"The Thundering Herd" oil on linen 1/2026. 30x50"

 

Day 1.  After transferring my original sketch to the canvas, I tone the canvas with burnt sienna acrylic. You can see the rough sienna in the open areas. It dries quick and then I start painting with oils over the acylic wash. I draw in the main features of the background with transparent oxide red oil. Here I have started laying in the value and colors of some of the background.

 

Day 3. Painted in sky and clouds, mountains and forest areas with thick paint and big strokes.

 

Day 5. This shot is better color wise, I shot this with my camera, the first 2 shots were taken with phone. Lost some color on sky and clouds but, this will do. I finished the mountains, clouds and mid forest areas.

 

Day 6. Finished the trees on right mid-ground.

 

Day 8. Blocked in foreground, getting rhythm lines established.

 

Day 9. Finally started on the horses. I shot these wild horses on a trip to the Calgary Stampede art show years ago. I would camp, photograph, and fly fish my way up the eastern slope of the mountains. My favorite horse is the 'paint' in the middle of the herd. I finished the brown horse behind him and worked on the rest of the herd. By the way, the claw in the lower right of the image, is the back scatcher I use as a mahl stick. I thought the bulk of the painting was done, but wait!

 

Day 11. As it goes with many paintings, I changed my mind. Decided I didn't like the mountains and thought the big rock was distracting. So I found some other ones I liked better. A lot of extra work, but it made me happy. Also, beause of the light direction, I cut down on the shadow on the mid forest area.

 

Day 14. After finishing and refining various areas I wasn't happy with, I decided to change the foreground rock, making it more interesting. So, after more than 2 wks, and some blood, sweat, and tears, I finally finished "The Thundering Herd"!! One of the largest paintings I have done.