Claire

34" x 42" Oil Painting on Canvas

When I was young, my school mascot was the Mustang. We were the Mifflin Mustangs. I loved horses, though, not only for that reason. I grew up going on road trips with my family, (back when gas cost $0.97 a gallon) -- we would go on drives and end up at different parks with monkey bars, jungle gyms, and slides; Hersey Park; Dorney Park; antique stores, museums, Chinatown, Atlantic City... Mom would pack us ramen cup noodles with a thermos of hot water, corn on the cob, bread squares, Twizzlers, crackers, and juice boxes. (Dad got coca-cola or iced tea.) Well, we didn't have ipads or other fancy electronics, so I would look out the window and shout "HORSEY!" every time I saw a horse. In Pennsylvania, there were farms with horses seemingly everywhere we went. My family would point the horses out too, even if I would be half-asleep, I would perk my head up quick and turn to see where the horse or horses were. Road trips with my mom alone would get us to the Amish and Mennonite farms where she would get her sewing machine serviced. The young girls would come running for me while my mom was busy; they would take my hand and take me to the barn to see their horses. Aye, I loved horses so much, my first AOL screenname was Horsey2410. 

"Claire" is a retired racehorse living in Southern Pines, North Carolina. When I asked my fellow Sandhills Photography Club members where I might find horses here to photograph for artwork reference, my friend Neva kindly gave me a referral. As soon as Claire saw my camera, she just seemed to light up and went off in her corral with such spirit and energy, it was all I could do to contain my own racing heart as I snapped my photos and watched her dance and jump and run. Horses are just so beautiful...

I wanted her running through a background so she could appear to be kicking up dust around her or galloping through a galaxy of stars. My husband is a bit of a Star Wars nerd so... I think of him and his support when I create my work -- having the dust effect look celestial is an endearing acknowledgement of him.