It's one of those typical winter days that happen more often than the sparkling, bright days that turn winter into magic. The clouds hang heavy and grey, and the world seems to be painted in shades of black and white. I think of it as Winter distilled - the very essence of winter. And it has a beauty all it's own, so I wanted to celebrate it in a painting. When I saw this group of horses that were so completely in harmony with their surroundings, I knew I had my painting. Actually, there were two groups of two black horses and one group of two black and white horses, but this painting needed to be simple, so I was selective in what I put in.
The whole painting is deceptively simple. It's more about knowing what to leave out as it is about what to put in, and that takes experience and skill. I've been painting long enough to have achieved those things. I love detail, but sometimes, the advice of Thoreau must be followed: 'Simplify, simplify'.
This recently completed painting, "WINTER DISTILLED", is an 11 by 14 watercolor on Arches 140 hot press, and it is available. $625. Also available are notecards and small prints.
http://www.heatheranderson-animalart.com/
anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca
How could I ever possibly choose? The nice thing is, I never had to. I live in a part of Eastern Ontario where there is lots of English riding activity. We have shows for Jumping, Hunter-Jumpers, Dressage, horse show classes for Saddleseat, Arabian Native Costume, and Driving, and lots of stables that teach proper English Riding skills. We also have a little Polo, as well as Fox-less Hunting. So many marvelous equine activities to enjoy! And I enjoy painting them all!
One of my dreams, (along with having a horse of my own), was a pair of shiny black English boots and a black velvet hard hat. When I achieved both dreams, they were even better in reality, even though I had to trade my velvet helmet in for an upgraded, safer model. I still have the velvet one though!
But once I began my horse adventure, I quickly learned that there was a large alternate Equine culture in the Valley and surrounding areas. My friends (and home barn) all rode mainly Western, and I quickly slid into that laid back, companionable way of riding and became aware of the thriving Western culture around here - Quarter Horses, Paints, rodeos, Western classes at horse shows, Western Games, friends gathering for a trail ride with maybe some music after, and a great Western tack shop. We even have a large number of beef cattle farms. They are not ranches and we don't have prairie or desert, or huge tracts of grazing land. And although we don't have cattle drives, I've often ridden through a herd, and followed along when my friend was rounding up some cattle that had crawled under a loosened wire fence and strayed down the road. (Have you ever seen a cow crawl? Hysterical!) For years, many of our country young people have headed out West to work on the ranches for a time before they come back to work on the family farm or start their own related business.
I fell in love with this aspect of the Ottawa Valley and from the beginning, I've loved painting it.
I have wondered for a long time why we have this in our area. Then recently, I read that the great painter of the West, Frederick Remington came here to paint in the Pontiac Hills, a range of extremely ancient mountains that have been worn down to craggy, stern, and very beautiful hills. We live a short ten minute ferry ride across the river from these hills, and I have been able to see them in the distance all my life. Did Remington bring the Western way with him, or did he come here because it was already in place?
I guess I'll never know, and in the end, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that we can enjoy both worlds here, and while I still enjoy watching the English way of riding and the shows, and I'll never part with my elegant black English boots, you can see by their battered appearance that the Western boots were used far more often. The only thing still holding them together is love and great memories.
Heather Anderson
http://www.heatheranderson-animalart.com/
Everyone needs one now and then - a place to sit quietly and contemplate, or just sit and "be". For me, the barn was always a place of peace and a refuge from the worries of life and the madding crowd. Once there, I was surrounded by non-judgemental horses, dogs, and barn cats who welcomed me into their world for a while. Sometimes the barn cats even served snacks - I was presented with a juicy mouse on more than one occasion. I always found the animals waiting, but I have to say, I never did come across a good looking cowboy snoozing in the tack room! (That tack room always held both English and Western saddles and bridles, as I live in an area of the East where there is a strong Western Tradition, but that's a topic for another blog.)
This painting shows a set-up not unlike my home barn. There, the tack room was not as big or bright as the one I have painted here, but I could stand in it among the grain bins, the saddles, and other horsey accoutrements and look across at my horse as he dozed in his stall, waiting for me to get his saddle so we could go for a ride together. I could take as much time as I liked to soak in the peace of the barn, and I always left renewed and refreshed.
FIND A QUIET CORNER is a 12 by 16 watercolor on Arches 300lb Hot Press paper. In a few days, I will get a price on it and put it up on my website. But for the moment, I have it set up where I can look at it and enjoy the memories.
http://www.heatheranderson-animalart.com/
