April 4, 2018 - Join us for story time at Branches Books & Gifts on Saturday, April 7th, 2018 from 10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. as we welcome Alphabet Trot & All the Pretty Little Horses author Jennifer Fosgate.
Jennifer Fosgate's newest book, Alphabet Trot: Nonsense ABC's Straight from the Horse's Mouth, will delight you with gorgeous art & amazing words all ages will love.
"Many a mangy mare from Mongolia mused of a marriage with Man o' War"... This is a sample of the melodious words in this delightful ABC romp that trots along with the horses on each page. Young children will enjoy listening to these tongue twisters, while older children and adults will find them fun to read. Presented in a unique artistic style with illustrations by the author, equine artist Jennifer Fosgate.
Light refreshments will be served, and books will be available to purchase at the event.
Branches Books & Gifts is located at 40044 Highway 49, Suite B-1 in Oakhurst.
'Click' link to see more works by Jennifer Fosgate: Sierra Art Trails Featured Artist: Jennifer Fosgate
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.
Education & Experience:
Bachelor of Arts Degree, Creative Arts
Commercial Artist - Graphics & Illustration
Professional Architectural Rendering Artist
Other Publications:
All the Pretty Little Horses; New Colors for an Old Lullaby
(available from amazon.com)
