Artist Statement

Much like French artist, Rosa Bonheur, my love for animals, especially horses, provides inspiration for my art. Animals are as characteristic as humans, but for me they manifest a more genuine spirit to the outside world. I find this spirit in their eyes. The animals in my work begin with blocks of color leaving the eyes empty until the final touches bring them alive. The magic moment in my artwork is when the glistening highlights of the eye capture the emotion of the animal.

My process begins with a graphite gestural drawing built up with layers of chalk pastel and charcoal. Working in real life helps me understand the animal’s form and leads to many gestural drawings. Then, I take photographs of the subject from different angles to capture the quirkiness of the animal. My emphasis is on the animal, so working on wood panel keeps the background raw and soft. I use charcoal to show basic elements of light, dark, texture, and detail. Paired with vibrant pastel colors it then enhances the animal’s presence in the drawing.

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Currently my work has gone beyond horses and involves bringing out personalities of other livestock, including Texas Longhorns and dairy cows. Converting from paper and canvas to working on wood panel has helped me create mixed media pieces to capture different textures. Over the years acrylic was the basis of my work but pastel has helped me keep these large animals soft and approachable in the painting.

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