Another update on the horse watercolor.

I'm working to portray, I think, a wild-windy mane on this horse.  I can see I'll be changing a lot of things about the mane, I'll just keep working on it until it becomes what I want it to be.

I used one of my photos of a horse named Murphy to begin this painting.  He was my cousins' horse, he's no longer with us.  I rode him up behind Split Mountain, west of Dupuyer, Mt, one time on a cold, windy day.

Murphy had large ears, and a very expressive face.  I've used his image in several paintings just because he had such "presence" in the photos I took of him.

Hope you enjoy the updates, leave a comment if you wish!
Donna Ridgway

I'm working on a horse. Water color on Yupo paper.

This is the very beginning drawing, just laying in color with a brush, in the general shape of a horse's head.  From this point, I'll begin to refine the lines, fill in the mane, fix things I see that need fixing.  My favorite part of  creating a painting is this lay in stage.  I love to take a blank white page, to the point where it begins to come to life.  Where there was nothing, you now see a horse.

Because I've created paintings since I was 5 years old, I've refined my process to the point where this step takes from 15 minutes to an hour to complete.  If you counted the total of hours painting to get to this place, I'd probably have 20,000 hours in painting!  I really have no idea, lol!  But I know it's a lot of hours, a lot of lessons, a lot of work.  To coin a cliche, a labor of love. :)

Watch for updates as the painting comes along.

This is the last day of the Thanksgiving holiday for 2014, I'm wishing you will have many things to be thankful for in the coming year.
Donna Ridgway

Come see the dog with the crooked nose snarl!

"Will I bite, or will I not bite?  That is the question!  Let's ask Ceasar Milan, he would know!  Is this dog mean or is he just insecure?  

No matter what he is, he's really fun to see with his snarfy attitude and funny face.

This was another TAG!!! painting from my art page on facebook.   Come by the page, tick the like button to see the updates and take a chance to win a painting like this. 

My Etsy shop, Stormy Ridge Studio, has other fun things you might like to see!

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Second give away painting in the TAG!!! game.

This painting was a 4X4 inch watercolor on Yupo paper.

Our yard bunny was on high alert, watching out for the neighbor's dog when I took his photo and then painted this from the reference photo.

Carol Peterson Hopkins was the winner of this painting!  Congratulations Carol! 

If you'd like to play the TAG!!! game, click the tag link and come on over to my art page. 

When you see the word TAG!!! at the top of a post, and nothing else, that painting is in the game and if you are the first person to respond beneath the painting with the word TAG!!!, you win the painting.  Each person is eligible to win once a year.  So every one has a chance to win a painting!  I'm not being stingy with the paintings, I'm creating a lot of them for this event.  So come on by!  Join in today!  Just tick "Like" to join the page, and watch for the TAG!!! paintings to roll by.

The TAG!!! game.

This was the first painting I gave away in the TAG!!! game.  This is a game going along on my facebook art page.  I post a painting, and if the word TAG!!! is at the top of the post, the first person who responds with TAG!!! under the painting posted, wins the painting.

It's so easy.  I had a lot of fun creating this painting wondering who would be the first person to see my post!  The painting did not last for two seconds, so if you want to win, be sure to keep an eye on that page!

Congratulations to Kathy Tilander-Doyle for winning the first painting!

Come by and play the TAG!!! game and be the next winner!

Alcohol Ink Artists Valentine Theme Week! My entries.

On ebay this week!

Come by and place a bid, it began at .99!

I'm Purrrr fect for you!

Come by and place a bid!

Valentines Theme Week challenge

Alcohol Ink Artists

On ebay this week, Be Mine

Alcohol Artists Valentines Theme Week!

Come place a bid, he starts out at .99

These are my three entries in the Valentine's Challenge for theme week in the Alcohol Ink Artist group on facebook.  What fun!

To see all the Alcohol Ink entries, just type AIArt Valentines Theme Week in the search bar!

Don't forget to place a bid on the art!

Paper sculpture, toilet paper roll faces, cowboys from the old west.

Cowboy faces made of toilet paper rolls.  These cowboys have built in strings for hanging.  You can hang them from your Christmas tree at Christmas time, or you can hang them up around your house.  You can also take them to the car and hang them around the rear view mirror.  They're quite fun!