The Horse Culture

Collector's Focus: The Art of the Horse

By Michael Clawson

Many of the early art dealers in Scottsdale, Arizona, remember a stocky fellow with white hair walking through town in the 1970s. He would sometimes walk around with paintings under his arm. Drivers would be stopped at red lights, and there he would go, crossing the street with a big painting of a horse and rider in a gold frame. After he hit all the dealers on a street, he returned to his car, placed the painting in the trunk with a stack of others and off he went. It was Olaf Wieghorst.

Olaf Wieghorst (1899-1988), Back in the Herd, oil on linen, 18 x 24”

InSight Gallery, Flared, oil, 16 x 20", by Abigail Gutting.

Years later, the painter found himself in Oklahoma City, at what is now the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. There was a painting demonstration happening at the time and several artists were sitting outside under the sweltering heat as they painted a horse, their live model, that was standing in between all the easels. Arizona art dealer Marilyn Murray was accompanying Wieghorst at the time and she turned to ask what he would do if he were painting the horse. “I would look at the horse for a little bit, and then paint him inside where it’s cool,” he said. Murray added, “He knew the animals so much that he didn’t need one in front of him.” Other dealers and artists recall similar stories of Wieghorst painting or drawing a horse entirely from memory.

Mountain Trails Gallery, Boys Day Off, bronze, 16¼ x 18¼", by Curt Mattson.

Tehachapi Art Commission, Country Living, oil on canvas, 24 x 18", by Annette Hammer.

Tehachapi Art Commission, Heading back to the Ranch, oil on linen mounted board, 10 x 12", by Frank Serrano.

Weighorst had a unique history with horses—he was a mounted police officer in New York, a cowboy and a rider in the U.S. Cavalry—and it was reflected in his paintings. He didn’t just paint the horse; he honored the horse with each new work. When the U.S. Cavalry retired horses, Wieghorst cried upon learning the news.

That devotion to the horse can be seen in many other artist’s work, including in the bronze pieces of Curt Mattson, who shows at Mountain Trails Gallery in Sedona, Arizona. Talk to Mattson even for just a minute about horses and a wealth of knowledge spills from him. Every muscle, every pose, every piece of gear…the sculptor aims for perfection with every detail. “My passion is the world of the buckaroo and of horsemen and horsewomen, both contemporary and historic,” he says. “This is my background, combined with the love of art and of training horses. It is vitally important to me to leave a record of the buckaroo of today, and to tell the lives of the historic horseman of the West. The pieces I create allow me to share this passion.”

Tehachapi Art Commission, Before the Cut, oil on panel, 30 x 30", by Frank Ordaz.

Deb Herbert, Santiago (Intruder), oil on board, 9 x 16"

Georgia Carter, Sweet Elliott, oil, 24 x 37"

Another artist creating remarkable horse-themed work is Abigail Gutting, who found a deep appreciation for animals while working with her veterinary father. In Flared, available at InSight Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas, Gutting paints two horse heads using a Chiaroscuro painting technique that gives her subjects a mysterious and heroic quality. One can look at this work and feel as Wieghorst must have felt—that the horse is the most magnificent creature on the earth.

Throughout this section, artists continue to discuss their fascination with horses and translate that passion into beautiful works of equine art. Continue reading for a plethora of inspiring stories and insights on creating a collection on the subject matter.

Georgia Carter, Paint a Pony, oil, 8 x 10"

Georgia Carter, Three Horses, oil, 16 x 20"

Karen Boylan, Time to Go, oil, 12 x 16"

The Tehachapi Arts Commission represents several artists for their En Plein Air art event, that are awestruck by the spirit of the horse and the lifestyle that ensues. For instance, artist Annette Hammer says of her piece Country Living, “Most of us have at one time or another wished to live the ‘country’ life, dreaming of owning one’s own horse, having a dog, maybe some chickens or other animals, and wide-open spaces.” Frank Serrano’s piece Heading Back to the Ranch also illustrates a love for the Western lifestyle, where Serrano captures the working cowboys of Owens Valley, California. Other artists, such as Frank Ordaz, are inspired by horse sporting events such as junior rodeos. “What really struck me was the cutting event,” he says, and the agility and cunning of the horses.” In Before the Cut, Ordaz documents a tender moment between horse and rider.

Karen Boylan, Long Day in the Saddle, oil, 16 x 12"

Karen Boylan, Five Second Penalty, oil, 16 x 12"

Fiona Purdy, He Read Him Right – Portrait of Badger, acrylic on double canvases, 20 x 10”

Fiona Purdy’s talent as an equine artist, is her ability to create portraits of specific horses for their owners. “I’m passionate to not only render the perfect likeness of each horse,” she says, “but also to capture their magnificent spirits and personalities. A portrait of a beloved horse, such as her piece He Read Him Right, will be treasured forever.

“I have been closely and emotionally involved with horses my whole life,” says artist Georgia Carter. “I could tell a really great story about each one that’s chosen to be with me in each decade of my 60 years in life. I am challenged to put a few important words to a huge important topic: the horse. If horses are given an environment of love, acceptance and safety, you will see them master their innate flight actions. A horse loved and appreciated will give you his heart and his life, and will rise above his issues to be the most amazing teammate you could ever have; however, you will have to be absolutely honest with him in your feelings.”

Al Glann, Turquoise Salutation, bronze, 18 x 17 x 4"

Al Glann, Red Stallion, steel with powder coat, 126 x 50 x 30", Rio Vista Natural Resource Park recent install, Tucson, AZ

Horses have also been a life-long love for artist Karen Boylan, who never seems to tire of the character and strength of such magnificent animals. “Their beauty is exhilarating,” she says, “whether they are grazing in a pasture with the golden sun highlighting their shape, showcasing their talents in competitions or they are hard at work making a rancher’s job a whole lot easier. I know I have a deep appreciation for their dedication and unique abilities, especially when working cattle. A good cow horse is invaluable to the rancher.” Working with horses gives Boylan an intimate understanding of their athleticism, their power and endurance, and what makes each one the individual they are. Their versatility alone is so inspirational that ideas for paintings are endless. She adds, “I am blessed to have them in my life.”

Al Glann, To the Wire, bronze, 26 x 16 x 4"

Deb Herbert proudly portrays many living wild mustangs in her work. “For me,” she explains, “painting the wild mustangs is a blessing. They embody all the American ideals upon which our nation was founded—courage, leadership, love of family, loyalty and protection of the weak. I feel a close spiritual connection to each horse I paint, and that is difficult to explain, but I hope it’s revealed through unapologetically passionate use of form, line and color.”

Brady Willette, After…Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, limited edition print on museum quality rag paper, 60 x 37"