"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 . 

Sand Wash Basin Mustangs

I was privileged to spend this past weekend observing and photographing the beautiful wild horses of the Sand Wash Basin up by Craig Colorado.

These are only a few of the images I took.

It was fascinating to watch the herd interactions, the protocol observed at the wateringhole; communications through body language.  Judging by all the scars on the stallions these discourses oftentimes turn serious.

I of course intend to turn some of them into paintings. But to those paintings I hope to bring my new found insights into the beauty and tenacity, both inside and out, of all that is the mustang.  

I have almost finished my first painting: image to follow!