Description
With “Reverence,” I wanted to look closer at a beloved community cornerstone and pay homage to Cattlemen’s Days—our legendary, 100-year-old rodeo and carnival tradition right here in the Gunnison Valley. While I have painted traditional horses in the past, this piece gave me the chance to explore them through a completely different, highly stylized lens. I captured two carousel horses mid-leap, filled with kinetic motion, expressive open mouths, and heavy decorative saddles of gold, crimson, and deep teal.
I titled this canvas “Reverence” because I am deeply humbled by horses—by their power, their grace, and the timeless role they play in our valley’s ranching heritage. The background frames the ride with vertical carnival poles cutting into a deep, swirling midnight blue sky, while a heavily texturized crimson floor anchors the foreground. By shifting from the open pastures to the magic of the local carnival tracks, this piece honors our shared history and the joy of summer traditions.
This painting also serves as the left page of a dramatic two-page layout in my children’s book, Wackadoodle the Poodle. It captures a lighthearted moment where Wack is being completely silly, riding right on the carousel horse’s back while enthusiastically waving a cowboy hat. The high-energy leap of these carnival horses pulls the viewer’s eyes straight across the seam toward the unfolding scene on the right page.