FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES JULY 2014 81
“Clash of the Centaurs” — oil on linen — 42” x 32”
“I think when I started doing polo horses it taught me that I
could do animals in general. That translated into a series of
wildlife art. Then, I went to the third largest horse drive in the
world in Northern Colorado with cow horses and cowboys —
which I thought I would never do. I’ve now gone from polo to doing
cowboys, wild horses, longhorn steers and sheep,” she laughed.
Kay also spends time teaching art, asserting that “people who
have a high degree of skill in their profession have an obligation
to pass it on.”
While Kay did teach children for several years before her
career really took off, today she focuses her attention on adult
women whose own artistic aspirations had been put on hold while
supporting their families.
“I now teach women who have raised their children or no longer
need to work outside the house,” she said. “Now, they’re ready to
pursue their own artistic ambitions. Some even graduate from my
classes to exhibit in established exhibitions and galleries.”
Kay laughed that the wives aren’t the only ones who appreciate
the classes. “Their husbands have told me they need to go to art
class more,” she said. “They say every time they come back from
art class they’re in a really good mood.”
For Kay, the explanation as to why is simple. “I think if you have
the art in you, you’re being true to yourself and the gift you were
blessed with when you pursue it.”
For information about Kay and her work, visit
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Photos courtesy of Kay Witherspoon
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