A New Beginning

Untitled, 2nd day of painting, 30x40 oil on canvas

      Yesterday I started work on this new painting. My mind has been wandering back to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and this scene was inspired by a day of magnificent clouds.  I felt tiny.  I felt very aware of being on a small spit of land surrounded by vast sky and ocean.  That is the feeling I am going for in this painting.  I am considering adding gulls in the pools of water in the foreground and/or small figures on the beach.  However, I may just go with land, sea and sky. 
       I didn't take this photo until I turned the lights on which is why the clouds on the right seem so much more yellow.  They were close to the lights.  I didn't have time to do a very good job photographing it I just wanted to document the progress.  I am eager to get back to work on the painting  and I am very much enjoying working in a larger format again.  This is the first 30x40 painting I have done in a very long time and this used to be one of the most common sizes for one of my paintings. This one is on a 1 1/2 inch deep gallery wrap canvas and I don't plan on framing for now. 

        Tomorrow it is doubtful that I will be working on this as I plan to be out painting with the Washington Society of Landscape Painters.  We will be painting at the Pierce Mill in Rock Creek Park in DC.  Thank goodness the weather forcast is for sun and just 9 to 10 mile per hour winds.  It has really been blowing this week and I hate having to batten everything down!

        Speaking of new beginnings.....I just have to share this photo of a beautiful newborn filly foaled at Cornell University. She is Ellie's (Urielle's) new baby and this photo was taken just after she stood up for the first time.  Ellie is still cleaning her off.  Urielle is a mare who used to be mine.  She is now part of the Cornell University breeding program and has been since 2003.  She has produced some truly wonderful foals who will be making their contributions to the dressage and eventing worlds.  This filly, like all but one of Ellies offspring was sired by a magnificent Hanovarian stallion named Benvolio.  The exciting news this year is that Ellie was actually pregnant with twins and instead of pinching off one of the embryos Ellie carried one and the other was implanted in a surrogate mare.  So, on April 10th we are expecting a sibling to this baby!  Carol Collyer of Cornell has been a wonderful friend and has kept me informed of all Ellie's offspring.  I am partial to mares and Ellie will always be one of "my girls".

The filly looks like her daddy:)