Wild mustangs are an American icon.

The horse is power, freedom of spirit, mankind’s partner and my spiritual guide in life.
I know Star,

the mustang I work with,
can see into my heart and soul,
she is learning to trust me.

And I her,
without any words.

It is an awesome experience.
Ever After Mustang Rescue - Mustangs in Winter -        Maude

My Beloved Dogs are my Inspiration

I have had 8 dogs in my life so far, both mutts and purebreds, 2 adopted from friends, 2 picked out of litters from stopping at 'free puppy' signs, and 4 rescues - one abandoned in a blizzard, found in our backyard and never claimed, and 3 from animal rescues.

Puppy potty training is not easy by far and potty training a dog rescued from the wilds of the south isn't easy either. Some breeds are easier to train in obedience than others, and mutts are just wonderful, too.

They all have that innate capacity for unconditional love.
They all bring me joy and have taught me lessons... patience, understanding, living in someone else's shoes, enjoying the moment, appreciating who you have, unconditional love, I am never alone when they are with me...

At least one of them is always with me in the studio and as I work in the office and around the house. I am continually snapping photos of them and painting them. Some of the paintings I do not have digital images of... but they have filled my heart beyond capacity with love and cherished memories.

Hobo              Gretchen (Peekee)          Blue   Blue's Story

Dixie   Dixie's Blog

Biscuit

Wyoming is my Inspiration

I visited Wyoming for the first time in Spring of 2005. When the plane landed at Jackson Airport my mouth dropped open and I was in awe. I was immediately overwhelmed by the Teton mountains. The more I saw, the more deeply enthralled I became.

I went there to paint wildlife at a workshop with John Banovich and other artists, and I took home so much more. The workshop was a very small piece of this inpiring pie. I drew horses from life and feed them apples - for the first time in my life. I saw buffalo, elk, moose and other wildlife in the wild - in Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.

I remember feeling like I could touch the sky - the big sky. In subsequent years I've visited in spring and then fall. And fall is even more gorgeous. The color is blinding and the mountains have fresh snow.

The walk from my motel to the Wind River is less than 2 minutes... and it is glorious. The motels have corrals for traveling horses, burros and mustangs - I'd never experienced that before. Every morning there were horses to talk to and photograph - heaven on earth. I met 'cowboys' and took more landscape photographs than I've ever taken before.

After the first visit, I vowed to return there every year - to absorb and photograph the mountains, lakes and wildlife, range cows, ranches and horses. And there is so much more than I've written about here... There are numerous galleries in Jackson that are also inspiring, and I have been fortunate to have one of them represent my work since 2009.