Amidst the rays of the Montana July sun, my husband and I first traveled to Ennis for a music gig at the Gravel Bar, and then made our way to a spot just north of Bozeman. Purpose lie in photographing horses for commissioned pieces, and as we meandered along the dirt roads, thoughts of time and influence lie heavy in my mind. The abstract questions of the geological lifting of the Bridger Range and the relationship to the plains lend themselves to a deepening exploration of existence in time. The bedrock upon which we exist and the underlying structures merge with the ideas of growth and decay, impermanence of form within the seasons, and transformation of energy. The reaching, curing grasses along the dusty road rely on the nutrients of those before them, as they, too, will become nourishment for tomorrow. Engaging with the very present and aware horses as they interact with us and each other supplies a level of immediacy. As much as we are defined and determined by the influences of the before, we live in the exacting time of now. In translation of these ever-forming understandings, my piece titled "Emergence; Revenant Castilleja" works within the layers of structure, place, and life. The dichotomy of our place continues with this painting. At first conceived beneath the period of growth, photosynthesis, and abundance, and then worked on under the cover of snows and dormancy, I worked amongst the interplay of the influence of land and life. Life, held within the ever graceful and dynamic horse called Raven emerges amongst the landscape. The semi-parasitic Indian paintbrush (Castilleja) exists using the roots of others, here, the Arnica. This continuation of reliance threads itself into continuity; mountain sediments flowing to the plains, Indian paintbrush gaining sustenance from others, horses shaped by their environment.

I am thrilled to have this painting in the 29th Annual Women's Works Show. Reminiscent of the fissures cut by water through the landscape and echoing the colors of the area's native sandstone, this piece serves to investigate the intangible demands of sorrow. I've found that as I am developing a work, it begins to have specific characteristics.  My task then is to integrate those characteristics and underlying thoughts in order to convey them accurately and aesthetically.  With this specific painting, I found an elusiveness in the lines that I wanted to maintain, as well as an intense level of realism and emotion around her eyes and the way she holds her ears. 

It is currently displayed at the Old Court House Arts Center in Woodstock, IL from March 10 through April 30, 2016.  The annual exhibit is the Northwest Area Arts Council's international juried competition. More information and the catalog can be found at http://www.womensworks.org/ .

The eclipse of the Harvest Moon in September of 2015 was a striking event as the earth's shadow gradually infused the moon with a hue of red. I wanted to portray the horse as pushing through this unavoidable event that is shrouded in mystery.  Research regarding various myths about the Blood Moon indicate a level of destruction or, interestingly enough, growth.  

My latest piece is explores the concept of amending while building on flaws.  I first created this painting by intentionally and irregularly dripping tinted medium on a color-washed canvas. The horse was then enmeshed with the marring lines.  The duality of paint application and texture expressed within the painting speaks to the nature of self and the environment.  I am working with the idea of the various layers of ourselves. This painting became a search to regain the beauty and balance upset by the initial rift.  His gaze seems to implore the viewer to face...something.  He calls to engage with him.

Part of my quest, or development, as an artist is sharing my work and ideas.  For without that, I have pondered my purpose.  What is this drive to create that which has been unseen before? 

Georgia O'Keeffe said, "Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing--and keeping the unknown always beyond you." The portion of her words that ring with resounding clarity is the idea that sharing that piece of myself, yourself, ourselves, is the primary focus.  

Eva Hesse, an influential sculptor working in the 1960s in New York, said, "I am interested in solving an unknown factor of art and an unknown factor of life." I can appreciate her insight as I work through my pieces.  There is a juxtaposition that I cannot quite grasp between myself, my subject, the material, and that unknown essence.  Each painting is a reach to come to the full understanding of a concept.

I am honored to be exhibiting my piece titled "Adjust; Movement Above 11,000 Feet", showcasing my interpretation of a Montana mountain goat, with whom I shared the Froze to Death Plateau on my way down from Granite Peak.  They live in a wild, vast, and extreme environment, and I marveled at the ease that this particular goat navigated the terrain.

For more information regarding the show, please click on the following: "Life in the Wild" show

The truth of shadows lie in the relationship between the entity, the surface contours, and the light. Without each other, the shadow would simply not exist. That blocking of the source of illumination; that elusive shape that creates depth, mystery, intrigue. It's a fleeting moment, a difference constructed by the confluence of factors that rely on each other. In the change lies a distant effect that we may not yet, or ever, see.  Does the grass grow a little less where your shadow fell?  Does an insect scurry in a different direction?  In that elusive moment in time, what truths are in the phantom nature of the shadow? 

Capturing those shadows lends legitimacy to each essence of the trinity: object, surface, and illumination.
                                                                                                        - Whitney