Zen Horse

The Zen Horse is an on going series of horse paintings, each titled for various aspects of Zen philosophy. My goal is to eventually do around 40 paintings and to incorporate stories of personal meaning from horse people whom I have met through my work. I have many ideas and plans for the Zen Horse and I am excited by the possibilities of this project.

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Devotion

Mare and Foal

This is an excerpt from my Apples 'N Oats magazine column regarding the creation of the Devotion painting.

The main reference photo that I used, . . . is in many ways exactly the same (as the finished painting) and yet it is completely different. I like the foal looking out at the viewer. And I especially like the tenderness expressed by the mare. On a compositional level I find the tension between them intriguing. The lines of their bodies and the way their heads come together to form a subtle heart shape--it is almost as if it is a hidden symbol reflecting their bond.

Not so long ago, I worked hard towards a more realistic look. But over time this approach no longer fed my creative side. The older I get, the farther I stray from it. I feel I am transitioning now. More and more, my paintings are being approached from a new perspective. My work is not so much about trying to recreate reality, as it is about filtering reality from an emotional and spiritual place.

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Dignity

Peruvian Paso

"Have the fearless attitude of a hero
and the loving heart of a child."

-Ancient Sanskrit Manuscript

This is an excerpt from my Apples 'N Oats magazine column regarding the creation of the Dignity painting. Leo is the model for Dignity and here I talk about his owner Shawn, and the impact horses have on our lives.

Shawn and I talked a great deal about how Leo came into her life and what he has meant to her. At that time she was still deeply feeling his loss. She said something that resonated within me. She said that she had given him a home and love, but that he had given her so much more. Through my art and travels I have heard variations of this story time and time again. "I thought I was saving him. But in the end, he saved me."

I have always been fascinated with the bonds people form with their animals. How some can view them as non-sentient beings, while others regard them as family. For those of us who open ourselves up to the friendship and solace that animals have to offer, they can have a profound impact on our lives.

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Enlightenment

Quarter Horse

"He who knows others is wise.
He who knows himself is enlightened."

-Lao Tzu/Tao Te Ching

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Harmony

Gypsy Vanner

“Know the white, yet keep to the black.
Be a pattern for the world,
the Tao will be strong inside you
and there will be nothing you can't do.”

-Lao Tzu/Tao Te Ching

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Joy

Horse in Snow

"One joy scatters a hundred griefs."

-Chinese Proverb

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Reflection

Horse in Water

“You must learn to be still in the midst of activity
and to be vibrantly alive in repose.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

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Serenity

Paint Horse Foal

"However young, the seeker who sets out upon the way
shines bright over the world.
In him there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.
Possessing nothing, wanting nothing,
he is full of power."

-Buddha/Dhammapada

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Simplicity

Three Horses on Grass

"Sitting quietly, doing nothing,
spring comes and the grass grows by itself."

-Zen Saying

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The Solace of Open Spaces

Horses in Snow

"Everything that lives,
lives not alone, nor for itself."

-William Blake

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Transitions

Appaloosa and Bay

“This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds.
To watch the birth and death of beings
is like looking at movements of a dance.
A lifetime is like a flash of lightening in the sky,
rushing by, like a torrent down a steep mountain.”

-Buddha

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Unity

Paint Horse Herd

This is an excerpt from my Artist Journal regarding the creation of the Unity painting.

I try to take my camera everywhere I go. You just never know when or where an opportunity to photograph something will present itself. I was traveling to pick up some matboard with a friend and drove past a large herd of paint mares with foals. After about two seconds of deliberation I turned around and hopped out, camera in hand.

It was a feast for the eyes. I was so excited about what I was viewing through my camera lens, I had several painting ideas even before I had finished shooting my first roll of film. All in all I took 6 rolls of film and most assuredly would have done more had I been alone and not on my way somewhere.

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Wild Faces Gallery

Horses Art Mona