Portfolio | Furry & Feathered Friends

These five artists are captivated by wildlife and animals

BARBARA MEIKLE

Barbara Meikle, On Mountain Time, oil, 36 x 36.

Barbara Meikle, On Mountain Time, oil, 36 x 36.

Where do you live and work? I live in Tesuque, NM. I have a studio at home that I paint and sculpt in. I also paint and sculpt in my gallery in Santa Fe.

What are your favorite subjects to paint? I have been a horse lover since I was a child. I own horses, so they are an easily accessible subject for me. I also raise money for horse and donkey rescues and our wildlife center, and I have access to donkeys, owls, eagles, and other wild creatures that are part of our fundraising program.

How would you describe your style? I call my style “expressive impressionism” because the color is emotional and expressive, while the brushwork and technique is impressionistic.

Where did you study art? I got a degree in painting and printmaking at the University of Denver, and I’ve studied with artists including Ned Jacob, Kim English, Charles Dayton, and Pomona Hallenbeck.

What is your proudest art accomplishment? Aside from opening my gallery in Santa Fe and helping it to succeed for 15 years, I also rescued my beloved horse Felina, saving her from slaughter when she was 8 months old.

When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I love riding my horses on the trails and hiking the trails behind my house in the Sangre de Cristo mountains.

Where can collectors find your work? Barbara Meikle Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM; Cobalt Gallery, Tubac, AZ; Marvin’s Place Art Gallery, Ardmore, OK; Beartooth Gallery Fine Art, Red Lodge, MT.

CAROL LEE THOMPSON

Carol Lee Thompson, My Maria, oil, 8 x 8.

Carol Lee Thompson, My Maria, oil, 8 x 8.

Where do you live and work? I’ve lived nearly my entire life in Maryland and currently reside near the Maryland/Pennsylvania state line. I’m surrounded by wonderful subject matter, but my heart is in the West. I travel extensively for inspiration.

What are your favorite subjects to paint? I am moved by many subjects, particularly tonal landscapes, sunrises, and sunsets. My sentimental favorite is horses. Recently I’ve been doing more works of horses in their environment rather than in their servitude to man.

How would you describe your style? My training is in classical realism.

Where did you study art? I have a master’s degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art, but it is my atelier training at the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore that truly fueled my career.

What is your proudest art accomplishment? I have won many awards, but the fact that I have thrived as a full-time, professional, woman artist for over three decades is perhaps my greatest accomplishment. I remember how touched I was when several young female artists approached me to express their admiration and tell me how I inspired them.

When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I love biking and hiking and am a horsewoman. Travel is another favorite pastime.

Where can collectors find your work? Going to the Sun Gallery, Whitefish, MT; McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD; Troika Gallery, Easton, MD; Crystal Moll Gallery, Baltimore, MD; Hueys Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM; Cross Gate Gallery, Lexington, KY; Settlers West Galleries, Tucson, AZ; www.carolleethompson.com.

KAREN ISRAEL

Karen Israel, Circle Dance, pastel, 12 x 18.

Karen Israel, Circle Dance, pastel, 12 x 18.

Where do you live and work? I live and work in West Hartford, CT.

What are your favorite subjects to paint? I paint a variety of subjects, and I enjoy painting from life. When I refer to my photo references for inspiration, as in the case of animals and wildlife, I strive to create an interesting arrangement of shapes, values, and colors and attempt to capture the animal’s gestures.

How would you describe your style? My style depends on the subject matter and my concept for the painting. I paint in whatever way will most efficiently communicate my feelings about the subject and my vision for it.

Where did you study art? I studied drawing and oil painting at the Arts Students League of New York. I was also fortunate to study with many of the best pastel artists in the field, notably Christine Ivers and Claudia Post.

What is your proudest art accomplishment? In 2020 I was invited by Les Amis Des Arts to teach pastel and exhibit my paintings in the fourth international pastel exhibition, Pastels of the World in Bourbonnais, in Montluçon, France. Unfortunately the event was postponed until 2022 due to the pandemic.

When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? Hiking the trails of New England and spending time with my family, specifically visiting zoos and farms with my grandchildren.

Where can collectors find your work? www.artbykarenisrael.com; franklinwestwood.com.

KIMBERLY BECK

Kimberly Beck, Date Night, oil/gold leaf, 12 x 12.

Kimberly Beck, Date Night, oil/gold leaf, 12 x 12.

Where do you live and work? My husband and I recently relocated to southwestern Utah. I now live in a desert ecosystem with spectacular vistas of red-rock mountains. I wake up every day excited to observe and learn more about the wildlife of the desert.

What are your favorite subjects to paint? I am particularly fascinated by birds and everything about their behavior.

How would you describe your style? My paintings are representational with a contemporary twist. My background as an illustrator has shaped my work to be strongly conceptual.

Where did you study art? I took my first formal art courses as an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. Following graduation, I studied studio art at the California College of Arts & Crafts. Later I learned to paint in the alla prima method at the Palette & Chisel Academy in Chicago. Workshops with Rose Frantzen and Johanna Harmon have impacted my work as well.

What is your proudest art accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment has been multiple acceptances to the annual Birds in Art show at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? My favorite day is one spent bird-watching with my camera and binoculars. I also love to read fiction and document my family history in photo books.

Where can collectors find your work? J. Petter Galleries, Douglas, MI; Fine Line Designs, Ephraim, WI; Gallery Wild, Jackson, WY; www.kimberlybeck-art.com.

SUSAN EYER-ANDERSON

Susan Eyer-Anderson, Unexpected Blessing, oil, 18 x 24.

Susan Eyer-Anderson, Unexpected Blessing, oil, 18 x 24.

Where do you live and work? My husband and I live on 6 acres just east of Big Bear Lake in Southern California.

What are your favorite subjects to paint? I love to paint horses, wildlife, interesting landscapes, and portraits. I really just love to paint.

How would you describe your style? I consider my style to be “realism with passion,” enriched by the use of color. I try to capture the heart of an animal, person, or moment with realism that conveys this energy.

Where did you study art? My father and mother were graduates of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. I learned to paint and draw before going to kindergarten—before learning to read, write, or add. My father was the landscape painter, and my mother was the portrait artist. I would sneak into our art room and watch them endlessly.

When you’re not creating art, what else do you enjoy doing? I have been a veterinarian for 31 years now; I graduated from Washington State University in 1990. When I am not painting or “vetting,” I am out riding our horses—two adopted mustangs and one enormous draft crossbreed—on the Pacific Crest Trail and the endless wild burro trails in the national forest next to our property.

Where can collectors find your work? www.susaneyeranderson.com. I am participating in the Out West Art Show in Great Falls, MT, August 18-21.

This story appeared in the June/July 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.