Life drawing horses – sketching them live while they are free in their environment – is both challenging and deeply rewarding. Since early 2024, I have been honored to visit and sketch horses at many horse rescues, therapeutic riding centers, and farms.
As an artistic practice, life drawing challenges me to try to capture the essential energy and characteristics of a horse very quickly – because they are almost always moving! It is such a reward when sharing a drawing with the horse’s caretakers to have the horse be immediately recognized. I generally use a Pentel pocket brush pen as my sketching tool, which means no erasing and encourages me to work loosely.
For me life drawing is also a meditative practice for being present with the horses and nature. It always calms and slows me down and of course connects me to the surroundings and the season. (At times it has been so cold my hands were locking up; other times I would get drenched in sweat sitting still in the shade. More than once I have had to escape the rain in a hurry!) Life drawing is also a tender opportunity for me to spend time with horses while recovering from chronic illness that has made mobility and being safely with horses very challenging.
Yes, I’d love to come draw your horses!
Contact me about available life drawings or to host me as a visiting artist.
Find original life drawings for sale in my Etsy shop here.
Special thank you to these centers and others who have allowed me to pull up a chair at their pastures:
Zorro’s Crossing Horse Sanctuary • Tiny Acres Northwest Florida • Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Center • Cascade Trails Mustang Sanctuary • Coachella Valley Horse Rescue • Sea Star Horse Sanctuary • Beyond Liberty • Horse & Heart Ranch
Contact me to host me as a visiting artist.
Find original life drawings for sale in my Etsy shop here