My oil painting titled The Mossa captures the anticipation of its riders and steeds at the race's starting line. I wanted to abstract the jockeys through generalized brushstrokes, as they represent the whole of their contrade. Meanwhile, the horses remain the stars of the race, and I gave them greater detail through blocks of cool and warm hues inspired by Siena’s distinct colour palette. I began this piece with gestural sketches, which I then blocked in with hues. I paid great attention to creating relationships between warm and cool hues so that they would vibrate against each other. The closeness between the spectators and the jockeys allows people to reach out and interfere with the riders. While I was painting, I too felt as though I were reaching out with my paintbrush toward the horses to understand and cultivate their forms on the canvas.
Dimensions of Work: 121.92 x 76.20 x 3.81 cm
