It’s been a long trail and no easy one to get here, but I’m finally arrived in my new home and loving it. Here’s my first attempt at drawing the landscape I now live in and love; if you want more details, you can read the latest journal update here: State of the Artist: March 2018

I’ve also redesigned my horse; there were two factors. One I’m sort of embarrassed about still; despite being born on the Umatilla reservation and being of Nez Perce descent and quite familiar with being around our spotted and painted horses (though never having, riding, or caring for them myself) and long aware that the region is generally known as the ‘Palouse,’ I did not know until reading a book just recently about the spotted horse in art that the name ‘Appaloosa’ derived originally from ‘a “palousey” horse’ i.e. a horse from the Palouse. Our people were (and some still are) very skilled horse people, and one of the few to skillfully breed horses, and the spotted and painted horses were our favourites. The other is that I have, after over 3 dozen moves in the state of Oregon in and out of our Umatilla homeland, left it forever behind with no intent to return, but it will always be the core of who and what I am. So, I’ve added some of my favourite painted pony markings; a blanket, small star, darkening stockings, and a near hind white coronet. I’ll surely keep tweaking the design some more, but I’m liking these changes.

Things are crazy busy so art will be a bit sparse but I should be back up to speed soon!