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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!

 

 

 

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My art has always been inspired by the beauty, personality and spirit of horses, first as a very young girl reading, drawing and dreaming of them and then as a teenager finally owning, caring for and riding them. Now, I also have had a special place carved out in my heart for the wild horses that reside in the badlands of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, one my favorite places to visit. I started out photographing the horses for reference material, and eventually got to following some of the photographers and organizations that have been involved with the wild ones for many years and know their history better than I do. Through them and my personal observations I have also come to know these horses, in a sense, and have been fortunate to have seen firsthand how they interact with each other within their family groups and between opposing bands. Its better than a TV soap opera, following their dramatic stories of being born, growing up, switching bands, having babies, fighting, and finally dying, all as Nature intended, good, bad and otherwise. So there have been several of the most popular horses that have sadly passed on in the last year or so, the most recent one being band stallion, Cocoa portrayed here, who made his final stand at the age of 18, protecting his family to the inevitable end. It's not as if you have lost one of your own horses, but its still sad and a bit shocking to know they are gone. He was a strong, proud stallion for many years holding a lovely band of mares so his strength of spirit and legacy will live on for many years to come. I am grateful that I have such wealth of inspiration in these horses.

 

Visit North Dakota Badlands Horse website or on FaceBook to follow their stories.

 

 

 

 

 

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I was hunting for the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park one day in early May, a couple years ago. I saw turkeys, buffalo, but no horses. Although I was enjoying the scenery of the beautiful badlands of North Dakota, I was disappointed with my luck of the day. I meandered slowly not wanting to leave, but the day was growing short and I needed to get back home. The sun was low in the sky and the shadows were getting longer. As I approached the gate leading out of the park, I was thrilled to finally see a band of about a dozen horses with a couple brand new colts in tow! I hopped out of my vehicle, camera ready and here they came crossing the road to get to a creek on the other side for a drink. My luck was getting better as the sun began to cast long violet shadows, beautiful shades of lavender, mauves and blues. The band stallion was pushing the mares with authority and I found a tree to stand behind as he came closer. He looked me right in the eye, making sure I was no threat and letting me know that he could be! As the horses settled down to drink from the creek, he finally relaxed and began grazing, with the warm light on his back, shining like the sun, with those beautiful shadows in the background. One can never recreate nature in its glory, but we artists are certainly inspired to give it a try!

 

 

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​I never get tired of watching horses, especially in a natural group setting. This painting recalls a beautiful summer day when a friend of mine took me to see her horses. They were like a wild band with mares and foals and yearlings, in a lush pasture at the base of the picturesque hills. Besides several blue roans, there were paints, a buckskin, various sorrels and a black - all gorgeous, of course - a horse lover's paradise. This particular mare seemed to be in charge, leading them all onto greener grass. Her colt seemed to have inherited her personality as he was confident and not a bit shy like the other younger ones. I love to observe horses in groups such as this - an opportunity to study the dynamics and behavior patterns - very interesting! 

 

Currently available unframed. Please contact Trish for other framing options.

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When I approach a group of horses that don't know me, I notice certain personality traits in the individuals. They are all naturally curious, and express different degrees of that; some boldly venturing closer with ears, eyes and nostrils analyzing me, while others cautiously hang back to see what happens, although still interested. After a time, they become bored with me and most go back to grazing or snoozing. There might be one, though, that is still keeping an eye on me, staying on alert for any hint of a threat. Do the others instinctively know this and therefore can relax? Has this wary one been assigned the duty of guardian? Or has this horse has less than positive experiences with humans before? I just like to think that horses have very different personalities, much like humans, with their strengths and weaknesses and maybe this horse has a strong sense of protectiveness, keeping a watch over his herd mates, employing a deeply ancient survival tool. 

 

 

 

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This original pastel painting of a bay horse soaking up the rays was inspired by my visit to the Deerwood Ranch, a wild horse ecosanctuary. This horse looked so cozy with his furry winter coat still intact, eyes half shut, enjoying the warmth. The ranch is now home to over 300 mustangs, in a beautiful setting near Laramie, Wyoming. Horse heaven! Visit their website at www.deerwoodranchwildhorseecosanctuary.com.

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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. 

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I am excited to announce being invited back to the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame for the 2013 summer exhibit of "Cowboys & Indians - Alive and Well Today". It should be an interesting exhibit with paintings and drawings by Native American artists as well as the cowboy types! The Museum is situated next to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the beautiful badlands of Medora, North Dakota along the Little Missouri River. where you can hunt for (photograph) buffalo and wild horses. I hear there are already 26 new foals in the Park!  

Here are links to the Hall of Fame and Park:

http://www.northdakotacowboy.com

http://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm

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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!

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If your summer travels happen to take you near the  Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, stop by the historic town of Medora and visit the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame. I have a couple of paintings there included in an exhibit called, "Cowboys and Indians - Alive and Well Today." The paintings by several regional artists will be on display throughout the summer season May through September, 2012. The National Park itself is well worth a visit for it's beautiful views of the badlands, buffalo and wild horses. 

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Who is wild and who is crazy? The horse, the cowboy? Or both?

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As the title suggests, I had so much fun painting the last paint horse, that I couldn't resist painting another one. I'm thinking there may be more to come...

Original oil painting on gallery-wrap canvas, ready to hang or frame as you wish!

Click here for more information.

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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.  

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I wish everyone the very best of the holiday season - all the joys & blessings of this time, and I hope that we all have a "dashing" New Year!

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I think that one reason many people love horses is their ability to express freedom. Even the most domesticated horse will take an opportunity to shake it's head, snort, rear, prance and take off galloping and bucking as if were a wild mustang free to run on the wide open plains. I "pushed" the colors in this painting because I felt that it helped to express that fire and life in a wild horse. We all need to kick up our heels once in a while!

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This young horse is sticking with the more experienced horses as the herd moves, using his ears and eyes, learning as he goes.

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Horses communicate with a flick of an ear or the switch of a tail. They seem constantly on the alert as to what their equine companions are up to. Perhaps it is the survival instinct, waiting for the herd to move to water or flee if necessary. These two seem content for the moment to bask in the sun.

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Blue Roans have always been a favorite color of mine, (another one!) but I have really never painted any until now.

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First in the "Heads Up!" Mini-series, focusing on the expressive eyes, ears and head of the horse. I think I might  be exploring this one for a long time. I am really enjoying the square format for this project and may try some larger ones down the road.


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Inspired by the wild horses of Teddy Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota, this is a 6 x 9" original pastel one of 100 paintings that are in progress. For purchase information, click on 100 for $100.
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This little painting was inspired by a trip to the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Preserve south of Billings, Montana. Buckskins just happen to be one of my favorite colors of horses -  come to think of it, I have many favorites!

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Horses seem to be endlessly curious about their environment. Something across the hills has got the attention of these two.

This is #2 of 100 paintings in progress. For more information click on 100 for $100 Read More

Almost like a dream come true, my two forays into the realm of wild horses was definitely a highlight this past year for me. Although they were short and sweet adventures, I got  a taste of this unusual world, a world I have imagined since whinnying and galloping home from school as a second grader. My latest excursion occured this past fall when my partner and I ventured to the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range on the border of Montana and Wyoming. There, after hours of searching, we finally spied an old black stallion, alone and aloof atop a dry, barren hilltop, just as I had seen him in all my years of imagining wild black stallions. We then were fortunate enough to come fairly close to two more horses, a black and a buckskin. The buckskin featured tiger stripes on the back of her legs that are one of the characteristics of this unique herd whose bloodlines  date back to the Spanish horses brought to America by Cortez in the 1700's. It was an awesome experience that I hope to expand upon in the upcoming year. 
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This summer I was able to spend a little time observing and photographing some wild horses in North Dakota. Here is a drawing that has come out of that observation. I really liked the flowing lines of the two horses interacting, so I left it as more of a drawing rather than a full-fledged painting.
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We are fortunate enough to live near Teddy Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota, just about an hour and a half drive. It was a beautiful day to view the rugged badlands and search for wild horses.

We first stopped in at Sentinel Butte, North Dakota to see the Champions Rodeo at Home on the Range School for Boys. The Champions Rodeo matches the top bronc riders with the top bucking broncs in the country. I usually get great photos here at this exciting rodeo. The winning cowboys usually donate all or part of their winnings to Home on the Range School.

We then headed off in our quest. I brought along my better half, Charley, who is the tracker of the family and can see long distances better than I can. We looked for signs of horses as we drove along the road and were finally rewarded with the sight of one lonely horse up on the side of a hill. We wondered why he was alone - unusual for the normally social animals. Driving further Charley spotted a band of about 10 horses, again way up on the side of a hill in a draw.

Finally we hit the jackpot - pictured here a band of about 20 horses. The grey stallion in the middle of the mares, was the only one to pay any attention to us. The horses were about 300 yards away and seemed to feel safe at that distance. I would have loved to have gotten closer, but you are not allowed to go off the road or trails. Anyway, it was pretty exciting. We only saw one colt, which again I thought was unusual, but maybe there will be more when we return...we did see the one lone roan on the way back down. I really can't think of a better way to spend a summer day! Read More

Horses on the run is a favorite theme of mine. They are so inspiring to watch - no matter how domesticated horses are, once they are running they are as wild and free as the wind.

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