‘Connections’ – A drawing of two horses about elasticity, flow, direction, spatial awareness and connection.
In February I set myself a drawing project, the weather was wild (snowed in home alone for 6 days) a drawing a day seemed like a doable project.
I decided to concentrate my artwork on horses. For years I have been slowly, tortoise-like, working to bring my passions together – art, Alexander Technique and horses. Moving to a small bungalow in the countryside with a wee paddock, saving up to buy a field shelter, a horse, more land, plant trees … working hard at keeping it all together and painting and teaching. Workaholic has been levelled at me! I never planned to do everything alone, but that’s the way it has worked out for me at present.
I have taught riders Alexander Technique and painted horses, seascapes and African animals. It was time to attempt to describe some of my Alexander Technique and horsemanship ideas and experiences in my artwork and focus on my love of horses.
Concepts I want to describe through drawing include lightness, flow, spirals, movement, forward and up, balance, connection, elasticity, direction, spatial awareness, daring to dream, the love of horses, hands on, the mystery that is horses, spiritual growth through being with horses, time, creation, the breath and breathing and some humour …
Quite a big list!
Dandelion clocks, feathers, the moon, spiders webs, the tree of life, seeds and hand prints are some of the imagery I have used along side horses to describe some of these concepts.
It has been an interesting year! In my attempt to draw some of the indescribable aspects of riding, horses and the Alexander Technique, somehow I have managed to speak to other people, with requests to sell my drawings as prints. This has been a really good development for me and I have connected with some wonderful people worldwide. (I have also been plagiarised, I am told that is a compliment!)
My drawings are ideas for paintings, most of which are still to be painted and I am looking forward to doing so. I have been minimising the time I spend working with oil paint as I have spent too much time in this medium over the years to the detriment of my lungs. They are getting better again, thank goodness. Viva drawing!
So now drawing is taking me in the direction of my dreams with my horse Angus and my two mini Shetland ponies, Walter and Lettie who are both my teachers and my inspiration.
‘Horse Time’ the mini Shetlands, the muses for my cartoons.
Patience is something that horses definitely teach us. They invite us to stay present to what is in front of us without ego or expectation! Horses I believe allow us a door to the mysterious aspects of the world we live in. They truly are divine creatures!
How to Make a Dream Come True
Link to blog about this drawing here
The Magic Stop
About using the breath to move a horse forward, find poise and freedom and to ride a stop.
Connections
If Wishes Were Horses
If Wishes Were Horses (colour print)
Four Winds Medicine Wheel
About the direction of energy, spirals and circles and space
Transformation
Transforming into lightness in the forwards and upwards flow
Equine Lunar Calendar
Sky Horses
When Dreams Fly
Seeds of Love
Up! (colour)
Lightness, up flow, the lengthening releasing spine
Free Spirits
Horses and The Tree of Life
For me this drawing is about being on a mission to plant trees!
Equinox
About breaking free into balance
Up, Up
Gravity and the up flow. Life and death
Flying Horses
Freedom is movement
Webs
About how we are all connected, internally and externally
Pony Shenanigans (also available as a colouring poster)
Angus, the muse for my black and white drawings and a dandelion clock
If Wishes Were Horses as a very large oil painting
All my drawings are available as hand signed black and white prints.
A4 £20
A3 £30
Free postage worldwide if you buy more than one print.
www.kirstenharrisart.co.uk
or email me kirstenfharris@btopenworld.com
Many thanks for reading and for all the support I have received over the years with people buying my artwork. Truly appreciated. Love Kirsten xx