24×36″ Wild Mustang Horse Art in Encaustic Wax on Wood Panel.
ABOUT THIS HORSE ART
I love wild mustangs. There’s just something about wild horses that is absolutely magical. I want to protect them and keep them free because it is the absolute essence of beauty in this world. I owned an adopted wild mustang for 31 years. I was always sad she was no longer free, but her herd was starving, and she was in awful shape when she came in. I realize that not all wild horses can stay free, but those that can should. For this reason I wanted to start a mustang series, possibly indefinitely!
I recently began to reach out to a few Mustang groups on FB and began to make friends with some of the photographers and members who were kind enough to grant me permissions to use photos for reference. I love their stories. Photographer Vivian Powers granted me the permission to paint this little herd from Nevada. I think being able to paint a real, existing wild herd is important. I want to capture the true existence of these animals as they are now.
Artist Statement
I love to paint horses and I love the challenge of painting horses in Encaustic Wax. For this horse painting, I use traditional painting methods, this is not a photo encaustic, this is 100% drawn one stroke of wax at a time. I enjoy the challenge of painting with as much realism as I can with this tricky and frustrating medium. I use traditional brushes as well as a hot stylus which allows me to draw very fine lines of hot wax as you would with a quill or fountain pen. This ability for detail allows me to draw the faces with a great amount of detail and life.
I love to mix a lot of colors and make it rich. Encaustic paintings are notoriously difficult to photograph and are infinitely more breathtaking in person. Please take the time to watch the below video where you can better see the details up close. Wax paintings have a polish and depth of texture to them and are some of the most archival and long-lasting paintings in history, some dating as far back at 5000BC.
Growing up I rode horses every day and owned a rescued wild Mustang. I rode dressage, jumpers, and even western. I have a deep love for wild horses and wish to see them remain healthy and free, whenever possible. If freedom isn’t an option, as I know starvation and climate change are a real thing, then at the very least well-loved as I did with my pony. I commend the efforts of those out saving these horses and preserving their habitats.