Groundwork

I've been invited to participate in a show this fall at the Skyline Farm Carriage Museum, and have begun preparing a body of work specifically for that show.

I have a series of reference photos of a pair of hitched mules, full of personality, and all sorts of patterning created by the lines of the harness. I want to paint them big - at least life size - but never having painted mules or harness before, I need to do some smaller studies.

This is one of them, a 6x8 canvasboard. Very much still a sketch, even though it's done in color. It's been painted over multiple times - same subject, just alterations in the color temperature and the background.

I like the simplicity of this version, but am wondering if I am doing more harm than good in omitting his partner's shadow on the right.

At this stage I'm evaluating this "thumbnail" on several criteria:

1. Is there enough personality to warrant increasing the scale?
2. Is the image balanced with interesting patterns that properly amplify the focal point? How can I redraw this to make it better?
3. Is the light and color working?

What sorts of changes can I make to this little piece that will improve it's success each of the three areas above?

That's what I'll be thinking about, as this painting dries on my desk here, and I continue ruffling through other images.

Kimberly Kelly Santini
www.turtledovedesigns.com
distinctive pet portraits
& 4-legged paintings