The new painting

I am returning to my studio after months of virtual but very real activity, constructing online shops and building an e course.  I am inspired by my trip to the Munnings Museum two weeks ago, where I was teaching a drawing class and then had the opportunity to draw and paint live models for the following two days.  I visited the museum, which has a large and beautifully curated collection of Munnings’ paintings and, this year, his personal letters.

I have returned with a determination to revisit my equestrian paintings started and left unresolved, beginning with this one which is an ongoing project that has baffled me for a long time.  Now I am really focused on understanding the drawing of the ponies and thinking every step of the way to review the colours and composition .

Drawing and painting require totally different parts of my brain, I realise. Quite confusing. For me it is a big leap from “knowing” (thinking hard) to “showing” (not thinking at all). Today did some absolutely necessary thinking with this pony to try and “show” the form of the legs better. Eventually this might translate without thought into paint. Also returned to original project, with slightly more knowledge. To be continued