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From a white nightmare to golden moments

Sometimes its nice to go off in a new direction, and sometimes its nice to work in a new direction from an old one. Some years ago I did a painting of three white horses leaping and racing by moonlight, in a very loose style of watercolours  with lots of movement, and sold it very quickly. I knew at the time that I wanted to paint the picture again, probably in more detail, and larger, perhaps in oils or acrylics. Recently I’ve been doing just that, and am ready to unveil it!

The first painting, which I am showing here, I was amused to call “Nightmares” was of three white horses, and had gold paint poured into the watercolours giving a lovely glint and shine to the movement within it. The moon was the only light that the horses raced by, the background  mostly cold colours of deep blues, lilacs, and greens.Nightmareshighlights (2)

The new painting, which is a large 36 x 24 inches on canvas is painted in acrylics as I wanted brighter colours, with the second horse being the one that is obviously going to win the race, since there is more power and dedication within his movements, and the gold emanating from within him. I wanted the horses manes to be flowing back into the sky behind them, and there to be very little landscape other than sky and a feeling of ground beneath them and dust being kicked up by their hooves. The place is not important, the race, and power, and winning, is. Its still three white horses leaping and racing, and there is still movement in the picture but its far tighter in style. I wanted the sky to be a multi-coloured profusion of colour and tone in strong  pinks, blues, and golds since that would be a better backdrop to the finer details of the pale manes flowing. The painting is entitled “Going for gold” and although the horses are white, they have their own colours showing through, mimicking the pinks, blues and golds of the sky behind. The subtle white paint was applied over the darker tones beneath, giving more of a hint of muscle and skin to the horses themselves.

Going for gold newThe ground beneath them had to be detailed to show that it was there, and so that it could be a good contrast to the dust above it.  The hints of red, and gold, and deep purples and white add interest to it, without taking away from the main (or should it be mane!) importance in the horses.

The golden horse is breathing, and feeling his golden strength.

A simple picture but with a powerful message within.

 

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