Each year, I usually take May to catch up on work that got pushed aside while I was preparing for Calgary Expo. This year has been a little busier because I realized I needed to make a few changes to my priorities.
The best opportunities for taking reference pics are in the spring, especially when I’m hoping to photograph babies and young animals, so I’ve been making time for a few road trips. So far they’ve all been day trips, but I work every day, and taking a day away from the office means I still have to get that day’s work done. A typical ten-hour day quickly becomes twelve or fourteen.
Because I draw five or six editorial cartoons each week, any time away means getting those deadlines finished early.
I’ve also had bear book deadlines to meet over the past week. I’m excited that it’s finally happening, but it’s one more commitment that needs time and attention.
For example, later this week I’m heading out on a three-day road trip to gather more reference. To make that happen, I spent Saturday morning working on a commission, drew a cartoon that afternoon, drew three more cartoons Sunday, I have to finish my month-end invoicing early because I’ll be away Friday, wrote this post, sorted and edited last week’s photos, and prepared my camera and video equipment for the road.
I’m not complaining, just explaining. For anyone who thinks making art for a living is a lazy draw-and-colour lifestyle, it isn’t.
One of the best parts of the Calgary Expo and the Banff Christmas Market is talking to people about my work because I always come away with ideas and information that help me. This year, I spoke to several people about my plan to paint a domestic animal series. It’s a perfect blend of animals I want to paint and subjects subscribers and collectors have been asking for.
I want to paint a rooster, donkey, pig, sheep, goat, turkey, and other barnyard standards. When I mentioned needing reference photos, people volunteered places they knew about in the area.
I avoid gathering reference during the height of summer because animals aren’t as energetic in the heat, the light is often too bright and harsh for the reference I need, and there are usually a lot more people around. It’s also why I avoid weekends whenever possible. Spring and fall are my preferred windows.
Too often, I hear about a great place to visit or plan to go somewhere I already know about, then I get sidetracked with deadlines and other work, convince myself I don’t have time, and before I know it another season has passed and I’ve missed the opportunity.
This year, I vowed to break that bad habit, and I’m pleased to report that I have succeeded in getting out of my own way. Taking reference photos is an investment in future paintings, and I need to treat these excursions as a priority.
A longtime supporter of my work told me at Expo that she works at Heritage Park as a ticket taker and mentioned they have many of the animals I’m looking for. I hadn’t been there in more than thirty years, and while I remembered enjoying it back in the early nineties, I’d never felt the need to return.
I was pleasantly surprised by this beautiful place I’ve been missing in my own backyard. I only had a couple of hours to spend there, so I focused mainly on the animals, but I’d like to go back with Shonna so we can explore the historical exhibits as well.
I came away with excellent reference for a Highland calf, a stunning rooster, and a very large turkey. That last one will be a challenge to make appealing because, frankly, turkeys aren’t attractive animals. I also got some photos of a couple of spring lambs.
Big thanks to Diane for the suggestion and for adding me to the admission guest list. I’ll have more to share about that Heritage Park visit in another post.
The following day, the weather was still good, and since I was on a roll, I decided to visit another nearby venue that a couple of people at Expo had recommended. Butterfield Acres is a farm animal petting zoo on the northwestern edge of Calgary, only about an hour away.
They’re only open for four hours on weekdays right now, but that proved to be more than enough time to get the photos I needed.
Despite having plenty of food available, the animals were incredibly curious and friendly. Since visitors can go right inside many of the pens, I took most of my photos with my phone because my usual zoom lens was complete overkill. The biggest challenge was keeping lambs and baby goats far enough away for the camera to focus.
I came home with so many good reference shots. Most often, it’s the photos I wasn’t specifically looking for that later reveal themselves as worthwhile painting subjects. I got plenty of pictures of pigs, goats (and kids), sheep (and lambs), alpacas, llamas, a donkey, and another Highland cow.
Even though it feels like I’m having a hard time keeping my head above water with deadlines right now, I’m glad I made these reference trips a priority this year. Between the bear cubs at Discovery Wildlife Park a couple of weeks ago, Heritage Park and Butterfield Acres last week, and another road trip coming up this week, I’m going to have all the reference I need for this new series, along with the extensive archive of photos I already have.
Add whatever I bring home from this week’s trip, and I should be set for quite a while. That doesn’t mean I’ll stop looking for critters when I get the chance, but when it’s time to start a new painting, I won’t be short on subjects. Of course, I already have several paintings in progress and a commission to finish first, so these new ideas will have to wait their turn.
Fingers crossed I’ll have more photos (and video!) to share with you next week.
Cheers,
Patrick
