Salt River Gals

When I decided to paint this piece I knew the challenge that was ahead of me. Those dappled shadows! And yes, they kicked my ass! I once heard an artist say that 95% of some paintings came off the brush with ease and the last 5% took forever. This was one of those paintings for me. And yet, when it was finished to my satisfaction, I felt that I had communicated the moment of comfort and peace felt by these wild horses, deep in the shade of the trees along the Salt River in Arizona.