Grazing Horses WIP

I've been adding to the daily painting from a couple days ago. I wanted to have a grouping of 3 horses, keeping it loose and allowing it to evolve. I am trying to get to the point where less is more in these types of paintings-- to not overwork it and to do 'just enough' to get the point across. I intend to further develop some of these daily paintings into more detailed works but am finding some can stand alone as is. Some I am done with. :) Meaning it was an 'exercise' and I got that day's exercise finished. So I am learning to take the good with the bad and continuing on. I am actually quite excited about his project as a whole because I am seeing the value in giving myself this time to paint for me. I have spent a fair bit of time painting for others, which is fine but I think of this time as my time to let my artistic spirit grow and do what it wants to do.

As many of you may know, trying to corral anything it is more easily done by persuading and opening up the right places to enter than it is by forcibly pushing something into a desired space. Reminds me of our farming days when I had to help my husband bring in the cattle. He liked to do it with the ATV, racing around, revving the motor and getting the cattle all riled up. That is probably because my husband is a 'go-getter', a first born who sets a goal and than just goes after it. This approach has done him well in most areas but cattle herding! :) I am a meander er (If that's a word!!). I meander and wander and chase the butterflies but I also became a good cattle herder because I approached herding cattle by giving them a place to move into. My job was to think ahead and let the open space be where I wanted them to go. Horses are alot like this too. I am beginning to see this exercise in the same light. I am showing up each day to say, 'what place is opening up today? What am I envisioning and where can this go?' And then I just have to let it happen. thanks for following along!

happy trails! :)

Sue