Picking Apples ~ Work In Progress ~ Watercolor
Farm Life
I decided to paint a picture from my childhood memories. I spent most of my life hanging out in the woods or riding horses. I wasn't allowed to watch TV and if the weather was nice I wasn't allowed in the house until dinner time. I would pack a lunch and take off for the day.
I think if I remember right I was around 8 years old when Mom would let me go anywhere I wanted and stay out all day. Every kid in my neighborhood grew up that way. We would have thought it strange if kids stayed in the house all day and the parents were afraid to let them out to play. Today I never see kids outside playing here in the suburbs of Tulsa. Times have changed and everyone seems to be a ghost haunting their homes a few hours a day and if they are home you never see them outside.
I grew up on a farm 35 miles SE of Portland in a small town of 1,500 people. More people lived outside of town on small farms that grew Christmas trees and berries commercially. The majority of the rural homes were 5 to 40 acres and didn't grow anything commercially. The livestock or produce we grew were for our own use. Were I lived everyone with kids had horses. My mom loved to show our Morgan horses in halter and English dressage. When I went riding I had to ride English Saddle and a double bit English bridle, while my friends all rode Western Saddles with a bar bit.
To avoid being called a sissy I started riding bareback and used baling twin fashioned in a slip knot for my bridle. When I look back I am surprised I am still alive. We rode through the wilderness areas and back roads along Douglas Ridge which had a trail that went all the way to Mt Hood.
The mountains surrounding our farm may have been wild but our little farms were well cared for, we usually had apple trees, pear trees, and walnut and filbert trees in our back yard along with several fenced gardens to keep the deer out.
The color is a little off, I used a cobalt blue for the sky and my iPad camera couldn't pick up the true colors with my light. I really have a hard time catching the color and detail of my paintings to post on steemit. I had to edit this photo because it was so dark and the filters change the color of my sky a little bit.
The yellow background won't be yellow for long. I will apply several different colors of blue to catch the green colors of the surround trees and grass.
There will be bright red apples in the tree which will move the eye from the tree to the little girls sweater to the red barn in the back ground. The horse will be a reddish brown with black legs called a Blood Bay. The horse I used, I posted a picture below is an Arab. The Morgan horses I was raised with looked like Arabs but the Morgan horse head isn't as refined and their chest is bigger. Morgans can pull a plow, run a 1/4 mile race and beat a Quarter Horse or run a fast mile and leave just about anyone in the dust. They also are great trail riders and gentle around kids.
I did a light outline, this painting won't have any pen and ink, just watercolor and gouache.
My Mom's Family grew apples In Odell Oregon since 1873
A link to My Blog
Nice one! Looks like we have a similar memory of horses and apples. All photos there are at your disposal, should you need them.
I just checked out your photos and will use them for reference. Thank you @ocrdu!
It 's always great to remember your childhood days. Your childhood days were so special you lived near to nature. Our generation people only dream this life with a farm house of 5 to 40 acres. Portrait is amazing with sweet girl and reddish horse. Thanks for sharing 145 years old traditions of your area. Keep sharing.
Isn't that odd how poor people in the past lived in rural areas and the rich lived in the cities. Now it is the other way around. People are being herded off their common lands and corralled like cattle into cities...It isn't good for the human race to live like that.
More traditions to share, I hope we all can find things in common with each other and joy in our differences.
Well said, Rich people love to live vast farm houses. On the other hand no much choice s left for poor people.
Yes those incredible childhood when we enjoyed a lot. The days consisted of me taking out my cycle in the morning and riding around the streets of Mumbai. There were hardly any cars, less pollution and definitely, less people. I use to drive from Juhu to Yari road (20min) and back just for kicks. I was a boy lost on the streets, exploring new areas and dangers. And damn that is an amazing artwork my friend.
Thank you kindly @arunchaubey21, I think children need to face a few dangers and get lost occasionally to grow into strong resilient adults. Mumbai now that is defiantly wild and crazy place for a child to navigate ;-)
I love this painting - great composition and your creative use of color. Once again I'm struck by how powerful your narrative art works are!
More colors to follow, I just finished my article and I am off to play with paints. Thank you @natureofbeing <3
@reddust,
Wow that would be a great idea to draw your childhood memories! After all that time no one ever forget! I wish to see a great artwork from you again my dear friend!
Cheers~
I have books of memories and adventures to tell. I have been waiting for my art and writing to mature. I feel that I am almost ready to start telling my stories. Thank you @theguruasia for supporting me <3
i like it! that's wild you were riding your horse on your own, with a friend, all the way to mt hood. lol my how times have changed indeed... i was a total tomgirl too and we had a lake nearby we'd always go play in.. i think now to the kids, ghosts as you put them, not even allowed a minute's freedom. something is lost in the soul if cooped up like that as a kid, i believe. i'll look forward to seeing how you finish off this painting, i like where it's headed!
We never went all the way to Mt Hood! We rode the trails that went all the way to Mt Hood. After the 1980s the woods became too dangerous because of pot growers and crank chemist. I had to start carrying a rifle with me whenever I took my kids out of riding. It wasn't any fun anymore humans are dangerous compared to the occasional bear or cougar we would cross paths with.
I think children aren't allowed to find their real name and that has caused a lot of mental illness. Especially when it comes to spiritual quests. We are turning into ghost in a haunted land.
Hopefully this is the end of the dark negative cycle (Kali Yuga) and those with spiritual gifts and the yearning to find their true names will break free of the cycle of negativity!
You expand your mind soul before created drawing @reddust. Well comparison and smarty put on objects correct places and then draw. Glorious work. Stunning one.
When I was a child I used my art to escape the crazy people I grew up with. I could read a book or draw a picture and create worlds and places in my mind that were full of adventures and kind people. Now I paint because I like to and I don't need to escape just create!
The memories are so beautiful. We passed through the roads where every person took these steps. Your dreams are so beautiful, real picture and picture on canvas are great.
Thank you @turkishcrew. The stories I tell with my paintings will be for my grandkids. I am still learning how to write and paint expressively. I am glad you like my work in progress articles.
From what I can see, I can say with all confidence that your childhood was really fun and you had great times.
Beautiful art in display.
They very beautiful.
Art is just another way of communicating with words. Lovely @reddust.
You are really good with arts
I just composed a poem recently first time in my life. Still surprised how I did it. Feel free to check it out on my blog and rate it.thanks
I will be fleshing out the horse tomorrow...right now the painting looks awful. You are too kind @cyprianj, thank you!
I rode a horse when I was a teen. Enjoyed it and also enjoying the introduction of another artistic piece by @reddust.
My granddaughter E says she wants this one and I told her I already have it sold...gosh I hope it turns out. Selling my work always makes me nervous ....ha!
There is something about hanging out with horses, their smell, the warmth of their skin and they were always so kind to me. I would would lay down on my horses back while she was grazing in the field with the rest of our horses and make the clouds grow bigger or smaller with my mind...when I was young I thought I had magic powers....hahaha
Thank you @enjoywithtroy