Published: July 25, 2019
"I was drawn to horses as if they were magnets. It was in my blood. I must have inherited a genetic proclivity toward the equine species. Perhaps a quirk in the DNA makes horse people different from everyone else... Instantly divides humanity into those who love horses and the other who simply don't know." Allan J. Hamilton
If you know me personally, or have followed my art journey for a while, you know that I love to draw/paint horses. I've been drawing horses since I was very young. I haven't always been good at it, but that didn't stop me from drawing the magnificent and mythical horses of my imagination.
I was that little kid who loved all things horse -- even better if it was a unicorn or pegasus! I thought that horse where the most beautiful creatures on earth; expressive eyes, long flowing manes and tails, and almost endless colour combinations. I still believe that they are one of the most things on Earth. They are living forms of art masterfully designed. I could only hope to capture a speck of that magnificence within my art.
From a very young age, I was exposed to films like "Black Beauty" (ohhh the tears I've cried), "The Black Stallion", and "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (that was the first movie that I saw in the theatre). I think that's probably where my love of horses came from -- that and from seeing horses in fields out of the back-seat widow of the car. Those movies that I mentioned are all every emotional and because of that, I think they taught me that, in fact, horses are complex and deeply feeling beings.
As soon as I started to draw, I knew that horses were something that I wanted to learn to draw. Those early drawings are quite comical, but that's to be expected ;)
In my early drawings you can see the wild imagination and carefreeness that I had back then. I'm trying to reconnect to that for my current art so that I could make my 10 year-old-self proud.
Some of my horse drawings from ages 9-14
As I got older, I started to make much less art and stopped drawing horses altogether. As a result, I lost touch with my creative side and what could've been a few more years of practice and skill building. But, then I found watercolours, and realized that painting was my new passion and that there was an artist within me and now I found a new way to bring it out. I'm happy that I've "found" art again, but it's been a slow process to reconnect to that fearless creativity that I had as a child. I was met with anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism, and frustration this time around. However, when I made my first watercolour horse painting 'Serenity', it was a little breakthrough. I was starting to find my own style and artistic voice! I then knew that I wanted to continue to paint horses -- horses that evoke feelings such as peace, serenity, and calmness. That's why I often use fantastical colours when I paint horses, it's not always about what's actually there, but rather, how it feels to me.
My very first three watercolour horse paintings from 2016
I believe horses tell a story: of their lives, yes, but that can also reflect our own feelings and experiences. Sometimes they can act as a mirror to what we have yet to understand and confront within ourselves. They have much to say if we are willing to listen. They are teachers and healers. Horses are my favourite subject matter to paint because I feel as though I can convey a rich array of emotions with them. It's almost like I personify my own emotions as different horses. I can recognize myself within the horses that I paint.
Thank you kindly for reading. Please feel free to comment on, like, and share this post. You can sign up here to get notified when I make a new blog post and you can contact me here. You can also find me on these other platforms: Instagram Facebook YouTube Pinterest
Till next time,
Cheyenne
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