I fell in love with this sweet face during my last visit to River's Wish. Stormy is a Pygora goat. He is older and arthritic and has been a loner until just last week, when he apparently met his goat soul mate.
I haven't learned this shaggy little goat's name yet, but it certainly did a nice job modeling for me. The lighting is so lovely in some of these photos; I've become addicted to painting the animals posing in it. This painting was a struggle despite everything the reference photo had going for it. Maybe it was the shaggy fur of the goat, or maybe I was just tired. It was still fun to capture the mix of warm and cool reflected light on the shadow side of the goat's face.
I will need to go back to River's Wish for more photos soon. I can't get myself to paint anything without this beautiful light.
Watch me struggle in a one-minute time lapse here.
Another trip to River's Wish Animal Sanctuary resulted in some 750 sunny photos, including this one of a friendly, curious goat. His name may be Bulldog, or it may be Sky. He didn't tell me at the time. What's important right now is the reason for the 750 new photos...
I'm pleased to announce that I have been invited to show my paintings of River's Wish animals at the Kolva Sullivan Gallery this September! The exhibit will benefit the sanctuary, with a percentage of proceeds going to help Kit and Pete continue their essential work for the animals.
I'll share more details as I have them. Until then, please enjoy the studies I make for the larger works to come, while I try to learn the names of all of my models!
Blue the Goat lives at River's Wish Animal Sanctuary with Precious, the sheep. Although he seems to have the run of the place generally, I found them hiding from the rain in the same shelter the day of my most recent visit. He was every bit as happy to pose for me as Precious, just a lot more squirmy and challenging to photograph.
His underbite gives him a sort of goofy, permanent smile. Hopefully, I captured the most dignified version of that possible.
