The finished painting: “Hot Shoe.”
I originally thought the title would be, “For a Good Time, Call Ed.” This is a reference to common graffiti found on a public bathroom wall. For equestrians, the title is a double entendre meaning “no hoof, no horse.” Ed is a master farrier. I rely on him to not only keep my horse sound, but to maximize my horse’s movement. He helps me to understand the structure of the foot, how the approach he will use translates to my horse’s comfort and way of travel, and how to solve the occasional problem that arises in the pasture or in training. A farrier can make all the difference between an enjoyable ride and a disaster. In fact, I found Ed as a result of a disaster from a previous “hoof expert.”)
It is interesting the comments I received while this painting was a work in progress. It ran the gamut from “leave the smoke out; the composition is strong without it,” all the way to the opposite end of the spectrum, “approach it as an abstract painting, make the subject the smoke.” My vision was to include all the drama of the hot shoe touching the prepared hoof, while still retaining a realistic narrative. That is the approach I followed.
Reblogged this on Equitherapy and commented:
Thought you would enjoy reading about the process. Remember, “No hoof, no horse.” See https://cheriisgreenfineart.wordpress.com for the whole story of painting this work.
Absolutely love this painting; and the blog is fun to read as well! 🙂
thanks; feel free to share my blog with others
By the way, how did Ed like the finished painting?
i love it!
So very realistic…I feel like I am there watching. I am completely in love with it.
Thanks; maybe I’ll post some video next…
The finished product is very cool! Boy have I stood there with my horse looking down on my farrier from this very viewpoint. I’ve spent even more time looking at his butt, which we sometimes joke about. Every horsewoman will know what I’m talking about. Anyway, cool idea and perspective, and the red shirt is the piece de resistance.
Thanks Barb. I really liked the way it came together!
Hi Cheri, I am Ed’s sister, Susie. I love the painting and really appreciate the great tribute to my brother! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Susanna. Please feel free to share this link on your Facebook and other social network sites. This was really a fun painting to work through- I enjoyed the process. Did Ed like the final result?