Al Polston

Buck Process

Added 2024-07-12 17:00:05 +0000 UTC

Buck is the biggest piece I have ever made at 60 x 48 in.
Here is the process I took to make this piece come to life.

Concept

For my gallery show I wanted a big show stopper painting to take up an entire wall as you rounded the corner. It was a daunting task to even know what to paint, it's easy for me to get caught in the useless hamster wheel question of "what if this is the wrong thing" "what if there is something better". I cycled through a couple of ideas before this one stuck out. The show being loosely about my own childhood I landed on the imagery of my first horse, Buck. I never got to ride him or even learned how to ride horses as a kid, but I'd spend hours in the field with him just brushing him, taking photos (in an era before cellphones), and just walking around with him. I was often very lonely and afraid of my parent. It was a good way to stay out of the house to avoid being the target of whatever mood they were in. Being in a divorced family I'd come and go often, and my parent would also come and go often from the farm being in a long distance relationship. A farm sitter would take care of things while he was gone. On one trip home I was told Buck had died while he was away and was given his skull. My parent being very cynical and suspicious has a theory he could've also been sold at auction by the sitter. I won't ever know really what happened to Buck.
We lived in the Ozarks, about 30 minutes from the main lake and just 10 minutes from Bennet Springs. You'd see rolling pastures tucked inside clusters of huge forested hills. I wanted to capture that scenery with Buck off in the distance, forever untouchable, unapproachable, but the quiet peace he brought me still present.

Reference Picture

I put together a collage based off an idea in my head using my own photos mixed with a couple google image photos

Transfer to Canvas

I used a grid drawn in pencil to transfer from digital to canvas, this is not a perfect 1:1 of the reference image so it allows for some frustrating moments but also some new variations. I am not including the pencil drawing since it is barely visible on camera. I'll go in with a underpainting wash using yellow ochre to block in light and to see values.

Back to Digital

I sometimes need to go back in digitally to assess how to add in new details or examine color. I knew I wanted some flowers up close in the canvas to add some intrigue and distance but didn't feel confident with my skills to do it willy nilly. I took a photo of the piece and then drew the flowers in digitally. This also helps me choose colors that will work well with what I already have instead of having to fudge my way through it.