"Paint What You Love"

"Paint What You Love"
"Paint What You Love", by R.J. Ball, Pastel on velour

Jul 4, 2015

"Evening Grazin"

The minute I received the photos from my second cousin, Heath Crumley, I was inspired!  I loved the sunsets, but with the horses in them, really added a lot.  He took them out his back door.  Wouldn't you love to look out your back door and see that?!  WOW!!  Just had to do a painting!  What an inspiration!!  Thanks Heath, for generously sharing them with me.

I didn't take very many w.i.p. shots, so I'll tell my thinking process.  I decided on my composition, where I wanted the viewer to look first.  Then I studied the horses, ending up flipping two of them and resizing one(to show distance).  I added a windmill and the two trees.  I made up my own sunset by observing a lot of sunset photos, and I wanted the sun setting behind the horse to give a good contrast, to attract the viewer's eye.

This is my first sunset, and now have a couple of more ideas in mind.  Enjoy!!  Thanks for reading.

This painting is currently showing in the New Braunfels Art League Gallery's "Texas" show, from June 30th. to July 30th..


referance photo


referance photo


midway work in progress


"Evening Grazin", Pastel, 12"x16"