Original Work:

Artist Statement

I have studied the equine form carefully/assiduously most of my life, from the saddle as well as the pasture and paddock. I have spent the last ten years drawing and painting horses with heightened realism and detail on commission. Their sheer size, energy, power and pure spirit, however, has always enthralled me. In this series, “The Athleticism of the Jumper,” I concentrated solely on the contortions of a show jumping horse. The turns, approach, landing, airborne athleticism: every aspect of what they endeavor to get up and over the daunting fences. I wanted to show the power, speed, devotion and pure physical integrity through strong lines, energetic brush strokes and color indicative of what they express in the ring, through snorts, pumped veins, pure adrenaline, and at its best self-sacrificing commitment to a joint effort, putting all their trust in the rider to guide them along the way. My hope is to use these studies as a precursor to life size paintings expressing the same subject –
the show jumper’s heart and soul.