92 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
division of the local Pony Club Tetrathlon, I actually learned to swim, run and shoot in
addition to galloping the cross-country course. From there, I completed triathlons, 100-
mile century bicycle rides and even a marathon because riding Scotch encouraged my
physical endeavors.
We competed in local horse trials and won the 1980 Mountain States Combined
Training Association Championship in our division.
A New Passion Emerges
In 2003, I began to study art. Never having even doodled, much less picked up
a paintbrush, on a lark I joined a friend for a six-week drawing class. Enjoying this,
I signed up for another and so on. Painting landscapes, still life and abstracts was
entertaining for a while, but it was my first effort at painting a horse portrait that
changed my life.
As soon as I drew in and
painted the eyes of Scotch, my
entire canvas came alive with
his energy and spirit so that he
was right there, nuzzling me
and pushing the paint brush this
way and that! We communed
over color and shape, edges and
lines, while recalling our best of
times (and oh, there were many).
Since then, all I want to paint
are horses (although dogs,
cats and the occasional goat
have showed up, too). I feel the
presence of each animal on my
canvas so strongly that I fall in
love with every furry soul I paint.
Portraying Equine Personalities
Now I delight in creating intimate, intense horse portraiture for the public that interprets a unique sense of dignity and personality -
be it joy, desire or even sorrow, so that each equine individual can be celebrated and cherished, both in the moment and for life. My
imagery celebrates their special presence, their inner spark that connects to ours. I hope my art brings joy to animal lovers, raises funds
for animal advocacy and inspires others to learn about and protect our precious friends.
Portraying these personalities is a passion for me, a deep kind of intimacy. What emerges frommy canvases are vibrant interpretations
and translations in oil, designed to touch a person’s heart. These paintings are windows into the furriest souls as I see them – tangible,
yet magical salutes to the horse and human emotional connection.
Through the use of intense oil color, unusual texture (often with a palette knife) and a slight sense of motion, an individual essence
and sense of spirit is developed. The eyes are created first so that right from the start there is another being here to celebrate and play
with me, quite a personal and sensual experience. It feels as if I come to know each
individual intimately, bonding in the hours we spend together in creative process.
It is Double Scotch I thank and honor for showing me the way. No matter what
stage of life, a cherished animal companion in a custom oil painting or pencil
drawing is an elegant keepsake
of your life together. Later, it
can be a meaningful and even
therapeutic way in which to
remember and memorialize
your treasured friend.
Visit
beckerpaints.com
for more information about
commissioning a portrait.
About the writer: Susan Becker lives
in Golden, Colorado and when she isn’t
painting or riding, you can find her hiking.
She earned graduate degrees from the
University of Colorado in Boulder and
then managed the Boettcher Mansion Historic Event Site on Lookout Mountain for 25 years. Today, Susan
donates profits from sales and commissions of her artwork to animal advocacy, care and rescue. She is
a hospice volunteer. Susan grew up in San Antonio, Texas, taught high school in Anchorage, Alaska and
served as a Vista Volunteer. Her paintings have been exhibited in Golden, Colorado at the Foothills Art
Center, Mt. Vernon Country Club and Miner’s Alley Playhouse. Exhibits in Lakewood, Colorado include
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Lakewood Arts Council, Red Rocks Community College, Lakewood Cultural
Center, Cat Care Society and Whole Foods Colfax. Center for the Arts in Evergreen, Colorado has also
exhibited her work. Over 150 commissioned paintings are in private collections throughout the country. She
can be reached through
.
Susan and Double Scotch at Strang Ranch
Horse Trials in Carbondale, Colorado in 1980.
“Double Scotch,” an 11 x 14 oil painting.
“So Give Me the Carrot Already,”
an 11 x 14 oil
painting.
Susan and Geppetto, a Thoroughbred she
rides along the Rocky Mountain trails.
