Once again, my muse showed up to be painted. I've done a number of paintings that feature my horse Scotty in various "incarnations." The first time I painted him was a very realistic portrait in pastel. Then came Healing Path, Winter Solstice, Change is Afoot, Return of the Warriors. And now, Til the Morning Comes. This is an experimental piece, done in acrylic on gessoed hardboard. I've used various techniques to create the texture in the painting - rags, palette knife, brushes - even my fingers.
The dictionary defines "muse" as:
- Greek Mythology. Any of the nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Zeus, each of whom presided over a different art or science.
- muse
- A guiding spirit.
- A source of inspiration.
- muse A poet.
In my case, Scotty has been a source of inspiration and a guiding spirit in my life and art. An extremely emotional horse, his moods tend to mirror mine - sometimes with terrible results. If I'm nervous, he is nervous. If I'm impatient, he is impatient. But if I am calm and focused...well, you get the picture. As a young horse, Scotty suffered a life-changing injury which affected his nervous system. "The Healing Path" was painted as I tried to cope with his injury and turned to non-traditional medicine to help heal him. "Winter Solstice" was painted when he was healing, finally able to kick up his heels and run again. Next I painted "Return of the Warriors" as I was working on issues of trust and confidence. "Change is Afoot" reflected a shift in my thinking, and the turmoil that shift caused. In this latest painting, Scotty stands alone, striking out with his front leg. He is painted to look more like a mustang to suggest an ancient wisdom and strength welling up. For the first time, he is alone, facing whatever challenges come his way. The white crow appears as a marking on his back, facing the opposite direction. In a herd, horses will typically stand facing in opposite directions, creating a circle of observation. The white crow symbolizes awareness on a higher conscious level.
