"Gathering the Mares"

"Gathering the Mares"

18x24

Another painting from my first Sandwash Basin adventure to view the wild mustangs.  This stallion is Cosmos, gathering a few mares after their afternoon siesta.  He is a beautiful white stallion hooked up with Kiowa, a dark bay paint stallion.  They seem to share custody of this band, I'm not sure who is the lead stallion and who is the dominant.  I suspect Kiowa is the lead stallion as he was the one to do the meet and greet posturing, squeeling and striking when another stallion approached.  Cosmos was the stallion who came first, even before the lead mare, down to the water hole.  These bands are ever changing as stallions steal mares from other stallions and the young bachelor stallions are forever attempting to get mares of their own.  Quite a bit of drama going on, their own version of soap operas I suppose.  This painting headed to Arts at Denver www.artsatdenver.com  for their "Irresistable" show in February.  Hence the working title for this piece has been "Mr. Irresistable".

Look for more in the mustang series at the Greeley Stampede Invitational Art Show beginning June 28, 2013, Island Grove Arena, Greeley, Colorado, www.greeleystampede.org  as well as the Governor's Show, Loveland Museum, Loveland, CO, opening gala April 27, 2013,  www.governorsartshow.org .