It's a Filly! - Same Drawing, Different Medium

Variety is the spice of life! I got my studio set up to paint in oils this past week and just completed my third little canvas. As I said in my SketchingEveryday post today, "Various mediums offer interesting lessons. Like golfers perfecting their stroke, repetition in drawing and in painting is all part of the game." This is a 5" x 7" painting commemorating the birthday of my mare, Santa Margarita. You can see the sketch I did of her today in pencil and watercolor wash on my sketching blog. If any of you painters have suggestions or advice, I welcome your input. I already see some things I may like to change. One of the great things about oils vs. watercolors is you can always go back and make adjustments. 

My Baby Turns Twenty Today! :-(

It was twenty years ago today. . . 

While visiting my friend in VA, I witnessed the birth of Oldenburg Stallion, San Diego's first foal on Memorial Day 1991. It was an incredible experience! The filly was born in the indoor arena and I got her first steps on video. She was so beautiful! I was in love and definitely in horse-heaven. Little did I know at the time that she would be my Santa Margarita. Since I have no human children, she's the closest I'll ever get to having a baby of my own. It was apparent right from the start that the foal had a very high opinion of herself and a strong willed "mind of her own". After an hour of getting her land legs, she wasn't finished checking out the indoor arena, the footing, cavaletti, ground poles or cats and dog. She had to be pushed by three of us to follow her screaming mother back to the stall. She resisted by rearing and bucking. . . at less than an hour old.

She loved to be brushed, hand fed and fussed over.

Here's a picture of me and Santa Margarita when she was about two months old. My friend used this photo in her stallion advertising campaign. She said people often commented about the cute photo of the foal and the "little girl". : -)

(Shhh, A little secret - I was 37 at the time.)

She was a firey filly and very tall and strong.

Here we are when she was four months old. Look how fast she was growing! What a handful. I felt sorry for her mom. I'm putting a slideshow together to commemorate this day and the past twenty years with my big girl. I'll post it here soon.

And here we are today.

Still Together After All These Years!

Happy 20th Birthday Today To My Lovely Rita!