"On the Windward Side" This is a 10 x 8 acrylic done in about 35 minutes in between horse riding and ATV riding at the Kualoa Ranch on the rainy/windward side of Oahu. Eight thousand acres of open space, this was just what my heart and mind needed after yesterday, and how better than from the back of a horse? I found peace and great pleasure in communing with the beauty and solitude of this side of the island.
I bought a day on Kualoa ranch, and spent a couple hours on horse back, one hour on an ATV (going to the valley where they filmed the movies Jurassic Park and Pearl Harbor, and also 50 First Dates), after taking a jeep tour deep into the rain forest in the morning.
For me, there is nothing to equal being on the back of a horse moving through scenery that makes your eyes ache to the beauty of it. The quiet, birdsongs, vistas and friendly people filled out the bracelet of the day's events with the connecting sound of "clop-a, clop-a" on the volcanic dirt trails.
The story on this is the horse. His name is Buddy, and he's very old for a horse, about 28 years. He has permanent retirement here, after doing daily trail rides and working cattle for most of his life. He was the perfect model, not moving a muscle the entire time--a rare event for live horse painting! He's standing near Monkey Pod trees, the common wood for making all those souvenirs you bring back! Rising behind him is the ridge of the extinct volcano, with vertical walls covered in vegetation. The windward side will ease anyone's need for green growing things!
Original acrylic JUST SOLD in memory of her own 27-year old gelding, to Gayle Youngs of Orange, California
No comments:
Post a Comment