During April I made the short drive down to St. George to take reference photos in preparation for creating a portrait of nine-year-old Morgan and her horse, Sassy.  Her parents are commissioning this portrait and it was apparent from the get-go that any portrait of Morgan needed to include her horse.  The photoshoot occurred at about 11 am and was done on-site at the small horse ranch.  Megan (who accompanied me on the trip) and I simply turned Morgan and Sassy loose and tried to get some beautiful shots that would capture the unique bond between this girl and her horse.  Dozens of candid photos were taken in order to ensure that there would be a few “keepers” to choose from.  Upon returning to the studio and viewing the images, I found just the right shot to work from in creating the portrait and the final painting is well underway.  Above is the artwork at the “brown layer” stage.  This is how I do my sketches: standing at the easel using acrylic underpainting on smooth, Gesso-ed panel.  Another entry will be posted after the final artwork has been presented to the family at an unveiling party.