Yes, there was beer.

I’ve lived in Baker my whole life. In the summer of the early nineties my family moved to the country and the previous owners of the property had left their horse. My dad knew some things about horses and other members of my family owned horses so we kept him.  As we met our new neighbors who also had horses it was natural for us to go on rides with them too. There were so many horses around that I never had a problem finding one to ride. There were always drifter horses around for me to use.

My mom’s photos of these trips from over 20 years ago were my inspiration for this show that I titled Yes, there was beer.  These were very casual, come as you are, easy going, beer sipping rides. I was too young for the beer, but it was very entertaining.

With these paintings I wasn’t trying for a literal translation of our horse rides, but a sense of the summertime season, the camaraderie, and adventure I felt. I just embellished the memories. With these paintings I reached for new techniques and depth of detail. I found some new symbols to use and color combinations I liked.

 As usual I see many jumping off points for new artwork in these paintings. It’s a good theme for me to continue exploring.