Paintings Inspired By My Neighbor’s Draft Horses
Since I posted yesterday about the importance my neighbors horses played in their lives. I thought today, I would show a couple of paintings that I have done, that were specifically inspired by those same horses. I have done at least five paintings based on their animals. But I have included only one, of each of the media that I work most commonly in. My neighbors are Percheron people. They occasionally have other breeds but they have always had Percherons.
The Greys
This is an earlier painting and the first that I did that was inspired by their horses. I was walking one winter with the snow gently falling. The mares and yearlings were all out along the fence row watching me (I think they were in hoping of goodies.) That really is all there was to the inspiration. By the time I got back from my walk, I had it all planned out in my head. The bells in the painting are also my neighbor’s. I sketched them a few weeks later, as they hung by their door, for a Christmas decoration.
Kindred Spririts
This painting came from several photos I took just a summer or two ago. I always carried my camera in my van. So, when I drove past their pasture, on my way to the gallery, I was ready if something photo worthy was happening. This day was late into summer and the black horses were bleached bay by the sun. The herd had been mingling under the big shade tree, when the boss mare decided it was time to go cool off in the soothing waters of the creek. At first one or two straggled after her. Then the rest followed as a group packed tightly together. I am always fascinated by repeating patterns. And their arching necks and sloping backs were intrigueing. So tah-dah! a painting is born. You can read a more complete story of the creation of Kindred Spirits in my Apples ‘N Oats article on my website.
As an artist, having upwards of 30 draft horses, within view of our farm has proved to be quite inspirational. Currently all the horses are gone. I’m not sure if they will be bringing any horses back with the loss of the barn. This too, is something that I am really going to miss.
My favorite Story About The Neighbor’s Horses.
Several winters back, in the dark of the night I would hear noises coming from outside. Just thumping and rubbing type sounds. In the morning light, their tell-tale platter sized footprints and poo piles, were everywhere. So I called over to the neighbor and said “I think your horses are out.” She takes a moment to look and says “No, they are all in the yard pen.” (Hmmm.) So this happens for a couple of nights. Until finally she calls us up and says, “We caught them!” Apparently, they were just stepping over a low spot in the fence coming over to our place to check things out and play. (I bet they also touted their new found freedoms, to Chicory as well.) Then, when morning came around, they just headed back up our lane and stepped back over the fence for their morning grain ration, thinking no one was the wiser.
Clever girls!