Newfoundland Pony: BONNIE.

Horses as a subject in art have a fine and long history; these glorious animals have served many a painter's canvas with their power and spirit. I would like to start a new series of Artwork of drawing and paintings, my most favourite animal on this planet, the most gorgeous creation of Mother Nature, the Horse. However, just not any horse: a Newfoundland Horse...Pony. Still a Horse.

The Newfoundland Pony is North America's solo Member of the Mountain and Moorland family of Breeds. It is an "all-purpose" pony, a Heritage Animal and a Rare Breed. The Newfoundland Pony is a breed of pony originating in Newfoundland formerly used as a "beast of burden" meaning a working horse. It was considered the all-purpose pony because it has several desirable characteristics: stamina, strength, intelligence, courage, obedience, willingness, and common sense. Newfoundland Ponies are hard workers and easy keepers.

In the past, the Newfoundland Pony was used for work, assisting with gardens, hauling fishing nets, gathering hay, carrying wood, and transportation. The Newfoundland Ponies uses were taken over by machines, and the pony population dropped. The population now numbers fewer than four hundred, and they are now considered critically endangered by Rare Breeds Canada.

The Horse...for long as I can remember I have loved Horses and still do. They have been in my life for a very long time; my Mom had a Newfoundland Pony. My Mom called her Bond and I called her Bonnie. I rode Bonnie when I was young; I thought the world of that time. However, it alway seems Bonnie had other plans when I rode her...long green grass, a horses dream come true. Therefore, I thought...why not do some kind of Artwork of her. I started out with a basic pencil sketch; I purposely left it rather loose at first because I wanted to get my drawing of Bonnie the way I wanted, afterwards I use a red pencil to make the lines I want to stand out.

I fell in love with brown paper and when I saw I could buy a sketchbook of brown paper, I just had to buy it. My first drawing in my brown paper sketchbook was Bonnie. I drew in a background of green grass has far as I could see and the hills of Tilt Cove. But when I sit and look at it, I think I should put the pond and hills...the view across the pond looking out at the ocean. However, I'm still unsure what I'm planning on doing with this sketch of Bonnie...a painting, a watercolour, a drawing on colour paper. I'm not sure. But when I decide I will post what I do.