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This painting was inspired by a trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park this past summer, one of many visits I have taken over the years to observe, enjoy and be inspired by not only the beauty of the North Dakota badlands, but mainly the wild horses that call TRNP their home. Like many visitors to the Park, I love watching the horses interact within their tight family bands as well as watching the awe-inspiring and often confrontational actions between opposing stallions or bachelor stallions vying for mares. I feel very fortunate to have witnessed these beautiful creatures in their natural domain, something I read about and dreamed about as a young girl.

On this particular day, two bands were grazing in the same area. One band kept moving slowly closer to the other - whether this was the band stallion's idea to possibly steal a mare or two from the other band, I can only surmise, but the other band stallion was not having it! He charged towards the other band and they immediately turned and ran in the opposite direction! These two in the painting were on the run with the other members of their family as fast as they could run. After he got his point across, the angry stallion backed off, snorted, shook his thick mane, then turned back to his family to continue protecting them. What an amazing thing to witness!

This painting was inspired by a trip to Teddy Roosevelt National Park last May. I was searching for the wild horses that inhabit the park and late in the afternoon was lucky enough to come across a small band. I am always excited to see them! There is just something amazing about wild horses when we are so used to seeing horses in their domesticated state. Along with these two younger horses there were a couple of mares with new babies and several other horses. They all looked a bit ragged after the winter and very focused on the new spring grass. I was impressed by their footwork on the steep hillside, no wonder they are known for being sure-footed, living in the badlands of North Dakota. 

If you watch horses in a group long enough you will see that they have definite preferences as to who they hang out with, who they tolerate and who they don't want too close to them. Hmm... sounds a bit like humans, right? This painting is heading to Cody, Wyoming with me for a show at the historic Irma Hotel next week, September 20- 23, 2012. Stop by the Phonograph Jones room if you are in town. It's also the week of the Buffalo Bill Art Show and Rendevous Royale - lots of art happenings next week in Cody!

This is a detail from a large mural I recently completed. I give a quick simplified step-by-step progression in my latest newsletter - if you would like to see it, click here.

This painting was inspired by the Nokota horses, native horses of North Dakota. I had the opportunity to observe them (or descendents of them) in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, beautiful Medora, North Dakota.I was particularly struck by a roan stallion that had the thickest mane I have ever seen on a horse and it shone like silver in the sun. I knew nothing about these horses, but observed that there were many beautiful roans, both blue and red. Since then I have discovered that there is an organization that was started to preserve the breed, The Nokota Horse Conservancy. One thing for sure, if these horses survived the winters in this part of the country, they are definitely a hardy breed. Here is their website - www.nokotahorse.org.  

The wide open spaces of the prairie can be quite beautiful and peaceful - maybe a bit lonesome at times. Here this young horse seems content to munch alongside a couple of visiting birds.

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