Visit with Mariposa artist & author of ‘All the Pretty Little Horses’, Jennifer Fosgate at Branches Books & Gifts on Saturday, July 15th from 1:00 p.m. – 3 :00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, and books will be available for purchase at the event. Branches Books & Gifts is located at 40044 Highway 49, Suite B-1, Oakhurst.
All the Pretty Little Horses:
Inspiration for the equine art of Dancing Image Studio comes primarily from photographs of real horses. Somewhere between the photograph and the final result, creativity has tumbled in. Mediums used include watercolor, oil, acrylic, pencil and pastel. With the exception of "All the Pretty Little Horses", each Gallery contains thirty different images. Impression galleries are images of art in their original form. Highlight galleries present original art with computer enhancements. A children's book titled "All the Pretty Little Horses" is illustrated with images from Dancing Image Studio. The images in the "All the Pretty Little Horses" Gallery include the book's front cover, and all of the illustrations from the book. The book is available for purchase from Branches Books & Gifts.
Artist Statement:
Throughout my lifetime, favored themes have given me inspiration over and over again. Windy landscapes, vast skies, suns and moons, rocks and water, and always, the exciting image of the horse. Crude four legged beasts scrawled by my toddler hands were among my first drawings, which I slowly perfected as a young girl. As a college student, earning a degree in creative arts, horses occasionally showed up in illustrations. Struggling through my youth, trying to make ends meet selling paintings and drawings here and there, I still made quick sketches and doodles of fleet footed animals to steady my hand. And although other themes dominated my paintings, and other careers took up my time, horses were always there, dancing in the background.
With resolute force, real live equines rushed back into my life when my daughter began her own love affair with the horse. Like many parents before me, I found myself unavoidably taking on an unfamiliar role. In my case, it was the role of a Horseshow Mom. As I sat watching lessons and horse shows, and eventually an athletic thoroughbred mare galloping across our own pasture, a curious thing happened. Seemingly with a mind of their own, horses crept back into my artist's hand. One day, there was a horse, somehow appearing amongst the abstract brush strokes of a large landscape of the sea. The next canvas had two, and the next three. I passed them off as little trivialities not to be taken seriously. Then came Dressage. Here was something that combined my lifelong love of the horse with my ever-present passion for art.
Fortunate enough to have been offered a position as a working student at a dressage training center, my gifted child was introduced to high quality horses and the equestrian discipline of Dressage. As she began learning the art of persuading her mount to perform the classical movements, I learned how to see more than just a lovely horse moving sideways across an arena. Watching her and her mentor's flowing achievements on these enormous animals was a thing of beauty to behold. Then, in 2010, after we returned from two weeks as spectators at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, I knew what was next for me as an artist. I had witnessed Grand Prix Dressage at its pinnacle, and the horse could wait no longer. After five decades of being pushed aside by other themes, the time had come to take seriously the elegance of the natural movements of the horse.
'Click' link to see more works by Jennifer Fosgate: Sierra Art Trails Featured Artist: Jennifer Fosgate
Education & Experience:
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Creative Arts
Commercial Artist - Graphics & Illustration
Professional Architectural Rendering Artist
Publications:
All the Pretty Little Horses; New Colors for an Old Lullaby
(available from amazon.com)
Exhibits & Awards:
Atelier Gallery, Santa Cruz - Group Exhibition
Bargetto Winery, Soquel - Solo Exhibition
Chaminade Artists Series, Santa Cruz - Group Exhibition
Davenport Resource Center - Solo Exhibition
Del Monte Center, Monterey - Art Show Exhibitor
Felton Arts & Crafts Show - Art Show Exhibitor
Flying Tails, Dancing Hooves - Solo Exhibition, Fresno
Hollister Street Faire - Art Show Exhibitor
Hornitos Enchilada Feed - Art Show Exhibitor
Leal Winery, Hollister - Art Show Exhibitor
Mariposa Art & Wine Festival - Art Show Exhibitor
Mariposa County Fair - Award Winner
Natures Cycles, Santa Cruz - Solo Exhibition
North Coast Impressions, Rancho del Oso - Solo Exhibition
Ocean Art West Wing Gallery, Pacifica - Group Exhibition
Riverside County Fair - Award Winner
San Juan Bautista Arts & Crafts Fair - Award Winner
Santa Benito County Fair - Award Winner
Santa Cruz Art-in-the-Park - Art Show Exhibitor
Santa Cruz County Fair - Award Winner
Santa Cruz Public Library - Art Exhibit with Carol Setterlund
Sierra Art Trails Open Studio Tour
Stellar Gallery, Oakhurst - Group Exhibition
Yosemite Renaissance - Group Exhibition, Award Winner
