An Inspiring Commission
I am not keen to take on commissions. I am very much driven by what inspires me and, to be honest, people’s pets and children haven’t sparked much interest so far. Additionally, I would hate to take something on and then find that a client does not like the result or does not want to pay a fair price for my effort.
So when a friend asked me to paint a pair of horses that he and his partner owned, I surprised myself by accepting it enthusiastically. I suppose I saw the request as a low risk opportunity. I knew that whatever happened, I would enjoy myself in the attempt, and if the result was not good I could simply apologise to my friend and say I wasn’t up to the job. He wouldn’t owe me anything.
My friend provided excellent reference photographs but, at first, I couldn’t even tell the horses apart. The horses are brother and sister. An alarming thought crossed my mind that I might produce two identical horses but I needn’t have worried. Well before I had finished I could discern their differences. By the time I was painting eye lashes, whiskers and veins, there could be no mistaking them.
My first task was to select my palette. As the horses were white (technically ‘greys’), I needed a some subtle lights and greys, in both warm and cool tones. A small sketch helped to confirm my selection of pastels.
The second decision was to paint the two horses at the same time. If I painted one after the other, I would most probably vary my technique and they would not make a matching pair. This proved to be a good strategy.
Using soft pastels, I wasn’t able to achieve the fine details that artists using pastel pencils can, but at a suitable viewing distance, this is not discernible.
Happily, both my friends and I were happy with the result.
BRIDGET'S FINE ART PASTELS 