Michelle Wrighton Fine Art and Photography

Finally here is the last of the graphite pencil drawings I did before my daughters accident, its taken a while to post it I know, but better late than never;)

This image is a photograph of the drawing, I had quite a bit of trouble getting a suitable image of this one, my scanner made it look very scratching and textured and even the photograph (although better than the scan) looks to have more texture than the original drawing which actually has smooth blended pencil strokes and much smoother tonal transitions.

Cricket - Thoroughbred Horse Pet Portrait sketch © 2010 Michelle Wrighton

I have some new graphite horse drawings (Clydesdales in harness) and a freisian cow that I hope to start on next week – or at least as soon as I finish a couple of digital portraits that I am still working on that are just not coming together the way I want them too.

I’ve also started to throw some paint on canvas in order to learn some new painting techniques – I’ve lost enthusiasm for painting in thin glazes (layers) and taking weeks on end to finish a painting so I plan to develop my skills painting alla prima/wet in wet and also plein air landscapes.  Suffice it to say that at the moment I think it was easier to paint photo-realistically (you just paint what you see)  than it is to paint more…painterly with less detail and more textured brushstrokes while still creating an end result that looks like what its meant to look like (as opposed to looking like an abstract pile of mud!) I would love to follow in the footsteps of the Daily Painters and create a small painting every day as that is the best way to develop new skills and techniques, as well as see tangible development over time.  I know that I can’t commit to a daily painting, but I do have a goal in mind of 100 small paintings in this new, less detailed , more painterly ‘loose’ style – not sure how long it will take to complete, but as they say its the journey thats important not the destination, so as long as I enjoy the process and learn something along the way then its time well spent.

I’m sure that artists reading this will understand, LOL and non-artists will just think I am weird, but sometimes a painting takes on a life of its own with such determination that it almost seems paint itself – almost as if the subject has such strength of personality and character that its spirit insists on being immortalised in art.

Friesian Spirit is one of those paintings.

Friesian Spirit - Equine portrait painting by Michelle Wrighton

I havn’t decided at this time if ‘Friesian Spirit’ will be made available in my RedBubble and Zazzle art print and gift shops, as I am leaning towards offering this one as Limited Edition prints only. If you would like to be notified when ‘Friesian Spirit’ is available for purchase, simply subscribe to the rss feed for this blog, or join the new page I have created at Facebook for my artwork – Michelle Wrighton Artist

Thanks for visiting my blog  and sharing my art and photography with your family and friends!

x Michelle

Michelle Wrighton: Animal, Wildlife & Landscape Fine Art & Photography

FACEBOOK: Michelle Wrighton Artist

TWITTER: artistMichelleW

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Digital painting of a Quarterhorse after working cows.

Cutting Cows Quarterhorse painting ©2009 Michelle Wrighton

100% crop to show detail of Quarterhorse painting

Greeting cards, laminated, matted, canvas and framed prints of “Kookaburra” can be purchased from my Redbubble shop:

The Standardbred Pleasure and Performance Horse Association of WA held the annual Winter Gala at the Perth Horse and Pony Club grounds in Herdsman.  I am totally biased towards the breed (having two of my own) and I strongly believe that they are *the* most under-rated breed in the horse world.  Thankfully more people like those that turned out for this show are seeing the incredible possibilities with this versatile breed as pleasure and preformance horses.

And I have to say that the presentation of these Standardbreds is absolutely impeccable and puts alot of other ‘fancy’ breeds to shame!

Coloured Standardbred © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Part bred Standardbred © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Breed Show © South West Photography

Standardbred Dressage © South West Photography

All of the proof images for the In Hand, Ridden and the Dressage tests can be viewed and ordered online at South West Photography.

Well after getting a taste of Cutting action at the last bit of the Ian Francis Cutting Clinic that I saw after the Paint Horse Champs back in February, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to watch two days of cutting on the 16th and 17th May.

Cutting Horse © South West Photography

Cutting Horse © South West Photography

Cutting Horse © South West Photography

Cutting Horse © South West Photography

Cutting Horse © South West Photography

Cutting Horse © South West Photography

All images from both days events can be viewed and prints purchased online at South West Photography

Today was a blast from the past, my first time at Orange Grove for many many years!  Only got time to share a few images from today:)

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

Orange Grove Official Gymkhana © South West Photography

All photographs from this and other equestrian and canine events can be viewed and prints purchased online at South West Photography.

What a fantastic turn-out there was the the Summer Show Offs Horse Breed Show at Gosnells!  So many beautiful horses it was hard to know where to point my camera!

The full set of proofs can be viewed at South West Photography but here are a few of my favourites from the day:

Andalusian horse - © 2009 South West Photography

Andalusian © South West Photography

A bow for the paparazzi - © South West Photography

Black Andalusian © South West Photography

Bay portrait - © South West Photography

Clydesdale - © South West Photography

© South West Photography

© 2009 South West Photography

The full set of proofs for both the In Hand and Ridden competition at the Gosnells Summer Show Offs 2009 can be viewed and print purchase at South West Photography