We are always seeking to capture the elusive element of time. When we experience something wonderful, we usually want to take a photograph, hoping to freeze the moment in order to relive it again. Yet by the very act of trying to capture an experience, we often make it more elusive; for the moments themselves will never exist again. And the process of trying to capture them may distract us from actually experiencing them.
As an artist, one of my challenges and joys is to transcend this limitation of time. How do I convey timelessness? I seek to portray the horse in a way that captures the impressions one would experience it if one were actually there witnessing the event.
In my painting Shadow Dancer, a client once observed that the horse seemed about to take the next step. Therefore he was never really still, but in a perpetual state of potential movement. The image is condensed down to the essential elements of what our eyes would focus on if we saw a beautiful black horse dancing in the sand. We wouldn’t see the trees, the barn, the fence, or the sky – we would only see the horse, we would only feel the magic.
Have you ever noticed that when you pay close attention to something that time seems to stand still? Time passes more quickly when we try to do too much at once, and we can miss the essential moments that are truly important. The next time you see something beautiful, or feel something wonderful – remember to stop, breathe, and experience it fully – or the moment may pass you by.
Copyright © 2009 The NW Horse Source, LLC
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