Twenty some years age I painted a large oil in blues and creams of a beautiful chestnut horse with a lady riding side-saddle. I painted quickly spurred on by fear and curiosity. Would it be successful? What would it look like? I loved the painting.
Just recently I realized that early effort reflected much of my inner self. After all these years I’ve come full circle to recognize that what I appreciated in that painting can now guide and inspire my future work. How rewarding it is that now I want to look to my own work rather than to all the masters I’ve studied through the years.
What I see in that piece is rhythm, an interesting composition, lovely color, large passages and shapes, some subtle and delicate paint. And there is a story. The girl is comfortable, confident, relaxed; the horse is submissive, quiet, trusting. The horse and girl are effortlessly connected. The painting appears to have been executed with joy. Without too much detail there is, to me, an elegant simplicity which supports the mood of the piece.
I am pleased to see this work with fresh eyes and to finally understand why it has remained one of my favorite images.