Blog

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.

​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.

I am so honored and pleased to announce that this painting of a Hereford bull will be included in the Mountain Oyster Club's 47th Annual Contemporary Western Art Show, "one of the oldest, largest and best respected western art shows in the country," according to the Club. The opening reception will take place on November 19, 2016. (For tickets, contact Alisha at (520) 623-3417)

The Club itself has a rich history - you can read an entertaining account here - www.mountainoysterclub.com/mo-club/club-history/

The painting's title, "Big Easy," comes from the fact that this beautiful bull is a normally easy-going, laid back creature who just goes with the flow. I got a wake-up to his Bull Personality however, as I was trying to help corral him one day. I was staying on the fringes of the action, when surprise! - we came face to face, and as I took instant mental notes of his horns, superior bull-dozer size and the very determined look in his eyes, I rather ungracefully turned chicken and let him by. It is much safer to paint bulls than to try to tell them what to do! I would like to paint him again sometime and see if I can recreate that determined look in his eye...

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. 

Although there are horses, hills and sky in this painting, the subject is really the late afternoon light and the colors it brings to the scene. Late afternoon and early morning are usually a favorite time of day for painters of the outdoors for this reason. The shadows are longer, providing interesting shapes to explore and for me, a chance for me to apply the luscious violets and blue shades that I love. On the other hand some painters love the subdued, indirect light of an overcast day which can inspire a calm or even melancholy mood. For myself, I am inspired by bright sunlit colors. To each his own!

Read More

Why would a person delight in finding a 60 year old, broken-down truck in the weeds? Either you are a classic car fanatic or quite possibly an artist. Growing up with a dad and 2 brothers who love restoring old cars and trucks must have had some influence on me because I do love painting them. There was always at least one project in the garage, (and still is). Time after time we witnessed a trailer pulling into the yard with a  metal carcass of a vehicle, ready for an overhaul. Evenings and weekends Dad would patiently rebuild motor, tranny and brakes, replace upholstery, then sand, prime and paint until the carcass was finally brought back to its former glory. I didn't really think about it at the time, just thought it was cool that my dad could do all that, but I realized a few years ago that along the way, he had taught me appreciation for beautiful design. He often pointed out that if something simple and useful was pleasing to look at, it was because it was well-designed -  it's functionality was at the core of it's design. Now as I truly appreciate the clean, graceful lines of vintage vehicles, its because my dad was training my eye way back then.  

This painting of a 1951 International pickup truck will be available at the Six Inch Squared Exhibit, Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, California. For more information go to www.dailybrushwork.com Read More