Paladin

This has been one of the wettest days here on the little Ponderosa.  I have been fighting water going over the creek banks and coming down off the mountain moving through the outside horse stalls.  When not getting wet I have been snug in my studio painting this handsome Palomino Stallion, Paladin.  I was thinking this would make a nice large painting but wanted to paint it as a study first to see how I liked the composition.  Staying out of the rain made for, "A Painting Day".

"Paladin" 9x12-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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The Spirits Speak

I have been searching my family heritage with the help of my good friend, Craig. Craig has taken my bits and pieces of names and dates to garner information from  my family history.  I know I have Indian heritage but it appears to be hidden in the records of time.  This portrait, "The Spirits Speak", is a first try for me to get in touch with my past through painting.  I know that may sound a bit dramatic but it is heartfelt.  The search for family history has made for "A Painting Day".

"The Spirits Speak" 8x8-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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Jack #2

Here is the second Jack Rabbit of the triptych in progress.  I am beginning to think when painting a triptych one needs to do them all at one time!!!!! Set the canvas' up and paint away.   After the third Jack Rabbit is completed I may need to go back and and finesse all three paintings so they have a harmonic continuity.  We shall see how it goes with Jack #3?  Are you with me?  Jack #1 was posted a few weeks ago so I will post him again next to Jack #2 below.  Seeing Rabbits has made for, "A Painting Day".

Jack #2" 6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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"Jack #1"                                                                     "Jack #2"

Hopi

Hopi, a registered Paint, came to our farm in Missouri at just 5 months old.  She had been raised on large farm with a herd of nearly 100 horses all running free.  She had not been handled and she was a feisty little filly.  The man that had her had just inherited his father's farm and all of his father's horses.  He had 30 colts just a few months old and he asked if I would like to take a look at them?  I was not in the market for a colt of any kind but when I walked into the barn there was Hopi and well I kind of went crazy for her.  Hopi came to our farm supposedly for the winter.  The plan was to have Hopi be the baby sitter horse for our Fox Trotter filly, Cayenne.  With that said I was negotiating a sale price with Hopi's owner in just a few weeks of her arrival.  I liked her and she was a sweetheart.  Hopi joining our small herd of horses made for, "A Painting Day".

"Hopi" 36x36-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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Converse Reds & Moses Botkin February Challenge

Hope you are having a wonderful Valentine's Day with the special ones in your life.  I am sending a Valentine painting with a bit of "Red" for the day and it is also time to post the Moses Botkin Challenge paintings.  The Challenge for February was chosen by Diana Moses Botkin.  We were supposed to paint a pair of Converse Shoes.  Diana says she has fond memories of these rather fun canvas high tops.  The Challenge paintings from the other five artists are shown below. To tell you the truth this is a subject I never thought I would be painting and it made for a fun challenge.  It definitely made for, "A Painting Day".

"Converse Reds" 6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre SOLD

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"Well Worn"
Oil on hardboard, 5"x7"
©2011 Diana Moses Botkin
http://dianamosesbotkin.blogspot.com/ 

"Just Hanging Out"
6x6 hardboard

http://www.sharmanowingspaintings.blogspot.com

©2011 Sharman Owings

"Satin Chucks"

© Vicki Ross

9x12" oil on panel
http://vickiandrandyrossart.blogspot.com

Always Untied

6x6 oil on panel

(c) Robin Cheers
http://robincheers.blogspot.com

Big Red
24x24" oil on canvas
Suzanne Berry
http://suzanneberry.blogspot.com/

The Moses Botkin Challenge group is already working on the new Challenge for March.  Check back to see what the group has to show.  Enjoy!

Painting Photos

Well I have been on a wild hair and have several painting going in the studio.  I love starting a painting and I love the first and the second paint passes and then it gets down to the final and I start dragging my feet.  The photos are of me painting a portrait of my horse, Hopi.  She is a small Paint and it is a lot of fun seeing her bigger than life.  I learned one thing today.  Do NOT stand too close to a wet painting.  Taking on these big canvas works has made for, "A Painting Day".

Work In Progress of Hopi-36x36 inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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Jack #1

Here in the valley we have Jack Rabbits and they always make me smile when I see them hopping along in the pasture.  Their ears are long but I decided to paint this little Jack Rabbit close up to show off his big brown eyes.  "Jack #1" is the first in a series of three Jack Rabbits for a triptych series.  Finding this little Jack Rabbit made for, "A Painting Day".

"Jack #1" -6x6-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre
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While the Paint Dries

Today as I was driving home from town and I stopped in the road as it crossed through the Rancheria Creek not far from the house to take this photo.  The sun was shining making for a lovely day.  The creek is seasonal and can get very high with the winter rains.  Even with a 4 wheel drive vehicle the creek is impassable but luckily we have another way out of the valley on those very wet days.  In the summer months the creek bed is dry.  It is beautiful no matter the season.  I should be back in the studio tomorrow and hopefully will finish a painting or two that are in progress.  Living in the back country makes for, "A Painting Day".

Rancheria Creek - Photo by Ruth Andre
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Work In Progress

My goal for the year has been to get back to painting larger works.  I had forgotten how long larger paintings take and so wanted to finish this one today.  You can take a gander at the 'getting there' process for this 12x40-inch canvas.  The canvas size is kind of fun and one that I have never used before.  I think I like it.  The painting is my horse, Cayenne.  She was out in the pasture pretending not to see me but of course she saw all and finally came over and tried to eat the camera.  This is pre eating and just lounging.  You can also see my messy studio.  Be like Cay and pretend not to see my piles.  I am also posting today to say, good-bye to the Fresh Paint Daily Painters group that I have been posting with for the past few months.  Fresh Paint has a great group of artists and I love being part of the group but have decided I need to concentrate on my larger paintings and to do that I need to cut some of my posting activity.  Painting my old friend, Cayenne, has made for "A Painting Day".

"Cayenne"  12x40 -inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre Work in Progress
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February

I'm LATE!  January has been a whirlwind of activity in the studio and February got here seemingly very fast.  As promised here is the calendar for February.  The painting is of a Palomino mare named Diamond and she lives just over the hill in the Shenandoah Valley.  The studio is filled with several paintings in different stages of completion, including one for the next Moses Botkin Challenge.  I have also been in the thinking mode of what I would like to paint for a new series of works?  I would rather be painting and not thinking so much but I guess it all is part of the artistic process?  February is making for, "A Painting Day".

"Shenandoah" 12x12-inches, oil/canvas by Ruth Andre

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