By Bonnie Gangelhoff
Born to Buck, oil, 12 x 12.
When she was growing up in Kentucky, Lindsey Bittner Graham developed a love and respect for horses. Graham rode, worked at stables, and learned to appreciate the special bond between people and their steeds. But her affection for the West, the cowboy spirit, and vast open spaces really blossomed when her family moved to Colorado in 1970. Today the Denver-based impressionistic painter, who is an associate member of the Oil Painters of America, carries on her girlhood passion for horses in her art. Graham regularly travels to rodeos and ranches across the West with her sketchbook and camera in hand to gather reference material for her paintings.
This year Graham is participating in the silent auction at the Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale. In BORN TO BUCK, inspired by a recent foray to the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo in Wyoming, Graham captures the equine’s indomitable spirit. “The horse reached tremendous heights and did lots of twists and turns in his performance. He seemed to love showing off,” Graham says. “And he had striking markings that made for great shapes to play with.”
Graham’s energetic brush strokes are evident in another painting featured in the silent auction. IN THE MONEY depicts a cowboy who is in perfect sync with his animal. “I loved working [on] the light and shadow shapes. The orange and blue complements were powerful in this composition,” Graham says. “And the background gates added dimension and drama as this horse appears to just fly out of the chute. I used a palette knife to create the action.” Graham is represented by Abend Gallery, Denver, CO; Evergreen Fine Art, Evergreen, CO; Mountainsong Galleries, Carmel, CA; RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX; and Link Gallery, Cheyenne, WY; www.lindseybittnergraham.com.
Featured in January 2012.
-
- Leisure Time, oil, 8 x 10.
-
- Beach Ride, oil, 14 x 18.
-
- Born to Buck, oil, 12 x 12.
-
- Butch, oil, 12 x 9.
-
- In the Money, oil, 10 x 7.