Ancient Wanderer (Sold)

5 × 7, oil over rough and cracked acrylic base
Sold for $35 without frame

This young horse was painted on the cave wall thousands of years ago
as evidenced by the large build-up of minerals on the cave wall.
Luckily the elements (including an earthquake or two) did not destroy
and in fact may have enhanced the original image captured by the
cave artist.

First Kiss

5×5, $35 without frame

Dogs sniff, horses kiss. In fact, from the time they are born horses are the kissingest of all animals. This first date naturally led to that apprehensive first kiss. Of course that moment had to be captured on my cave wall. Don't you wonder where they got their perms? Love is All!

World Traveler

5×7, Acrylic paint over finely cracked acrylic base on hardboard
$35 without frame

I am experimenting with a new technique to create a realistic cave wall. Look closely and you'll see that the cave wall in this painting is scored and cracked in a number of places. Doing what cave painters sometimes did, I followed the cracks to create this world traveler. This effort takes much more drying time because the base is so thick.

Standing Firm

6×6, Oil over rough acrylic base on hardboard
$30 without easel

This bovine, painted after a painting by a cave artist named Thorgar, shows how certain parts of the anatomy impressed the artist. Hey, if you lived by following these animals around, you might notice their meaty bulk more than their heads, too. Imagining cave painters at work can be quite entertaining.

A Noble Beast

6×6, Oil over smooth acrylic base on hardboard
$35 without easel

Not all art has to be framed! A nice way to display small art is in a three-legged wire easel that you can buy for a few bucks. They can look nice on your table or desk. In this painting I tried to capture the effects of mineral deposits working into the drawing of a cave artist. Nature's foray into abstract art excites me!

On the Move

5×7, Oil on hardboard over rough acrylic base
$35 without frame

Horses are herd animals, and if you get them going they all tear out! Imagine how our cave painters felt watching these wild and frantic beasts on the move. "How can I ever capture that scene on the cave wall?" The center of focus in this painting was modeled after a picture taken by Adair Finucane. You'll find a number of her photos on Michelle LaBarre's Facebook page. Adair knows how to snap a great photo!

Horse on Alert (sold)

5×7, Oil over very rough acrylic base
Sold without frame, $35

The more I observe the form of the horse the more I realize what a moving target it really is, in part I think because its power and beauty is so distracting. Our long ago ancestors had the knack of capturing the essence of these wild things without fretting too much about the form. As an oil painter when I try to emulate their approach, it really frees me up, but I admit it's hard to escape the pull of western thinking.