Friday, August 26, 2011

Desert Moon


This painting is still wet and may need a little more work but I will take a look at it in the morning and make the necessary changes.  I am on a quest to gather together several "Moon" paintings.  Actually paintings titled using the word, moon.  You have seen "Moon Shadow, Moonlight on the Plains and The Honey Moon.  This will be moon painting #4 with New Moon in the wings.  I used a black and white reference photograph leaving it up to me to make my color choices.  It was a fun experiment.  Painting


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Water Works Show at the Buchanan Gallery


I am proud to announce my plein air painting, "The Pond", was accepted to the "Water Works" show at the Buchanan Gallery in Galveston, Texas.  It is a lovely show with diverse works of art.  The show is also available for viewing on the Buchanan Gallery website. Take a look and enjoy the collection of "Water Works" art for the last days of summer.  Painting plein air made for, "A Painting Day".

"The Pond" 6x6-inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre 2011 © $350.00
Available at the Buchanan Gallery - Galveston, Texas

Saturday, August 20, 2011

The Honey Moon


I just took a photo of this painting and realized I am not a photographer and do not have the right lens to photograph a painting this wide.  Since it is six feet wide I am somewhat hampered getting a good image until I take it to my good friend and great photographer, Jim Ginney in Placerville.  The painting might also need a tweak or two but I wanted to share my days labor with you.  I hope you have enjoyed seeing the paint go on this canvas and seeing it through what paintings do as they move through the process.  It is a wild ride but a fun one for sure.  Painting with these two wild horses has made for, "A Painting day".

"The Honey Moon" 24x72-inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre 201l ©

Friday, August 19, 2011

Work In Progress Continues - The Honey Moon

This is my second post for my painting journey with this larger 6 foot canvas.  I have spent a full day getting the color paint-wash on the two horses and adding paint to the background.  Next a thicker paint will be added and hopefully we will be seeing a finished painting soon.  I am enjoying working on this larger canvas with big brushes and large quantities of paint.  The next step will show the true likeness of the horses.  This has definitely been, "A Painting Day".




Work In Progress, "The Honey Moon" by Ruth Andre 2011 ©



Work In Progress - The Honey Moon

The art store is a dangerous place.  You see supplies and can touch everything.  It is not like an art catalog where you can just turn the page and move on.  I mean some things just call out to you.  I saw this large six foot canvas and just went a bit wild.  Matter of fact I bought TWO of these big beauties.  Then I submerged myself in ideas of what to paint?  The first photo below shows the first drawing block in using an oil wash of paint for a painting of two horses.  The next photos show how I start the painting by painting the eye of the horse.  It may not be the finished eye but it gives me the feeling of life with the animal I am painting and that gives me a connection to the animals I am painting.  I am not alone; we are all in the studio together.  I will post more photos as the work comes together.  It will go through different stages, some not so pretty but each step brings the work closer to completion.  Painting BIG made for, "A Painting Day".
Work In Progress - "The Honey Moon" by Ruth Andre 2011 ©







Monday, August 15, 2011

Just Working & Moses Botkin Challenge for August


The August Moses Botkin Challenge was a true Challenge for me this month.  We were asked to paint something inside or outside of our car.  I do have a car but my true affection goes to our work horse F250 Diesel Ford Truck.  This baby has gotten my husband and me to and from our home in Missouri to California several times.  It has also pulled heavy horses, hay and equipment.  Before owning a diesel truck we had an almost very bad situation pulling a horse trailer with two very heavy horses.  We had just picked up our two mares from a wonderful horse farm, Valley Springs Foxtrotters , in Black, MO and were headed home and started up a steep grade and about 3/4 of the way up the hill the truck started to sputter and complain about the load.  At one point we thought we would be headed back down the mountain backwards and who knows at what speed?  It was a scary situation and right then and there we decided we had to have more pulling power and a diesel truck.  We did make it  home okay that day but adventures like that one I did not want to do again.  So this little Ford is a working girl and we love her.  Thinking about our Missouri adventure made for "A Painting Day".  Scroll down and take a look at the other artist entries for August Challenge.

"Just Working" 6x8 inches, oil on canvas 2011 © By Ruth Andre



"Rocket Girl"
7x5 on hard board © 2011
Diana Moses Botkin


"Aereodynamics"
5x7 oil on panel ©
Robin Cheers


"Old Mobile"
6x6 oil on board ©
Sharmon Owings


"Cherry"
5x5 oil on panel ©
Vicki Ross

Monday, August 8, 2011

Update & News

There is a Blog site that I follow called Making A Mark and my blog, "A Painting Day", is featured on one of Katherine Tyrrell's blog posts on Blogs.  Scroll down to the heading Painters to see the post.  It is an honor to be represented on Making A Mark.


I am happy to report the client's choice for her favorite Charlie Portrait is "Charlie I" and she said she is thrilled with the painting.  It is always such a good feeling to paint a commission and have a happy client.

I have a Challenge painting in the works and another commission painting coming soon.  The studio is busy making for, "A Painting Day".

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Charlie II - A Commission


A few posts back I posted "Charlie I" and today I am posting "Charlie II", the second painting of Charlie. The two images have been emailed to the client to see which painting she and her daughter favor the most?  I fell in love with this horse.  He has a sweet way about him and it shows through in his photos.  He is also a very good jumper and is headed to the Junior Hunter finals in San Juan Capistrano.  He and his owner surely will do well and have a lot of fun along the way.  So which painting will they choose?  Painting Charlie has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Charlie II" 12x12 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre ©


"Charlie I" 12x12 inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre © Sold


Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Bay Watch



I grew up in the country and Sunday afternoons were spent in front of the television watching Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.  I did not have my own horse until I turned 12 but would ride with friends on their extra horses or ride double and usually bareback.  It was the best of times for being a kid.  We traveled the valley and followed old fire trails in the mountains surrounding Rainbow Valley.  Loving horses also had me stuffing my jacket pockets with carrots and apples to treat a few horses that I knew down the road.  They were owned by my father's good friend, Jess, and he was an old horseman who gave the okay to my horse visits.  These horses were the best of friends and loved seeing me arrive with their horse treats. This painting, "Bay Watch" reminds me of those times.  Remembering days of being a girl has made for, "A Painting Day".

"Bay Watch" 6x12-inches, oil on canvas by Ruth Andre ©