Artist Statement

My current work uses horses as the imagery while focusing on the paradox of vulnerability and power that they represent. I have ridden horses since I was a child and have loved and respected them all of my life. Eight years ago I moved to Reno and was exposed to wild horses living in the surrounding area. Since then I have become very concerned about these horses as they are caught between the mythology of their origins and the plight of survival due to lack of available land on which to graze. My work is about a poetic inquiry, exploring the essence of the horse and presenting that to the viewer so they will experience and share my empathy with these noble creatures.

I enjoy the gestural quality of drawing and try to capture that in paint as well. Mixing charcoal, watercolor and pastels on paper I create many layers of marks on top of a transparent background. I use the same technique in painting, beginning with thin washes of paint and building up to broader, thicker and more defined brush strokes.

MARIA PARTRIDGE