No way you’ll catch me

This is a new painting, and oil on canvas. It measures 18 x 24” (45.7 x 61 cm). The title, ”No way you’ll catch me” is the voice of one of the untamed horses, cannot tell you which one though. I wish I could share the joy of painting these landscapes along with the photo. I hope it comes through in some of the vibrant greens and brightness of the sky. This painting has the scent of freshly plowed soil, the excitement of jumping a stone fence, the whining and loud laughter of horses, the quiet chatter of the donkeys, the admiration of the kids as their dad tries to lace a horse.

The forests are filled with life, as is the soil. The farmhouses in the distance have whole families inhabiting them, and delighting in these hills. And the owl resting on the fence, a keen watcher of all happenings.

When you pause and watch closely, the landscape offers so much entertainment. The quiet owl on the post notices the joy of the girl jumping the low stone wall for the first time, the hard work of the farmer plowing the land with his companion mule, the boy clawed to the fence while watching the horses kick and laugh about the potential of being reigned in by the experienced herdsman, the girl in the blue skirt standing by the gate avid for a bareback horse ride, the donkeys in the far away field approaching each other for some gossip, the apple trees with delicious red fruit ready to be bitten, the quilted hills displaying their patterns, and the red road open to take you where your heart desires.  

I want to thank my colleagues at the Boulder Virtual Artist Critique Group for their input and feedback to make this painting better. This is a collaborative group of artists focused on making every artwork shared as good as it can be. This fabulous group has as a slogan Paris in 1920s as Boulder in the 2020s, and that spirit shows in every Saturday gathering.