Painting a Memory

Borrowed Horse
30 x 40” oil on linen

I just finished this piece and, unlike many pieces that I’ve painted, it feels done. I will not be tinkering and tweaking. Probably.

Working from a photo has a way of making me very literal so I spent my time squinting and trying to hold onto my concept. I wasn’t painting specific children or a particular horse, I was painting the idea of children and horses and that magical feeling of sitting on a big, gentle animal and trusting that it won’t hurl you to the ground and stomp on you. We’ve all felt that, I’m sure:)

My sister and 2 brothers on a headless horse, many years ago

I took progress shots along the way and this piece spent a lot of time on the shelf while I considered next moves. Here are a few of the stages that it went through.

Finding my way in.  I never draw first, but am always adjusting the 
drawing as I work, thinking in shapes, not lines.

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Focusing on the faces and trying to see them just as shadow and light.  Likeness didn't matter.  What I'm trying to convey is universal and a specific likeness would 
ruin that feeling.

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I decided that the trees had to go.  I prefer the mood of optimism and light in this pale shape behind the figures.

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Moving colour through the composition. Everything is too high chroma but I’m not dwelling on it or editing as I go. It’s better to go too far and then pull it back than to be too timid.

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Almost there, but now if felt dull.  I used complements to lower the chroma in several areas and stopped to let this version rest for a while.

On a sunny day, I suddenly realized that it was missing sunshine.  This is a summertime image  as most memories from childhood are, and I needed to make that clear.  I hit the colour harder on the light-struck planes of the horse and caught a few crisp, rich darks here and there to make if feel lighter overall.  

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The finished version is a joyful memory - despite the fact that I didn't exist at the time the photo was taken.  I've grown up with this photo and have created a false memory of it, one in which I was there, too.  And it was a grand day!

Happy painting!