Cowgirl Rest | 14×18 | Oil on Linen

Inspiration for Cowgirl Rest

Several years ago I had the privilege of knowing two genuine cowgirls (a rarity in Florida!). One of those ladies kindly brought her saddle, hat, and boots to the studio to pose for Cowgirl Rest. Personally, I’m actually rather nervous around horses. They’re beautiful creatures, don’t get me wrong! They’re just so big and strong that anytime I’m near one, I imagine catching a swift hoof to the face. It’s an unfortunate psychological block, to be sure. It probably stems from a bad experience I had a few years ago with a cousin. We were both almost bucked off horses who clearly knew their riders were rank amateurs. The young woman (NOT the model of this painting) who took us riding claimed to be familiar with, and have control over, the creatures…neither claim was apparently true. Within 5 minutes the horses were plunging and rearing, eager to return to their quiet stable. The young lady herself took the hardest fall; her horse freed itself of its burden and took off across a recently harvested field. Fortunately the freshly-churned earth prevented serious injury, but she received a painful knock nonetheless. My cousin and I managed to escaped, I believe, without being thrown from the saddle, but the experience stays fresh in my mind to this day!