Background–check. Harness–check. Horses–still to go.
As has happened with pretty much any horse/harness combination I have ever painted, I have done–in this order–the easiest part (background), the most difficult part (harness), and left the most fun part (horses) for last. I got a little behind schedule–lost a week, in fact–due to a side trip to Chicago to do some day job work. Glad to be back home and painting away again. Glad to get back to some live horses too, even though the weather is less than ideal. Probably about two feet of snow on the ground out there now. And no end in sight. If we get much more of that white stuff the horses will be able to just step over the fences!
Alli Farkas Artist Adventures 
i love love love everything about this painting, and even if you put down your brushes and called them ‘snow’ horses, i would love it in the unfinished state!
amazing work! bravo!
when we had rare snows in mississippi, a horse often broke a leg in the cattle guard on the gravel road. that was always a very sad tragic time. you will surely be happy when the snow’s gone…
z
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I never thought of “snow horses”–nice concept but now I’m committed so must push onward LOL! But I so appreciate your enthusiasm Lisa!
No free range cattle in Michigan (at least that I know of) so fortunately don’t have to worry about cattle guards. Do have to be concerned about when the snow starts to melt and the horses sink way into it and then their footprints freeze overnight leaving nice big holes to trap an unwary leg. Since they’re out all the time anyway they seem to have a sixth sense about scoping out their footing. Hope we get back down to good old dirt with no incidents.
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as it stands now, the horses have a very ghostly look. kind of tripppy!
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White horse on the left is now blue-gray. More to come.
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I find it amazing that you do backgrounds first.
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When you have lots of fine hairs of mane and tail flying over the background you pretty much have to do the background first. I don’t always–if the background is blurry or out of focus like this one however, it’s just more convenient to do it first and then paint the detail stuff over it.
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