Hello fellow equine art enthusiasts! I am catching up in the studio after a summer of small adventures. One highlight was traveling to Eastern Oregon’s Steens Mountain Guest Ranch to observe Kiger Mustangs in the wild on horseback. Seeing these horses in the wild for the first time was truly remarkable. I most loved watching the interactions of the stallion as he always seemed on watch and protecting the herd. The entire ride was several hours. As we loaded the horses to trailer back to the ranch, a solitary mare and her foal crossed our path. They seemed quite curious about the horses on the trailer. She stood to watch us as we watched them for several minutes (above photo). It was our best opportunity to see a wild Kiger up close. I was amazed at her fine features, she had such an elegant head and expressive eyes.
Heading down the hillside
The following day, rather than start heading back home, I had advice from new friends I met at the Diamond Hotel. It was suggested I should really see the Alvord Desert while I was out east. It would add several hours to my already long drive back to Bend, but as I contemplated the boring me and the adventure me, the latter won! My detour paid off tenfold when I was driving the gravel road that follows the desert. From across a hilltop, another herd of wild horses came galloping down the hillside. I pulled my car off to the side of the road, watched, and snapped photos while they crossed just ahead of my car to have a bath in a watering hole. As luck would have it, they crossed back over just in front of me again after their baths. I was able to watch this herd interact, mares with foals, young stallions play fighting and again, a stallion, head of the herd, who keenly watched me as I watched them.
Alvord Desert Roan Mare, 6″ x 8″ oil on panel, Unframed
Getting back into the studio this week after a summer off painting, I feel often my best way to warm up is with smaller works. This helps me get back into my groove and generate further ideas which often unfold into larger paintings. I have uploaded 3 (!!) paintings being sold via DailyPaintworks auctions which are currently active for bidding, starting at $75.00. The above work is one of the mares who had a foal by her side at the time, I’ve titled her Alvord Desert Roan Mare. Click HERE to bid
Sagebrush Buckskin, 6″ x 8″ oil on canvas panel, unframed.
The second to fall off the brush was Sagebrush Buckskin. I am just loving the juicy strokes in this painting. 😊
Also starting at $75.00, Click to bid HERE
Alvord Chestnut, 6″ x 8″ oil on panelhttps://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/1221367
Last in my first three is Alvord Chestnut. He was amongst the young males, frolicking and living the life as a free horse. Click HERE to bid, also starting at $75.00
I will leave you with one last image from this adventure, one of the three foals exuberantly jumping back to the road, just ahead of my car, after the herd visit to the waterhole.
I will expect to continue adding to this series as the months go by, so be sure to keep an eye for new paintings on my Facebook page, Instagram and webpage for new works as they unfold.
Thank you for your interest!
Jennifer