20 SIDELINES OCTOBER 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Sophie St.Clair
W
hen the annual art issue for
Sidelines
Magazine
came up, I was thrilled to be given an assignment to
interview an equine artist working in the field. I took
this opportunity to highlight the amazing life and work of someone
very special to me, my aunt, Lyn St.Clair.
My aunt grew up on a farm in Nashville, Tennessee, the product
of parents who were equally talented professional wildlife painters
and artists. No surprise then that her farm life led to the enjoyment
of horses and the thrill of galloping on her very own Shetland pony.
Today she lives in Livingston, Montana, on the edge of a national
forest and park where she has a collection of equine friends who
explore the wilderness and all of its wildlife with her. It’s common
for her to trail ride through the mountains of Montana and run into
black bears, wolf packs, coyotes and other wild beasts. From her
perch in the saddle, she’s a witness to the unfolding of their stories
year after year. In the truest sense, she’s an equine and wildlife
painter — not only because of her subject matter, but because
she truly lives her life among the wild with her horses.
Tell us about you and your work.
I’m a self-taught equine and wildlife artist who works in both oil
and charcoal. I have made my living solely as a self-employed,
full-time artist since I was 19 years old. Though I’ve explored pen
and ink, watercolor, pastel and mixed media, my current main
mediums are charcoal and oil. My inspiration comes from personal
experience. I spend countless hours in the field observing my
wildlife subjects and my inspiration for the equine work comes
from horses I’ve known, owned, trained and/or loved.
I believe in pushing the envelope with my work (and life). Rather
e
An
Equestrian
Artist in
the Family
“Touch the Sky” Charcoal Painting on Cradled Claybord, 36 x 24
Artist Lyn St.Clair riding across her Montana ranch.
