I'e really mixed feelings about this third and final painting of my wild west trilogy, or triptych. I had a clear enough vision for it, and sketched it out. It took a whole day to paint the background. The sky was too dark and I had to lighten it before I could paint in the hills. Then the hills were far too light. I darkened them, which had the effect of concealing the blotchiness of them, which was all to the good, but made them too dark. So then I lightened them. Then finally I got to do the green hills and the yellow haze, which is the thing I really like about this picture. Finally the scrubby ground at the bottom of the picture.
I was really looking forward to painting in the cowboy. But . . . I dunno, it just isn't really what I was going for. I like the colour on the horse, and I think that the head is well done, but its legs. . . they're stumpy, I'm afraid. Isn't it typical. I'd say that I really struggle with 'natural' backgrounds, but I'm decent at horses and figures. Here I think I have one of the most successful natural backgrounds I've ever painted, yet it's the figure that lets it down.
Well, it is what it is. What it does do is complete my cowboy triptych: -
I have thoroughly enjoyed making all three of these paintings. I think that the far right- the first - is the most successful. Seems the public think so as well - I had an offer to buy it within an hour of first posting it on the net.
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