SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

Sidelines MagazineSidelines Magazine

  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Flipbook
    • Subscribe Options
    • Order Individual & Back Issues
  • Podcast
  • Marketplace
    • Business Ads
    • Directories
      • Barns, Farms, Trainers & Clubs
      • Equestrian Services
      • Real Estate
      • Stallions
      • Tack & Feed Stores
    • Classifieds
    • Horse Trailers for Sale
  • Advertise
  • Blogs
    • Show World
    • What’s Happenin’
  • Partners
  • Contacts
    • Contacts
    • Employment
0
Wednesday, January 16 2019 / Published in Sidelines Feature

Tanner Jensen: Capturing Joy Through Painting Horses

Irish Linen
Oil, Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
40″ x 60″

By Rachel Masen

Tanner Jensen is an equestrian artist based in Flagstaff, Arizona. She was born to a family that didn’t understand her love of horses, but always supported her. As a youth, Tanner took inspiration from travel, art books and the paintings in her own home. She studied painting at Northern Arizona University and attended East Carolina University in North Carolina where she studied with Paul Hartley. It was at East Carolina that Tanner was able to balance working with horses and creating art.

Tanner with her late horse, Abe

Part of Tanner’s drive to become an equestrian artist dates back to her childhood. “Do you remember those moments when you were a child and you would see a horse? Those feelings that took your breath away and filled you with sheer joy? I believe every equestrian has experienced them. It’s that feeling that I’m trying to capture with my art,” Tanner said.

What’s your history with horses?
It was love at first sight. I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t mad about horses. I remember watching “National Velvet” for the first time when I was 9. That was it: I wanted to ride in the Grand National. No one in my family was horsey in the least. I’d receive books and prints of horses, but had little to no contact with them until I was 15 and got my first horse. I look back at that time and know it was one of the minor miracles of my life.

Reality about the Grand National settled in, so I evented, only to Training Level but I did get to school the water at Ledyard and a few preliminary fences at Flying Horse, both courses now long gone. When I was young, equine opportunities were plentiful. I had lessons with some of the equestrian greats. I worked for Olympic athletes and I loved it. Unfortunately I was young and didn’t realize what a gift it was until I was much older.

I switched my riding focus long ago to dressage and have been fortunate enough to have ridden and worked some very nice horses. I’m currently without a horse, but hope springs eternal. I hope this year I’ll be looking for my next horse.

The Good Ride
Oil, Acrylic and Charcoal on Canvas
40″ x 60″

Is creating art your day job?
It is now. I’ve worked a variety of horse jobs in the past — wrangler, riding instructor, groom and stable manager. I worked as floral designer for years. I’ve taught art lessons to people from 4 to 84, for parks & recs, art centers, community colleges and universities. I love teaching workshops and plan on teaching more this year. Teaching is so rewarding on so many levels.

What’s your background in art?

I knew when I was 3 years old that all I wanted to do was draw and be around horses. My parents always supplied me with paper, crayons, pencils and paints. When I was 8, my father built me a desk and shelves and told me that this was my studio. It may have been in the garage, but it was mine and made me feel like an artist. I went back to university at 30 and got my bachelor of fine arts in painting, followed by an master of fine arts in painting from East Carolina University where I really started to learn to paint.

Leap of Faith
Acrylic, Graphite and Charcoal on Yupo
17.25″ x 23″

How did the horse become one of your primary subjects?
I love them! When I was a child, I drew them to give an image to what my heart desired. I stopped drawing them as a teenager due to peer pressure. I turned my attention to “serious” subject matter, still life and portraits of anyone who’d sit still for me. One of the people on my BFA committee saw a painting I did of a horse and commented, “Why aren’t you painting horses? This one radiates your love for them.” It was the first time someone I respected

in the art world encouraged me to paint horses. I ran with it!

How did you develop your current style?  
I knew I didn’t want to paint horses being ridden or with people. I wanted it to be about the horse. When I was in grad school, I was earning my living teaching riding lessons, mucking stalls and clipping horses. One day when I was turning a very solid hunter back out into the field, his pasture mate called to him. Toby picked up a canter and when he reached his buddy, performed half a canter pirouette. I thought, There it is! I remember being told that all dressage movements are natural to the horse and performed by them when they’re at liberty.

Roses and Violets
Oil on Canvas
34″ x 34″

Describe a typical day.
I only paint by natural light. If the day is dark, I either clean and organize or I stretch canvases and coat them with gesso. If I have good light, I’ll spend 10 minutes or more sitting and looking at an unfinished work. At some point I see what I’m going to start and do. I typically spend six hours a day in the studio.

How do you get inspired?
Inspiration is a funny thing. Sometimes it’s a color, a shadow, a line or an arrangement of objects. Sometimes it’s a phrase or word, a piece of music or a smell. Inspiration is like memory for me. Anything can trigger it and where it leads sometimes feels very random and disconnected. I don’t plan out my painting. I have a vague, general idea of where I want to go. I start working and see where it leads. It’s an adventure of sorts. The hardest part is knowing when to stop.

For more information, visit www.tannerjensenfineart.com

Photos courtesy of Tanner Jensen

Bittersweet
Oil on Canvas
34″ x 34″

Double D Trailers Info

Tagged under: art, equine art, rachel Masen, Tanner Jensen

What you can read next

Kaitlyn “KK” Linck: Success With a Special Team
“Ridiculous Ranches” – Finding Posh Pastures for People & Horses
Devon Tresan: Cast Into a Busy Role

Download Sidelines Digital now from your favorite app store!

Sidelines Magazine - Apple store   Sidelines Magazine - Google Play store   Sidelines Magazine - Amazon store
Update iOS app. Re-download Google Play and Amazon app.

Follow on Instagram!

sidelines_magazine

Sidelines Magazine
Jan Lukens has always felt blessed to be an artist Jan Lukens has always felt blessed to be an artist, turning his observations into works of art, but it hasn't always been easy. “My biggest challenge starting out was fitting in to the equestrian world as an artist, not a rider. Although I spent the better part of two decades exhibiting 15 weeks a year at national horse shows, there’s a massive 
difference between an artist who paints horses and someone who has been climbing into the saddle since they were 5 years old, surrounded by all aspects of the horse 
world.”

A prolific painter working mainly in oils, Jan’s original and commissioned works of art hang in the collections of the likes of individual gold medalist Joe Fargis and Rodrigo Pessoa, as well as many other Olympians and owners. One of the most influential 
moments in Jan’s career was in 2014, when Ralph Lauren acquired two of his equestrian paintings. “I was still recovering from the 2008 recession at that time. There  is a unique part of a painter’s reputation that is based on who has purchased or commissioned his art, and when I promoted that sale, my phone didn’t stop ringing for a 
year and a half.”
For more information visit janlukens.com

Read Jan’s full article at the link in our bio. And never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 

 #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
Calling all trainers and professional riders! St Calling all trainers and professional riders! 

Struggling to keep up with your social media and the barn? Reel editing got you overwhelmed? Is your #Hashtag - trending audio - sponsor tagging being neglected? 

Entrigue specializes in equestrian social media and rider management! We help equestrians handle the daily posting to Instagram and Facebook, handle boosting and engagement ads, and can help trainers and barns maximize their sponsorships, keep websites up to date, and PR! Your barn is a business too and as a rider or barn your digital hoof print counts!

@entrigue_marketing 

#equestrian #sponsoredrider #socialmedia #equestrianmarketing #equestrianreels #horsesofinstagram
Yay for June! We have another great edition for yo Yay for June! We have another great edition for you all that we can't wait for you to read. Up first are Evan and Ashley Donadt a dynamic duo that has won the hearts of many! Stay tuned for many great stories like this by following us on Instagram and Facebook or subscribing to get your very own copy of Sidelines Magazine!

What happens when a horse-crazy equestrian girl meets a never-touched-a-horse-before guy? If you’re Ashley and Evan Donadt, it might just be the beginning of a happily-ever-after that includes a solid dressage program and extremely popular social media channels featuring good-natured humor and horses.

Ashley, a lifelong equestrian, began her horse experiences with the local 4-H club, progressed to lessons with the local dressage trainer when she was 10, then her own pony when she was 11. Conversely, Evan grew up in Massachusetts, without any horse experience to speak of. The odds of them meeting were fairly low, until fate landed them both in Southern California.

Evan knew from the start that spending time with Ashley meant spending time at the barn. In fact, Ashley told him straightaway, “The horses come first always; you’re going to be second!” Evan wasn’t deterred, and instead found the loophole: spending all his own free time with her at the barn.

Read Ashley and Evan's full article in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine! You can also click the link in our bio. Don't forget to subscribe to get your very own copy delivered right to your door! Thank you Evan and Ashley for allowing us to share your story!
📸Portraits by Jeni Jo Brunner

#sidelinesmagazine #sidelines2023 #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
As we head into June we wrap up our May women entr As we head into June we wrap up our May women entrepreneur, edition. We were so lucky to be able to feature so many amazing women within the Horse industry. We have one more to share with you, and if you missed any of the women entrepreneur stories head to our website for all of our past issues! Enjoy! 

Hurry Up and Wait” is a familiar saying at hunter-jumper competitions. Unlike other disciplines, where 
riders are assigned specific ride times, hunter-jumper riders typically must check in with the starter at 
the in-gate throughout the day to determine when they will show. In 2019, Emma Fass decided to put 
her computer science background to use in the show industry and created RingSide Pro to allow riders 
to be “ringside” wherever they are.
Throughout high school, Emma competed at horses shows on her horse Son Of A Sailor, aka Ernie, 
oftentimes trailering Ernie into the show for the day with her mom. “That was stressful because we 
didn’t know how the show was running until we got there. Even once we were on the show grounds, we 
struggled to find information. It’s a hike to the rings and the speakers in the barns tend to be 
unreliable,” Emma said. “I would think to myself, There’s got to be a better way.”

For more information, visit www.ringsidepro.com

Read Emma’s full story at sidelinesmagazine.com, and never miss an edition of Sidelines magazine by subscribing. 

@ringsideproinsta @emmafass 
📸Photos by Kirsten Konopnicki, kkonophoto #Sidelines #sidelines2023 #sidelinesmagazine #magazine #forhorsepeople #abouthorsepeople
Load More... Follow on Instagram

From Our Classifieds Ads

  • DELRAY EQUESTRIAN CENTER
    Hunter/Jumpers/Ponies/Equitation/ Dressage/Western Pleasure/ Training/Showing/Sales/Camps Delray Beach, FL Matt & Courtney Dunmire 561-495-4701 www.delrayequestriancenter.com

    [Read more]

  • DIAMANTE
    ( Diarado x Argentinis x Zeus ) An Oldenburg of exceptional quality, this 2010 stallion is a proven winner in the show ring since beginning his hunter career with an incredible first year of showing in 2019. With a powerful jump, ground covering stride, and elastic gaits,

    [Read more]

Sidelines Articles by Email

Subscribe to Sidelines Magazine Articles by Email

RSS Sidelines Blogs: What’s Happenin’

  • Woodside Recognizes the Best in the West
  • Get More for Your Money with an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
  • Longines Global Champions Tour of New York Returns to Governors Island

RSS Sidelines Blogs: Show World

  • Conor Swail Was the Best Bet in $15,000 CSI2* Markel Insurance Welcome at San Juan Capistrano International
  • Lillie Keenan Leads in CHF68,000 South Coast Plaza Welcome Speed at San Juan Capistrano International CSIO5*
  • McLain Ward Wins CSIO5* Longines Grand Prix at San Juan Capistrano International

Category

Recent Posts

  • June 2023 – Table of Contents

    Subscribe for just $9.95 or Order Individual Is...
  • Kayden Muller-Janssen: Equestrian Royalty to Disney Star

    By Kimberly Gatto   For every little girl ...
  • Kelly Prather: An Eventing Journey Around the World

    By Tafra Donberger   Sisters are often at ...
  • Lauren Pileggi Friga & Show The Bows: From Puppy Woes to Smiles and Bows

    By Jan Westmark Bauer   Lauren Pileggi Fri...
  • Kate at the In Gate: Busy With Photography, Riding and a New Direction

    By Jan Westmark Bauer   Kate Kosnoff, bett...

Copyright © 1987 - 2021 Sidelines Magazine
Privacy Policy · Returns & Refunds Policy · Hosting by Lucian Web Service
· Login

TOP
Get the Sidelines Scoop — your weekly look behind the scenes.Sign me up!