The acrylic and oil stick paintings of horses were inspired by the horses with which I grew up in northern Michigan. My images of horses are usually large, distorted, full of bold shape, color and line. They are painted expressively and are often semi abstract.
My family lived on a peninsula, surrounded by cherry orchards, vineyards, rolling hills and lakes where our horses grazed on many acres and rode through undeveloped land with unforgettable, awe-inspiring views.
The horses took us on rides through the National Park - the dunes and lakeshore and swam with us (clasping their manes for dear life) in Lake MI. Horses have always brought joy, adventure, fitness, and a kinship with nature. Their power, grace, speed, agility, instincts are intriguing, bringing both peace and adrenaline. All of these qualities and experiences with horses, along with the plethora of breeds with their own, unique conformation, abilities, and characteristics, influence the way in which I create and present them.
Pack trips out west in the mountains, trail riding, bareback riding, swimming with them, working with them in different disciplines have all inspired the horse paintings (and woodcuts)- painting style and horse subject matter.
