The Horses

Man and horse have shared a combined history for centuries.


We have coexisted in a constant, inseparable relationship with one another. Artists have been portraying their fascination with this relationship as far back as the cave paintings. It is a rich subject -- and a challenge -- to render t he beauty, grace and strength of these creatures.

Working within this artistic tradition, Lynn uses the subject to explore her ideas and express her full range of artistic talent. The paintings themselves offer a rich visual experience for the viewer. Painted in an impressionistic style, the artist employs her skill with color, brushwork and composition to create this body of work.

Although beautifully rendered, the paintings are about more than just the form of the horse. These graceful animals seem to embody the Universal Truths (maybe Life itself) that are so important in all the artist's work. The paintings are about relationship -- to ourselves, others and God. Most of the paintings depict humans in a moment of direct contact with the horse; whether riding, walking alongside or tending to them.

In some of the paintings, as in "Skin Horse", there are no figures. At first the viewer sees a portrait of the horse, beautifully described with long flowing brushstrokes. But the human presence is implied. This is not a wild horse, existing on it's own. It is bridled. Again we are reminded of that constant relationship between man and horse -- between ourselves and something greater.

In others, "Inalienable Rights" for example, the figures are mounted on the horse. They are in the race, engaged in the struggle. In this painting the artist crops the image and flattens the composition. By doing this we are brought right to the urgency of the moment. You feel the jockeys riding for their lives. Using bright blocks of contrasting colors in their jackets, the artist distinguishes them as separate entities. The quickness of the brush conveys the speed at which they are moving. As we watch the horses race by, Life, the primary horse, calmly returns our gaze.

In all of the paintings the artist is capturing a moment in time to represent the ideas put forth in the titles. Cropping the image, using perspective to draw our gaze up, flattening the composition to put us in the moment or creating rich backgrounds to draw us in -- these are all tools available to an accomplished artist. In the Equestrian Paintings, Lynn fully employs the uses of her tools both demonstrating her skill as an artist and conveying her deep message to us.