Oil and Wax

The Horse. These unique pieces are inspired by my celebration of their Spirit, and their existence as such an integral part of the extraordinary American West. These works are a series of intimate portraits of this Western Icon. A more abstract use of brushstrokes, line work, color, raw form, and sculptural gestures conveys my efforts to portray the Inner Spirit of The Horse in a unique way.

The cold wax that I incorporate with oils, into the numerous layers underneath the horse forms, enables me to carve away, scrape, gouge, scratch and buff the surfaces to reveal what lies within. It is these sculptural elements that allow me to represent the existence that The Horse has carved out for itself. These gestures are a symbolic parallel to what The Horse has endured, as a Survivor in a very hard, unforgiving, and incredibly wild and untamed place.

Their shapes are rough. Their legs are solid, unyielding, unwavering, and firmly planted. I see this American icon in a bucking stance in my exploration in this series. This stance signifies their sheer Strength, Perseverance, and Fortitude. The flowing line work inside their shapes represents the fluidity of their elegant and graceful, yet forceful, forms. The colors that I am compelled to incorporate within them, as well as in the many layers beneath them, represent their Grace and Spirit, the essence of their connection with the Earth, and their exquisite dance with Life.