Aiken Steeplechase Painting

Aiken Steeplechase Painting, originally uploaded by debifitz.

oil on canvas
artist collection
actual size 24"X30"

www.djfitzgerald.com

This is the first installment of another painting progression. I was contacted last spring about doing the art work for the Aiken Triple Crown poster. The triple crown is a big deal in Aiken. I was asked to primarily feature the steeplechase event. The other 2 weekends are a polo match and a flat race day. I attended last spring to take photos and get a feel for the event. It is very festive! Everyone (practically all of Aiken!) brings in pop up tents and lots of food and decorations. And everyone dresses up... lots of big hats! Unfortunately it rained off and on all that day... so my photos were nothing to write home about. I have ended up doing a compilation of photos for the painting. And after looking at the last 5 or 6 years of posters I realized no one has done a big typical jump piece... which I thought was a little odd... but fine by me! So this is what I am doing! Luckily this year for whatever reason, the dogwoods were in bloom... evidently this is not normal. They usually bloom just after or just before. So I did get some good back ground material. Of course this is due right now (!!!) Typical me! So I am going to try to do this fast... at least for a 24"X30" oil painting! But at least I don't have to worry about getting a horse or rider just so. I really plan to have fun with it. I decided to do it 24"X30" because I found a great frame @ my framer's (Rogers Frame Shop in Ocala)... it is a leather frame, (which I love!) that had been damaged. So I got it at a great price. And Roger will touch up the little bit of damage. But I had been waiting for just the right piece to do it justice!