Carousel Horse

I don't think I'm the only person who feels a sense of childhood awe while gazing upon a carousel.

The first two summers after my high school graduation, I worked for a concessionaire, traveling to various fairs and festivals in west-central Ohio, selling coney dogs, corn dogs, and cotton candy. It was hard work at times, but probably two of the best, and most memorable summers of my life.

Since then, I gravitate toward any books, movies, or pieces of art having to do with fairs and carnivals.

Working from a photo I took at King's Island, I did a large 28"x40" charcoal drawing for my senior show at UC. This piece, along with a couple other carnival images, has hung in my basement for many, many years, and as the years passed I became more itchy to attempt another of my do-overs.

Last summer I finally got to it. I still had the original photo I had taken at King's Island!

I wanted to try it in color, so I experimented with this little 5"x7" oil painting.

I also have a 24"x36" oil painting that I began last August. It has been sitting lonely and unfinished in my basement studio, but it was 2020 after all, and I feel grateful to have even finished the 5"x7".

A couple of weeks ago, I dropped a photo of the small piece into the Procreate app and began playing with it some more. I ended with the image at the top of the post. Using all of these attempts as a learning experience, I hope to have the large painting completed by the end of summer. Woohoo! Time to paint!