Capturing the Equestrian Way of Life
The Story Behind My Art
by Melanie Stoltz-Brown
“Focusing in on specific things helps me enter the mood, smell the horse and hear the squeak of the saddle”
From the calm, soothing sounds of rain hitting the barn roof, to horses quietly munching hay during a spring shower, or the exciting hoof beats of a galloping horse and his excited snort as he prances and shows off to the horses across the fence; these are some of the sensations that draw me to this magnificent animal. The smell and squeak of the leather saddle as you mount, to the feeling of the power under you as your horse thrusts his body and yours over the jump, are some of the things I try to capture and recreate in watercolor. The love of horses is a passion. I have this passion in my blood, and I am driven to be near them. The smell of leather and horse sweat becomes a smell I can’t live without. Everything about the equestrian way of life gives horse lovers a feeling of contentment that we can’t get any other way.
My painting is an attempt to recreate these sensations. I want my paintings to bring the power and spirit of the horse into the home. I am a horse person first and an artist second. Not to diminish the importance of art, because the act of creating something is an exciting experience when it conveys the feeling and emotion of the moment or captures the attitude and personality of the subject. Art is something that can withstand time, freezing that moment and memory for generations to experience and enjoy long after the subject is gone. Besides, it is a fun and rewarding activity.
My inspirations come from all aspects of equestrian life. Sport, work, play and leisure moments are all elements of this lifestyle. I enjoy all animals and they may appear in my paintings, though the horse is special. People also find their way onto my watercolor paper. I enjoy capturing character rather than an exact portrayal. Sometimes I see the world as through a viewfinder on a camera, my eyes zooming in and out on different scenes. My compositions tend to focus on things close-up, often in a way that is different from the usual portrayal.
I was drawn to the tack as I created the cover picture, ‘In Between Runs.’ The typical Western essentials: a lariat, chaps, and Western saddle. Portraying them with warm browns and the golden buckskin horse just makes me feel good and helps me capture the mellow mood. The rider is sitting with arms crossed, patiently waiting his turn. His horse is obviously just as patient or the rider wouldn’t be sitting like that. Focusing in on specific things helps me enter the mood, smell the horse and hear the squeak of the saddle.
I paint realism, but in an expressive manner, though a few of my paintings get a bit surrealistic. Using some abstraction, especially in the backgrounds, I don’t attempt photographic realism. In this way I strive to intensify the mood or the feeling of the subject. Also, I try to capitalize on light and shadow which alone can hold the viewer’s interest regardless of subject matter. I love color and use it to create the mood as well. Generally I paint in warm colors because they make me feel good, but may use others for contrast or excitement depending on the painting. Another goal of my composition is to hold the viewer’s eye and interest.
Though always interested and talented with art, especially drawing, I did not get serious about it until I lived in the Pacific Northwest. My first art award came as early as 4th grade in a regional art show. Art courses were always my first choice for electives throughout school and several art awards came my way during high school. A strong interest in biology led me to choose a science career path because it was the ‘safer’ way to go, but I continued taking art courses and workshops now and then. Friends and family commissioned me to do artwork throughout my 20-year science career. Then we relocated to Seattle, Washington. Not finding a science job to suit my particular skills and interest, I decided to look for something else to do.
The Pacific Northwest was full of inspiring scenery and equestrian life… my ‘viewfinder’ was at full throttle! The Seattle area has a tremendous art culture, with many resources for learning, inspiration and encouragement. How could I not follow this path now? I just had to decide on a medium. Though I had experimented with pastel, oils and acrylic, most of my experience up to that point had been in pencil. Mixing acrylics to make the colors appear natural did not come easy to me so I didn’t want to go that route. Yet I still wanted to work with color. I loved using pastels and oils, but being a naturally messy person I was visualizing what my floors would look like after a year and decided a cleaner medium was necessary. Watercolor was the obvious choice. Now I just needed to learn how to use it.
I joined the Northwest Watercolor Society, took some workshops and found a weekly painting group to add a continuous source of encouragement and critique. This provided me with the tools and support to get started. We recently left the Northwest, relocating near Nashville, TN and opened an art gallery called the Snortin’ Horse Studio in the wonderful little historic district of Leiper’s Fork. A fondness for the Northwest and the many good friends I made there will always be a part of me. I hope to continue those friendships and art roots in the area by continuing my participation in Northwest art shows including Equine Art sponsored by the Washington Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Emerald Downs.
Melanie was raised in Missouri and now resides near Leiper’s Fork, just south of Nashville, TN. She spends her time painting horses and other animals in watercolor in her studio, the Snortin’ Horse, and she continues her equestrian activities by studying Natural Horsmanship with her Haflingers. Visit www.melaniestoltzbrown.com to see her paintings and art news. Call toll free 800-595-0104 for more information.
