Clay was also a favorite medium in which I liked to create my much loved
equines. At the time, the only type of clay that was available was the common
school variety of plastilene and in plain gray. It was pretty dull stuff, but the
figures that I created with it were larger than life to me. At that age, begging for a
pony was futile, so I had to create my stable of equines in clay or draw them.
My love of art continued on throughout my high school years, and I was able to
experiment with a variety of mediums, but always was drawn back to clay and
painting, oils in particular.
Once out of school and now pursuing a much dreamed of career as a horse trainer,
I was able to continue to use my artistic talents by doing equine portraiture in oils.
Working so closely with these magnificent animals, enabled me to develop an ease at
capturing their expressions on canvas. It wasn’t long before I was commissioned to
paint several portraits of Olympic team horses at the United States Equestrian Team
headquarters in Gladstone, N.J., which was also where I was working at the time.
Many years later, as life evolved and my career path changed, I was no longer
training horses for a living, but still owned one or two for my own pleasure. I was
able to devote more time to my art work and began branching out into other mediums,
pastels being one. Sculpting and clay kept calling to me, however, and eventually I
knew that was where my heart and hands wanted to be.
Unless I am working on a commissioned piece, my imagination takes me on a
creative journey that I don’t always have control of. Sometimes I feel like the piece
I’m working on leads me to discover what “it” wants, not what I necessarily set out to
create. My sculptures take on their own personalities and my hands intuitively know
what to do. I don’t always make conscience decisions, they just happen.
My work is noted for it's realism, attention to detail and emotional impact.
Though I characterize myself as an equine artist, I also enjoys creating the human
form, as well as many others of the animal kingdom. My ability to capture the
unique qualities of each commissioned portrait has become a hallmark of my work,
which has endeared my pieces to those who own them.
Always in search of ways to improve my artistic abilities, I have taken several
week long workshops offered by The American Academy of Equine Art, studying
with renowned sculptors Kathleen Friedenberg and Karen Kasper. A life long love
of draft horses inspired me to create my first piece during Kathleen's workshop, a
Shire stallion, which I am very excited about. It was produced as my first resin
sculpture and also has been bronze cast. The sheer power and majesty of these
immense horses just takes my breath away!
I live in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in the heart of horse
country. I share my life with my two dogs, an irascible African Grey parrot, and
several aquariums of fish. My pride and joy is my young Dutch Warmblood
Thoroughbred cross gelding, Neville.
Whether a portrait commission or a unique one of a kind sculpture, my artistic
goal is to capture the equine image with vivid emotion and expressiveness. My love
of horses is very evident in each piece I create. I can never imagine my life without
horses or my art. It would be like not breathing.
Please enjoy your journey through these pages while you view my artwork. And
be careful not to get stepped on by a horse!
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