it seems everything has moved, especially the horses legs!
But we shall persevere!
First painting in a year and its doing me good to get back into it.
Oil on 36x24 inch canvas, from a photo I took at Caledon couple of years ago.
John

Percherons

Percherons oil on 11x14 board

I really enjoyed painting these two horses close up, mainly because of the different subtle colours in their coats varying from blues to blacks Browns and orange and because they were both standing so close together it took time to make sure they looked separate!

It was a challenge which encouraged me to squint a lot!

My thanks to you Barry for such great photos
They can be seen here:
http://cameraonking.blogspot.ca/2015/07/percherons-at-windy-hill-farm.html

Babs

Wet bird

"You never had a bath?" oil on 8x10 canvas

This is from a photo taken by Barry Wallace in his garden in King City, a picture of a Robin just coming from the bird bath on a hot day. I thought it was an opportunity to paint it,loved the indignant look and the wet feathers of the bird.

Barrie manages to capture some great pictures on his journey around the King Area and he is an avid Birder too, he has as many as ten bird feeders and the water bath in his garden plenty of food for the passing birds who pop in for a quick feed and a clean up before their travels.
This is a North American Robin.

Babs

Barry Wallace's blogs can be seen here:
http://cameraonking.blogspot.ca/
http://barrythebirder.blogspot.ca/

Gluttons for Punishment

Caledon Equine Park, Palgrave

The last few weekends have been spent watching horses being put through their paces from jumps to dressage has been interesting. It is a such a large amount of young people all enthusiastic and horses doing their best to please.

The more we visit the less we understand ! However we do  enjoy the whole thing watching many riders,some professional and some amateurs. The atmosphere on the days we have been are relaxed between sessions so it gives us a chance to take photographs for painting and a wander round at the eventing picking out interesting scenes that we like hopefully to become paintings eventually.

My practice painting is horse and rider doing dressage I like to torture myself attempting to make the picture look right, horses feet are a true test of patience along with the gear of straps and saddle with rider on top!
This one was on a sunny day with dark trees and bright earth, colour coming from the sunny day.

John has caught the bug too but likes to include the  scenery! 

The paintings will be ready for vewing in a few days.

Babs

"Tribble" the Sleepy Dog

"Tribble" oil on 11x14 board

Palgrave  Eventing  August  10 th

A quick decision to have a day out and we watched the goings on of horse and riders going over the jumps. It was a lovely sunny day and we were ambling around the event John taking pictures. When we spotted this little dog sitting in a Golf cart, it seemed  concentrating on the horses and taking it all in probably working out the Points,
I loved this little scrap of humanity he looked like a friendly Tribble from Star Trek
Babs

Holland Marsh River in Heat!

Holland marsh river at Bradford oil on 18x24 canvas

This is from a photo I took a couple of weeks ago during the hot humid weather of July.
The whole thing has been a challenge and I think it still is a "Work in Progress", it shall go on the "But" wall for a while.
I painted without a drawing, never done that before, just roughed in the general shapes with very thin Burnt Sienna, and then went from there, the challenges were the leaves in the blue sky and the reflections on the water, and now I notice a tree branch in the top right hand corner that will have to come out!
Ah well have to wait till the brown dries.
In the mean time I'm going to tackle two horse and riders.
"Such Fun" as the English say!
John

Friday Afternoon

Sitting out side under the awning on my own with some time, I didn't expect, to myself. It's

roughly 26 degrees very pleasant looking at a newly mowed law and  the greenery around me then looking  at our pink, white, and red peonies. Every few minutes I get a waft of their scent it's delicate for such large flowers and the frowsy loose petals show off their  beauty.


Having a new bird feeder that seems to standing a lot of traffic from some lovely yellow birds mostly coming around lunch time to feed, the chipmunk pops out about the same time for any castings that will give him his lunch. I've watched a black squirrel trying hard to get some seeds from the feeder away at the top which ( thank goodness ) doesn't move.

John has planted pots of red geraniums a Favourite of mine and they are just shooting up very well with lots of buds because of all the rain we have had in the last few weeks, our herbs are doing well too, parsley thyme mint and the bay bush I manage to winter over are enjoying some sun and the breeze.

It's not that often we sit outside, even more so on my own, we rush through the garden more often than not! usually with groceries . Right now I feel very grateful having sat for a while and let nature entertain my mind it"s very relaxing and giving my brain a brief but lovely experience just letting everything slip into the background and taking the time to breath, look and listen like a little vacation that dropped in to say HI wondered where you were!

Babs