Commission finished: off to US

This is a large format 100x80cm oils on linen portrait / commissioned painting just finished for a US client. Loved painting the Scottish landscape and wild clouds. This is a snip-it of the original painting. It was a bit of a challenge to get the photo of the painting to capture fully the colors and the contrasting lights / darks.  A full view of the painting can be found on my website under "Gallery/ Fresh off the easel".

Portrait finished : Fontainebleau series

Thrilled to finish my next oil painting. It is to be part of my Fontainebleau series of oil paintings on location at the Grand Parquet. Fontainebleau, which hosts both national and international horse shows each year, is a beautiful setting to capture equine moments. This is a portrait of Bowie de la Mure ridden by my daughter on the Petit Parquet in 2018 based on a personal photo. I wanted to capture Bowie’s beautiful movement dancing across the Petit Parquet before the clear round performance. The painting also depicts Le Petit Parquet grass footing: a decision was taken in 2018 to convert Le Petit Parquet to sand footing for the 2019 show season. This is a snip-it of the original painting. A full view of the painting can be found on my website under "Gallery/ Fresh off the easel".

The painting will be on display at the Jump Bost horse show (Barbizon) 16-17 March.

Nice change up: New painting, Paris

2018 was an exciting first full year of painting for many years. I have started 2019 going a bit further afield with my subject matter. My second painting of the year, “Across the Street”, is inspired by a personal daytime photo I transformed into a night scene with a streetlight illuminating the elegant Haussmannien façade opposite. This is a snip-it of the original painting. A full view of the painting can be found on my website under "Gallery/ Fresh off the easel".

First oil painting of 2019!

The oil painting is 73x60cm oils on linen. It is based on a photo I took of my daughter’s beloved dog Gilly who we lost last year to illness. She loved to swim in the pool. I was not even finished with the painting and my daughter already had a claim on it.  Looking forward to an exciting New Year at the easel! This is a snip-it of the original painting. A full view of the painting can be found on my website under "Gallery/ Fresh off the easel".

“Blue Coat” is finished

Snip-it of new painting just finished.  Following on from the last painting, “Determination”, I wanted to do another zoom with dressage in mind.  The light source and angle created an interesting perspective. The new painting will be at the Animal Art Paris Salon International at Hippodrome d’Auteuil 16-18 Nov 2018.  A full view of the painting can be found on my website under "Gallery/ Fresh off the easel".

“Determination” painting is finished

Snip-it of new painting just finished.  A fun change from a fuller horse presentation. I started the painting at the Gallery 39 Exposition 30 Aug-5 Sept, Barbizon.  The gallery was large enough that I could display my artwork while painting a new creation. The visitors to the gallery enjoyed seeing my fellow artist (Jo Charlton) and myself actually working on site. The new painting will be on display at the CSI Barbizon horse show 28-30 Sept 2018 at Ecuries Bost, Barbizon and also at the Animal Art Paris Salon International at Hippodrome d’Auteuil 16-18 Nov 2018.  A full view of the painting can be found on my website under "Gallery/ Fresh off the easel".

“Lake Titicaca” painting is finished

Here is a snip-it of my next oil painting just finished, “Lake Titicaca”, based on photo taken by a friend who travelled there over the summer. I could not resist painting with these colors.  It will be on show at the exposition at Galerie 39 located in Barbizon from 30 Aug – 5 Sept 2018. Full view of the painting can be found on my website under "Gallery/ Fresh off the easel".

“La Détente” painting is finished

“La Détente” is a portrait of my daughter who was warming up on location in Fontainebleau in preparation of a horse show earlier this summer. I was sitting there watching and could not resist the idea of a painting. It was a warm sunny summer day under the cool trees at the Fontainebleau showgrounds. It is a large format 81x100 cm painting, oils on cotton canvas which was nice and bouncy…perfect for the capturing the movement and painting a dapple grey! It will be on display at the exposition at Galerie 39 located in Barbizon from 30 Aug – 5 Sept 2018. 

“Frozen Puddles” painting finished

“Frozen Puddles” painting is a quick little “artwork” ditty that I have just completed. It is a change from my other recent pieces. I enjoyed painting with a different set of colors on my palette creating a different atmosphere. It is based on a photo I took one foggy February morning when I arrived at the stables only to catch my younger horse coming back from a Pro jumper schooling: a quiet peaceful scene with the light coming from the background sun trying to burn away the morning fog. Check out the full version posted under “Gallery” on my website. 

“Brietling LS” painting finished

“Breiting LS” painting is finished: inspired by a zoom of photo taken by Shannon Brinkman (http://shannonbrinkman.zenfolio.com): Breitling LS ridden by Beezie Madden (USA) at the Longines FEI World Cup Finals 2018 Showjumping held in Paris in April 2018. My family was in attendance to watch the spectacular finale which they won! This is photo snip-it of the painting. Check out the full version posted under “Gallery” on my website.

Debut of "London Calling"

A wonderful photo by “HistoryLondon” that I found irresistible not to paint.  Sunrise over the docklands taken from the City of London. These snip-its are extracts from the painting that is currently drying.  The full image of the painting will be soon on my website “Gallery – Fresh off the easel”.

Ruby Wedding Anniversary, portrait

Thrilled to share a new portrait painting recently finished: a present for an upcoming Ruby Wedding anniversary - 40 years!  It is currently resting to dry fully before it is prepared for shipment.  The full image of the painting is on my website “Gallery – Fresh off the easel”.

"Miami Sunshine" painting is finished

Nothing like beach ("plage") and horses! The Miami Beach setting is perfect for an international horse show. The subject was an inspiration from a zoom of a beautiful Noelle Floyd photo of Bosty and Sunshine du Phare at the Longines Global Champions Tour at Miami Beach 2016 (http://www.noellefloyd.com/examining-global-champion-league-bold-debut/). Here is a snip-it of the final painting.  Check out the full version posted under “Gallery” on my website.

March 2018, "L'envie" painting is finished

I felt like doing a sunny warm lit painting to brighten the grey winter days outside. This is a zoom from a photo that inspired me…along with a song by Johnny Hallyday of the same name. I chose a big format (3.3’ x 2.4’) to use the colors to play light against the deep dark background “qu’on me donne l’obscurité et puis la lumière” (Johnny Hallyday , 1986, Song “L’envie”…french for desire).  

[extract of full painting]

Feb 2018 New portrait painting finished, "Generation Z "

For an early winter painting I decided to branch out. This is an extract of the finished painting that is currently drying in the Atelier. I call this “Generation Z”. Generation Z comes under different names that describes the first generation to have Internet technology readily available at a young age... not to mention earphones constantly lodged in their ears, which you will see in the final full size painting to be posted on my website in a couple of days.  It is my first portrait, probably of many to come, of my daughter. 

WKoen Sieger ASH aka Dior, head portrait

The cold weather has arrived and so has my recently purchased little electric heater for my little atelier!  I just finished the head portrait of WKoen Sieger ASH, for private collection. This took only a few days to produce allowing for paint to become sticky between sittings to layer colors. To bring out Dior, I played with a less detailed background with a blend of lovely colors including crimson red, yellow ochre and pthalo blue.  He was a lovely horse whose color would go between deep black (winter) and dark mink (summer). The final portrait was based on a photo we took of him just before we went into the show ring at Oxridge (CT, USA), 2014. He was not clipped so had a bit of winter coat! To see the full image please check out my website “jcwflowercreations.com/gallery”.