of several multifigure compositions. The largest and most time consuming was a 72”x80” painting of a military homecoming parade, begun in 2008 as a private commission. The project remained to be completed as a personal project when the original plan for its use did not work out. In 2008 I had photographed the models, who are actual soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines stationed locally in Glenville, NY at the Scotia Glenville Armed Forces Reserve Center, and in Albany (Fox Company Marines). Colonel Jim Pabis, a National Guard soldier with a day job in Saratoga Springs who had helped me with connections to find the models, proved enormously helpful in 2010 with a time-consuming process I have heard about from other artists who do historical paintings: getting the details right.
The New York State Military Museum, located two blocks off Broadway in Saratoga, was the next logical place to show “Coming Home.” The Museum's Director, Mike Aikey, warmly welcomed the suggestion, and Audra Miller, head of the Museum's Friends Committee, planned a lovely catered reception which was attended by members of the National Guard Headquarters for New York (located in Latham), as well several of the original models for the painting, museum staff, friends, family and newspaper reporters. Again the painting was featured on the front page, this time in Saratoga's newspaper on Saturday July 31st, at a time of year when normally the Racetrack dominates the headlines. Paul Post, the Saratogian's reporter specializing in military affairs, wrote a careful and accurate article and included a video interview (in the online version) of Sgt. Gibson, the Marine model who attended the reception. Paul Post had just published a book of his selected writings over the years featuring local veterans, titled Soldiers of Saratoga County. A number of the individuals in the book also attended the reception, including Gene Corsale, former NY Military Heritage Institute Veteran of the Year, and Carol Hotaling, a lady responsible for making thousands of big yellow ribbon bows which have decorated local venues over the years.
In the summer I completed a multifigure composition depicting equine and human competitors at Saratoga's St. Clements Horse Show. This painting was donated to a benefit auction at HITS on the Hudson, a show jumping venue in Saugerties, New York. St. Clements Horse Show has been an annual event in Saratoga for ten years, and attracts a high level of competitors. The layout was developed from a composite of photos I'd taken there over several years. The auctioneer was a gallery owner who shows Hongnian's works.
and welcome one feels when visiting the office, located in what could be seen as a cool, emotionless, modern stone and brick building. Several of the realtors in the office helped by modeling. The busy and varied passersby shifted the view of the cold building exterior to give a feel of the comfortable, cozy feel inside Scott's office. Creating a multifigure composition with the building as a backdrop, rather than a straight building portrait (which would have been truer to life as the street is normally rather quiet), resolved the problem.
its main dining room after a shift in ownership. They prefer that I give them scenes of the life at the track occurring outside the races — the backstretch, the grandstand, the red and white awnings. This special niche subject has been depicted by many internationally known racetrack genre painters like Larry Wheeler and the New Zealand painter Peter Williams, both of whom show in Saratoga in the summer. Luckily Siro's is also willing to display one or two of the many jockey portraits I've completed. Jockeys work long hours in very dangerous conditions, with the finesse and amazing strength required to handle incredibly powerful animals many times their size. It has been a privilege and an honor to be able to observe and paint portraits of these athletes for the past several years.
Pedro Rodriguez, a successful jockey based at the Finger Lakes Racetrack several hours west of Saratoga, rode his famous mount Tin Cup Chalice in 2008 to become the first winner of the Big Apple Triple, a threesome of New York races culminating with The Albany at Saratoga.
I had the good fortune to get beautiful shots of both jockey and horse at The Albany 2008, showing Tin Cup slightly disheveled as he was in life, winning brilliantly despite his small body and two near-death illnesses. Pedro was also riding him during the early morning accident which took Tin Cup's life in the spring of 2009. I went out to Finger Lakes to deliver his portrait and was shown a magnificent day by Pedro and his friend, trainer Elizabeth Vesci. Finger Lakes is such a friendly track and these insiders seemed to know absolutely everyone. A highlight of the day was a visit to the Casino's bar,
with Pedro proudly carrying the
painting under his arm to many compliments.
Happy New Year and best wishes for the start of a new decade. This year has been the culmination for me of several years of work in different areas.
Since 2004, the experience of living in the small city of Saratoga has put more and more distance from my prior experience of living on a farm. Much to the concern of galleries and customers who grew accustomed to my paintings of cows, sheep, chickens and domestic geese, I’ve stopped making stock paintings of such and am continuing with farm animal-themed paintings by commission only. This opens up wonderful opportunities for shifting focus.
Oil painting is a difficult profession when one experiences allergic reactions to both traditional and modern oil solvents and thinners. There has been no readily available roadmap for the construction of technically sound oil paintings without use of turpentine, petroleum distillates (mineral spirits), citrus-based thinners or essential oils. In March of 2008, I took a workshop in oil painting techniques and materials in Haverhill, MA, given by Rob Howard, the founder and director of the arts supply company Studio Products.
This demonstration-packed immersion into the scientific principles underlying oil painting answered my questions about thinners, and many others. A year and a half later, after replacing my mediums, amending my painting techniques, and doing further research, I’ve written an online tutorial, GREEN PAINTING, to make a thinner-free roadmap available to every oil painter. A number of fellow oil painters are currently proofing the work, and in the spring I plan a press release to art schools and art publications. Oil painting without thinners not only allows people with allergies to use this medium, it allows oil painters to paint at home near their loved ones or in shared studio spaces without affecting air quality; and it reduces the environmental impact of oil painting.
The National Museum of Racing on Union Avenue in Saratoga has a lovely library upstairs, available to the public by appointment, with a section devoted to equine art. In the winter of 2008-9, I experimented with improving my painting by spending time studying the great masters of equine art. The museum kept the library at 50 degrees last winter. So, bundled in heavy winter gear, I sat several hours a week to study the work of George Stubbs, Richard Stone Reeves, LeRoy Niemann and others. Not only was this immensely helpful for training as an equine painter, it was also immensely interesting hearing Mike Kane, Al Carter (the museum’s librarian) and other people discuss (in the warm break room) the preparations for the annual August inductions into the Hall of Fame.
In the spring I finished my first Graded Stakes Race painting. Although I have painted racing horses before, this is a “historically accurate” painting, meaning that the action is unchanged from the moment it occurred.
I took the photo that forms the basis for the painting from the clubhouse turn, during the Woodward 2008. This is a great location from which to photograph a race – not to get the finish line action, but to get a race view with the starting gate arrayed behind, and the late afternoon sunlight providing dramatic shadows across the horses’ musculature. Curlin had a way of coming through for his fans, and he provided me with a perfect race photo – with all the contestants arrayed as if for a cavalry charge, which is rare on a turn.
The racing season of 2009 was the second year that Siro’s Restaurant hung a few of my paintings a few of my paintings in their main dining room. This year I set aside an hour or two several days a week to be a regular at the piano bar, with occasional visits to Siro’s back tent and the outdoor bands.
The wonderful world of the Saratoga racetrack, spiced with strong personalities, fabulous outfits and gorgeous summer weather, came vividly into focus - much more so than it had while watching from the paddock rail or the winner’s circle fence.
Siro’s also provided one of the big highlights of my summer when I was invited to sit and visit at the table of jockey Robby Albarado, his wife Kimber and his agent Lenny Pike, thanks to a portrait I had done of Robby (and Curlin) that was hanging in the main dining room. Unexpectedly from this fierce competitor, I found Robby to be gentle and kind, and the threesome to be gracious and welcoming. I heard about Robby’s long-time association with Lenny (only Calvin Borel has stayed with his agent for longer), about their trips to Dubai, and that Curlin’s owners had seen my portrait – and had commented that Robby was painted better than Curlin (clearly, the NMR visits were only a beginning).
During 2009 I completed several interesting commissions. In the spring I completed my second major multi-figure composition
- a painting of the Congress Spring, in Congress Park in Saratoga, surrounded by a collection of people enjoying the park on a sunny summer afternoon. In 2007-8, I had taken a class in making multi-figure compositions.
The key to this format is variety: some tall, some short; some standing, kneeling and seated; some in shade, some in sun; some moving, some standing still.
I also completed a portrait of a local family; and in the fall, completed a series of twelve paintings of saddle blanket numbers from the racetrack; and a painting for a summer-local purveyor of fabulous hats.
Meanwhile I kept up with weekly studio classes at the Woodstock School of Art in Woodstock, NY.
The focus of my classes this year has been portraiture. Painting live models forms the backbone of professional portraiture, because one learns in a studio session how to interpret the information given in a photo. Almost all professional portraiture is from photos. This winter, I discovered that the entire third floor of Skidmore’s Scribner Library is devoted to art, with thousands of books on painting (and heat!). I’m starting with Joaquin Sorolla and Rembrandt van Rijn, and plan to study humans as portrayed by the greats this winter.
Best wishes for a safe, wonderful and happy New Year,
Rumara