Plain old brown is bay when it's a horse. But when it is a horse, brown is fabulous. Gifted, one of my favorite horses, has a sheen and elegance unmatched. I've not shown the rider, only her quiet hands, so as not to distract from the subject - as if she could!

This is the same Gifted as "Gifted Profile". Different lighting can make it look like a totally different horse. Whereas Gifted Profile, the pastel, took about three days to complete, Gifted One took three months to do in acrylic.

I've since moved on to oils because they are easier to blend the next day. Acrylics dry up before the day is over and I had to remix colors and nearly start all over again every time I put my brush to it.

Painting is a learning process! And as Maxfield Parrish said, "Art is no picnic." Amen.