HORSE: Blacks and Bays, Dopples and Greys

Linda Beck

"Blacks and Bays, Dopples and Greys"

Wood, Acrylic

6" x 7"

This is constructed of 52 1" x 1" painted wooden blocks.

It's inspired by my favourite lullaby "All The Pretty Little Horses"

I sanded the blocks after I painted them to give it a more distressed look.

I wish I hadn't. The more opaque colours were a better choice.

HORSE: Equus Abstract/I Will Eat This Crayon

Phineas Beck

"Equus Abstract/I Will Eat This Crayon"

8.5" x 11" paper, crayon, saliva

A brand new box of Crayola crayons and a boy,

placed strategically on top of a swamp of blank paper, yields this abstract piece:

the very first piece of artwork ever by Phineas Beck.

HORSE: "Steed"

Acrylic & Pencil on Wood Panel

Three 4" x 4" Panels

I don't like drawing horses. So, this was an exercise in re-imagining the theme. I played with a few ideas before coming up to what I consider the modern idea of a steed: a bike. My bike is an old silver spray painted, dirty Schwinn from the 80's. It looks like it's been through a lot. I tried to reinforce the antique feeling of both the bike and the horse as transport vehicle. To attempt to accomplish this, I decided to leave the bike as untreated wood only painting the negative space around the object. I had to use fixative to prevent the pencil from smudging and had the accidental effect of adding a sheen to the wood, like a finish, making look almost golden. I like that effect as it seems to give more worth to this beat up object.

HORSE: "Run Run"

Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

Running horse, runny paint.

The pose of the animal and contrast of the dark paint drips on paper create

a frenetic energy for the viewer. I enjoy the graphic, barcode-esque look to this piece.

I approached this month's theme with some hesitation as I am not a fan of drawing horses.

This 'fear' motivated me to explore other non-traditional approaches

to drawing and learn to enjoy the process.

HORSE: "Hoof Prints in the Sand"

Valerie Champagne
Watercolor on paper

For my first painting since grade school, I used watercolor paints,
a medium I've never worked in before. I would love to go horseback riding
along the beach some day, and that was my inspiration.

HORSE: "Caballito de Mar"

Sarah Rendon

Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 10"

The under water world has always intrigued me. When the theme was announced, I was excited to use the vibrant colors of the sea and of these unique creatures. This opportunity allowed me to learn more about seahorses. Did you know that they change into bright colors when they are in social situations? But most interesting of all, while female seahorses provide the eggs for reproduction, it is the male seahorses who carry the eggs (so only male seahorses have the pouch!)