Tens of thousands of wild horses roam the West. Speaking before Congress in 2007, Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva said, “Our Arizona Rim wild horses are the direct descendants of the Spanish horses prized by the conquistadors so highly that the foals were carried in hammocks to protect their legs until they were old enough to travel on the forced marches; and prized by the early cattlemen for their endurance and heart and were the very mounts of the U.S. Cavalry as they rode to protect and expand the American West.”
Trailside Gallery, Welcoming Rays, oil on canvas board,18 x 24”, by Shawn Cameron.
They are descendants of the Andalusian war horse whose origins go back tens of thousands of years. The Arizona Rim horses were brought to the area by Francisco Coronado’s Expedition in 1540 and by Father Eusebio Kino in 1653. Kino had been a royal cartographer and mapped the region of northern Mexico and southern Arizona.
Today the vast numbers of wild horses are a logistical and ecological problem. Yet the romance of the wild horse remains.
Insight Gallery, Stayin’ Close, oil, 30 x 24", by Tom Browning.
The French Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) was fascinated by the energy of wild animals, often observing them in a zoological garden in Paris. Often, it was the horse that embodied aspects of man’s contact with the sublime in his work. In his painting Horse Frightened by Lightning the horse rears in terror in an almost human response to the forces of the universe beyond its control and understanding.
Tom Browning began drawing horses when he was 7 years old. In 2009 he was elected to Cowboy Artists of America. His bio always mentions his paintings are “filled with a convincing sense of light and dust.” He says, “A goal that I have every time I start a fresh canvas is that my painting is all about light.” The dust comes with the territory. In Stayin’ Close, horses stir up dust as they run through the desert. Rather than highlighting each horse in the low, late sunlight, he paints shadows from other horses and perhaps the mountains against some of the horses, creating a larger context than what appears in the picture frame.
Legacy Gallery, The King, bronze, 7", by Rod Zullo.
Trailside Gallery, War Horse #1, acrylic on board, 30 x 40", by Jenness Cortez.
Shawn Cameron comes from a ranching family whose roots in Arizona go back 140 years. She and her family continue to live on the ranch which is a constant inspiration for her paintings that “portray the cowboy and ranch life I’ve personally known,” she says. Welcoming Rays features the horses themselves in the snowy winter desert slowly being warmed by the rising sun. She has observed horses her entire life and they graze outside her studio, converted from a water tower, always there for a ready reference in her pursuit of accuracy.
Lori Putnam, Heading Home, oil on linen, 36 x 48"
Susan Brearey emphasizes the iconic impression of the horse, reducing detail and depicting “its shape in the landscape.” She approaches the iconic by depicting “the spirit of the animal and the presence it occupies in the landscape…the fleeting instance of its shape.” Wild Horse is a bold form silhouetted against the glare of the desert sun, anonymous and untamed.
Continue reading this special section to further explore top work, as well as what inspires each artist to create equine themes. Readers will also discover insight and knowledge from artists and galleries on collecting equine pieces that are sure to touch the soul.
Trailside Gallery furthers the discussion on the history of equine art going back thousands of years; a visual homage to the regal and elegant animal. Director Joan Griffith says, “Horses have long been man’s companion, admired for their nobility, spirited nature and fortitude, and as such, will always be portrayed through the many styles and forms of art.”
Trailside Gallery, Palomino Filly, oil on canvas, 24 x 30", by Bonnie Marris.
Griffith furthers that the role of the horse has been heralded in various styles of equine paintings or sculpture, whether through military art, horse racing or through the art of the American West, in which horses have actively been depicted in both cowboy and Native American scenes. Trailside has quite the collection to illustrate such various styles.
“I’ve painted many different [subjects] but horses are special,” says artist Sandy McDaniel. “I’ve been infatuated with them since, as a 2-year-old I patted my first velvety horse nose.” As an artist, nature, composition and emotion are very important to McDaniel’s work. She explains, “Attention to the eye is critical in conveying warmth and gentleness. Ear posture is a visual language translating attitude in real time. Flying manes and tails animate power and movement.”
Sandy McDaniel, Not a Cloud, oil on canvas, 66 x 18"
She further expresses, “I believe horses make such compelling subject matter because they display so much non-verbal communication. With my paintings, my desire is to express the horse’s personality as well as create a connection with the viewer.”
Artist Tom Fuller also sees his equine subject matter from a romantic, soulful perspective. He echo’s McDaniel in stating, “The purpose of my work is to present a relationship between the audience and horse. To be able to step into the painting and feel what it’s like to be in the moment, not just the outward appearance but the inward significance. All you have to do is listen.” It is with reverence, honesty and purity that Fuller paints the horse and Western themes.
Sherry Cobb continues the conversation by stating, “My whole life has been filled with the beauty of the horse. Horses have a way of touching your heart. I’ve always strived to convey that passion and beauty through my art.”
AM Stockhill, Vaulted Skies, mixed media, 48 x 59"
Stampede Western Invitational, Once in a Blue Moon, oil, 20 x 16", by Trish Stevenson.Cobb has always encouraged collectors to look for the passion in art, something that touches their hearts and moves them. “When that happens, I know my art has meaning,” she adds.
AM Stockhill says, “I believe art is seen with more than our eyes and prefer to paint the essence of my subject matter capturing its strength, passion and beauty.” She paints with many washes of acrylic to create a sense of depth and movement seen in her equine pieces; leaning towards warm, earth-inspired tones.
Trailside Gallery, Ghost Rider, oil on board, 40 x 43", by Bruce Lawes.
AM Stockhill, The Sea Horse, mixed media, 48 x 72"
Sherry Cobb, Wet Day at the Working Corals, oil on linen, 30 x 24”
Stockhill enjoys pursuing a non-traditional approach to painting. She furthers, “I am drawn to experimenting with richly textured painting surfaces and often incorporate textural mediums, antique book pages and even weave canvas together to bring a three-dimensional element to my work.” These techniques can be seen in her pieces Whispering Sage and The Sea Horse.
When purchasing works, Stockhill suggests that collectors buy with their hearts. She explains, “Art should be felt as well as appreciated for its beauty and the artist’s unique interpretation.”
Sherry Cobb, Time Tested, oil on linen, 18 x 14
This year’s Stampede Western Invitational Art Exhibit and Sale has fresh equine work from artists such as Trish Stevenson. Living in the ranching country of Montana, Stevenson is inspired to paint the people, animals and action of the West, focusing on the portrayal of its spirit and attitude.
An important influence has been the memories of her grandfather, a tall-tale telling, former bronc rider who loved horses. She was fascinated by his hats, boots and hand-rolled Bull Durham cigarettes, as well as the rodeos and brandings he took her to see as a child. It all made a deep impression on Stevenson and still inspires her paintings today.
Tom Fuller, Waitin, oil on panel, 14 x 26”
Lori Putnam, The Cowboy State, oil on linen, 14 x 18”
Sandy McDaniel, Trail Break, oil on canvas, 11 x 14”
Lori Putnam, Lost Horse Creek, oil on linen, 8 x 10”
AM Stockhill, Whispering Sage, mixed media, 59 x 35”
Stampede Western Invitational, Fresh Bay #2, oil and fluid polymer, 12 x 12”, by Julie Chapman.
Legacy Gallery, Hobbled, oil, 9 x 12”, by Bill Anton
Tom Fuller, Madison Crum-Smith, oil on panel, 12 x 16”
“It is a gift to see such beautiful imagery in our world,” says artist Lori Putnam. “The glorious way colors and shapes mingle before a subject appears fascinates me.” Putnam’s work, such as in Lost Horse Creek, shows examples of “being in the wonderful artist’s zone.” She explains, “There was a spark, a vision, and then suddenly a painting emerged. When I relax into it, the paintings flow off of my brush like magic. If I think too much about the ‘thing’ I am painting, the work loses its freshness and life.”
When it comes to purchasing, Putnam says, “buying art solely as an investment may go well, but not always. Buy it because you love it, you can’t stop looking at it and in some way it satisfies your soul.”
Legacy Gallery, specializing in paintings and sculptures in subject matter such as western, figurative, wildlife, still life and landscape, showcases equine pieces by artists such as Jason Rich, Bill Anton and Rod Zullo.
Rich grew up on a small farm in southern Idaho riding, training and drawing horses. His expertise can be seen in oil painting Cooling Off. He can now be seen riding alongside cowboys, working the corrals or packing through the mountains. He then combines experience, imagination and research to depict authenticity of the cowboy way.
Tom Fuller, Unbridled, oil on panel, 42 x 46”
Legacy Gallery, Cooling Off, oil, 11 x 14”, by Jason Rich
Sandy McDaniel, Sunday Afternoon, oil on canvas, 66 x 30”Zullo and Anton both share the same fascination with nature and cowboy culture. “I’m truly happiest when I’m outdoors, when I’m living life,” says Zullo. “My art is a reflection of my life, and I’m just trying to live my life to the fullest. The studio might be where I complete my visions, but the outdoors is where I start them.”
Anton continues, “The mountains, the air, the weather was profoundly different from anything I’d known…I’d never seen anything that was like the American West, and the impression it made on my mind and heart
was unmistakable.”
Featured Artists & Galleries
AM Stockhill
amstockhillfineart@hotmail.com
www.amstockhill.com
InSight Gallery
214 W. Main Street, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
(830) 997-9920, www.insightgallery.com
info@insightgallery.com
Legacy Gallery
7178 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 945-1113, www.legacygallery.com
Lori Putnam
(615) 512-0929, support@loriputnam.com
www.loriputnam.com
Sandy McDaniel
sandymcdaniel@mac.com
www.sandymcdanielart.com
Sherry Cobb
1153 1200 Road, Delta, CO 81416
(970) 874-7105, sherry@sherrysstudio.com
www.sherryspaintedhorsestudio.com
Stampede Western Invitational
501 N. 14th Avenue, Greeley, CO 80631
(970) 356-7787, artshow@greeleystampede.org
www.greeleystampede.org/p/attractions/artshow
Tom Fuller
(269) 876-0020
tfullerfineart@gmail.com
www.tomfullerwesternartist.com
Trailside Gallery
130 E. Broadway, Jackson, WY 83001
(480) 945-7751, info@trailsidegalleries.com
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