This painting began with a colorful abstract wash of watercolor in primary colors. I decided the focus of the painting would be the conversation between the young girl and the cowboy.
In order to create this focus I began with a swirl of color in a circle around the two characters. The horse becomes a dark value to set off the people. All three characters participate in the title of the work “Pony Tales.” The cowboy is telling “tales” and the girl and the horse have “pony tails."
It was my intention to use the swirling colors and splashes to create a dream like state that transport the figures into an imaginary state of storytelling. Once the painting is complete, the swirls support the characters but visually disappear when covered by the darker watercolor.