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Tuesday, October 31 2023 / Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, Weekly Feature

Cayla White: Finding Solace With Horses Through Art

By Shya Beth

Horses have been Cayla White’s saving grace: From being a young child dealing with difficult events and emotions to a wife and mother leaning into her faith and making ends meet for her family, Cayla’s constant thread of hope and love throughout it all has been horses. Known throughout the ages for their power, confidence and freedom, these glorious equines lent those attributes to Cayla, allowing her to push through and survive, and now, thrive.

As a ’90s baby, Cayla may have formed an initial connection with horses and art through her nursery’s carousel wallpaper. “I grew up with three brothers in the hot deserts of Phoenix, Arizona, with cowboys and cacti,” Cayla explained. “Several difficult events during my upbringing left me feeling alone, without words to express how I felt and no one to share them with, even if they ever did come. Horses were both a sense of strength and comfort with love and conversation, no words required. Our conversations were through physical contact and connection; all the negativity within my own mind was understood and sympathized, replaced with peace and renewal.”

As an adult, Cayla has realized the true impact those times had, shaping so much of who she is today, which has had a profound impact on her artistic creations. At age 6, Cayla started oil painting with her “Pop Pop” in his garage, watching artist and legend Bob Ross on TV. That was as far as formal art lessons went for Cayla, though her grandfather continues to be her “go-to” for critiques and art advice. Trying many different painting mediums and learning on her own how to become a better artist, Cayla settled on oil painting as her go-to medium, and horses as her main artistic subject.

Painting Her Own Way

Being a self-taught artist allows Cayla to capture horses in her own personal view, with her own colors and techniques that otherwise might not be considered a “traditional” method. “The self-doubt in my own mind is slowly replaced as I study each subject’s unique anatomy, placement, composition, color and texture,” she explained. “Many intricate details alongside perfect minimalism amaze me and sweep me away somewhere beautiful. The end result is a literal piece of art, showcasing true beauty and power under control—anything less would not justify the horse itself.”

Cayla has gone a step further and created her own niche within the world of equine art, by creating what she calls The Mini Series—a collection of luxurious, gold framed, mini oil paintings that are only a few inches in diameter. Portraits, hunter-jumper and foxhunting scenes are just a sample of the mini works of art that Cayla has created.

Inspired by a friend who sent her a small watercolor, Cayla created her first mini foxhunting collection of hanging framed ornaments in 2021. “These eventually turned into commission requests, then a collaboration with another friend of mine and have evolved into what the series collection is today,” Cayla shared. “The equine community is such an amazing group of people! The Mini Series began as my official once-a-year offer, but has grown so much that I now offer it year-round alongside my full-sized works, though reservations are limited and often booked out months in advance. The works of art are truly unique and a much more affordable option for people who love the idea of a painting but might not have the space or budget for a larger work.”

Being a professional artist was not always the plan, and something that Cayla needed to lean into her faith in order to pursue. In 2007, when Cayla was a junior in high school, she met her future husband, Nick, and in October 2010 they were married. A believer in the seasons of life, Cayla knew horses and art would be out of the picture for a while as she and her husband purchased a home during the recession and shortly after had their first child. Happy in her role as a wife and mother, Cayla’s interactions with horses and art were few and far between for the next six years, though something she inherently longed for.

“In 2016, we packed up and headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, to create a new life for our family,” Cayla explained. “It was just the four of us stepping out in faith. My husband often traveled, and I was home with our two girls. I started painting again for some me time, nothing serious or consistent. However, in 2020, my husband unfortunately had lost all the work within his newly started company in the production and live event industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

By 2021, Calya and her family had used all of their savings and were faced with possibly losing everything they had worked so hard for. While her husband took their only vehicle to scout for jobs, Cayla was at home caring for and homeschooling their children and trying to make ends meet. Suddenly, the words from the Bible came to mind: Proverbs 31 spoke of the wise woman and the ways she runs her house, with verse 18 saying “she sees that her merchandise is profitable….” Citing that as her “lightbulb” moment, Cayla knew that she could create to provide for her family.

At that time, Cayla was $30 short for groceries. With newfound hope, she created an 8×10 pen and oil painting, posted it on her Instagram page for $30, and it sold. The next sold as well, as did many from her 30-paintings-in-30-days challenge that helped get her creative flow back and launch her art studio’s success.

Two years later, Cayla has created countless commissioned mini paintings—and some larger works as well—but her mini works continue to be one of her most popular items. In honor of the Bible verse that kept her faith going, she named her art studio Studio 31. Cayla has found her niche and has come full circle as wife, mother and full-time artist. “My studio is also diversifying outside of just oil paintings,” she said. “I’ve begun to collaborate alongside brands with licensing and have my first artwork design on clothing products releasing in 2024. A wallpaper design is also in the works that I’m greatly looking forward to. It’s so much fun showcasing my art in a different light while working alongside other passionate brands and collaborating on creativity to showcase our products. I’m looking forward to using my art and digital designs more in the future on further collaborations.”

For more information, visit studio31gallery.com

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Tagged under: Cayla White’s, oil painting, studio31gallery

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Hot horseman takeover day 6️⃣!!! 🔥Jorge Va Hot horseman takeover day 6️⃣!!!

🔥Jorge Vasquez🔥
Between his polo career—from groom to coach—and a love of travel, Jorge Vasquez has been to 60 countries, all seven continents, all 50 states and seen all seven wonders of the world—some of them twice. “I’ve been to China, Egypt, India, Dominican Republic, Argentina, a lot of places to play polo,” Jorge said. “I wish travel was my full-time job!”
Jorge is originally from Santiago, Chile, where his dad was a racehorse trainer and his uncle played polo. “I was too cool for school,” Jorge joked, “So I ended up having to do polo.” But Jorge isn’t complaining. There are “a million things” he loves about polo. “Obviously the 
adrenaline, and then the horses—the horses are very special,” he said. “They’re very well trained, and there’s something really special about a polo pony that can read your body and take you wherever you want to go—most of the time without asking any questions!”
Now living in Lexington, Kentucky, Jorge coaches the University of Kentucky polo team, is the U.S. Polo Association midstates circuit governor and is the polo manager at Gainesway Farm, 
where he also recently became the official tour guide. “I stay busy when I’m at home—that’s why I travel!” Jorge laughed, a common occurrence with his easygoing personality. “I like to think I’ve lived a pretty good life, and I get rejuvenated by teaching the game and teaching 
young horses how to play polo. That’s my favorite thing about the sport—teaching horses to play.”

With over 30 years in the industry, Jorge’s biggest takeaway from horses is, “The nicer you 
ask, the easier you’ll get results.” With all his experience, Jorge hopes to pass on the gifts of patience and understanding to those within his sphere of influence. “And that if you pay it forward long enough,” he added, “it will eventually pay you back.”
📸Photo by Kacy Brown
Hot horseman takeover day 5️⃣!!! 🔥Jet Rusi Hot horseman takeover day 5️⃣!!!

🔥Jet Rusidovski🔥
It wasn’t horses that took Jet Rusidovski from his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to where he lives now in Austin, Texas, in 2008. It was the weather. “I came down to visit family down here and it was negative 30 degrees in Wisconsin and it was 60 degrees here, and that was the end of it,” Jet said.

He grew up braving the cold on horseback in Wisconsin, riding and showing hunter-
jumpers from the time he was 4 all through his Junior career. “When adult life started, I had to juggle adult life and horses, and then it became my profession,” he said. Jet now works for Kelly Lorek at Southern Way Farm, training both horses and clients and traveling to shows all over the country. “Our program has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last year, and that says we’re doing something right!”

Jet hopes his experience as part of a successful program will help instill in others that everyone deserves a chance. “There were definitely times in my career I was not given a chance, and Kelly is the one who really gave me that chance,” Jet shared. “She didn’t judge me for mistakes I made in the past, she didn’t hold anything against me—she saw that I had the potential and she gave me the chance to actually show it. She gave the right coaching and the right guidance to get me where I am today, and I feel I’m in a really great place with unlimited opportunities at this point in my career.” When not traveling to shows, Jet travels to Wisconsin to visit family (weather permitting, of course) and would love to revisit childhood vacation spots in Greece and Europe, or check out the weather in Hawaii. He also prioritizes catching up with friends outside of the horse world. “If people see me around at a horse show, don’t be afraid to say hi!” he said. 
“Sometimes I’m so concentrated it looks like I want nothing to do with anyone; I’m actually just deep in thought or something. But I love to say hi to everybody.”
📸Photo by Kristie Scholten
Day 4️⃣ of our hot horseman takeover! 🔥Jo Day 4️⃣ of our hot horseman takeover! 
🔥Jonathan Cohen🔥
Most riders aren’t born into professional equestrian families; some lucky ones, like Jonathan Cohen, end up spending so much time at the barn they are practically adopted into them. 
Jonathan fell in love with horses at a friend’s birthday party while he was growing up in downtown Chicago, Illinois. At 16, he began riding with Alex Jayne—and now works for Alex’s Our Day Farm. “I’m sandwiched right between his three children in terms of age, so apart from missing their earliest years, we’ve basically grown up together,” Jonathan said. “I’m incredibly fortunate to work for a family that treats me like family.”
Jonathan’s title is barn manager. “But the job description is very loose—that’s what keeps it interesting,” he said. After he gets done riding in the morning, he starts on whatever needs to be done around the farm—which perfectly suits his love of “projects.” Outside of work and horses, Jonathan puts that passion for building into home renovation; when he’s completely renovated one home, he sells it and moves on to the next. “I love building stuff, especially when it’s something that meets a very specific need and can’t just be bought,” he said. “I’ll see things I can make better, I start working on the idea in my head, and more often than not I end up building it.”

Our Day Farm splits its time between Elgin, Illinois, and Wellington, Florida. When in Illinois, Jonathan spends much of his time building jumps. “I like to replicate some of the more interesting things we see over the course of the season, as well as anything our horses might need to practice,” he said. Clearly, Jonathan loves what he does. “I’m super lucky that when I wake up every day, I don’t have to go to work. I just go to the barn. It’s my job, and it’s definitely a lot of work most days, but really I’m just going to the barn like any other day.”
📸Photo by Melissa Fuller
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