The Watering Hole

11x14 oil on stretched linen

 

 

This is a painting of a few of the wild mustang mares in Kiowa's band, at the Sandwash Basin HMA, May 2012.  The little paint looks pregnant.  I don't know her name or if she in fact foaled later in the summer.  What a treat it was to watch them come in and drink!!

Update:  Dec 28, 2012

I have found out that the bay paint mare in the middle's name is Vogue.  She didn't foal this past year but has a sorrel two year old filly, Gem, with whom she maintains a close bond.  There is a helicopter round up scheduled for fall of 2013 at Sandwash Basin.  If you're not aware of how brutal these roundups can be: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=Vw8iX7LO8g0&NR=1 .  I  hope that all these magnificent horses survive. 

"Sky Drinker" Sand Wash Basin Mustang

 

16x20 oil on stretched linen 

available

The first of many paintings to come of the Sand Wash Basin Mustangs.  This is a stallion named Whiteout, the primary stallion of a small bachelor band.  With each painting I hope to include a story or two about the individuals in the painting. 

"Whiteout approached the wateringhole with his little band of two young stallions, probably two year olds.  Kiowa's band was already there so Whiteout and his young charges waited about a hundred feet away.  Kiowa approached the small band and Whiteout went to meet him.  They squeeled and struck and pawed the ground, sniffing "manure piles", a ritual where stallions "poop" on and sniff each other's pile, similar to dogs and wolves peeing on the same spot.  In sniffing these piles they can determine who has been there and when, and even what kind of condition the animal is in.  Amazing!  Kiowa and Whiteout seemed to come to an agreement.  Whiteout and company circled the wateringhole to the other side.  The two younger stallions of the bachelor band went down to water but Whiteout stood back until Kiowa and his band moved on.  Only then did Whiteout approach to drink.  Eventually all three bachelors moved to the other side of the muddy pond and drank again.  From the west emerged a bachelor stallion named Outlaw.  The two young stallions went to meet him, not Whiteout. "

Painting of Outlaw to follow!

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!