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Carolle Beaudry : Horses, Naturally by L. A. Pomeroy
The answer, in part, is: horses. From golden Palominos to coal-black Friesians, Beaudry elevates animal portraiture from simple anatomical accuracy to emotional, in-the-moment experiences. A 24” x 36” oil painting of Gypsy Cob, Sir Tristan, is an example. “I met Tristan at Equine Affaire – Massachusetts,” recounts Beaudry. “I was following behind when he heard me, stopped, and looked back over his shoulder at me. That was the moment to capture.” Sir Tristan’s turned head, tilt of his ears, soft eye, and relaxed tail set in the foreground put the viewer squarely in Beaudry’s boots, sharing her experience. “I didn’t start out wanting to be an artist. It came little by little, painting after painting,” says Beaudry, who started pencil drawing at age 7, and who was exploring with oils by her late twenties. Today, oil and graphite pencil remain her two mediums. “The most difficult part about painting was mixing colors and finding the ‘good’ ones. It took a long time, but with practice I learned the ‘color language.’” Les Chevaux
Mister: Palomino Stallion, was her first horse portrait. She painted him dismissively looking away from onlookers, mane unkempt; and yet his chiseled head, and elegant set of his neck into his shoulder, belie his quality. “This stallion was a rascal! He looks quiet compared to his real attitude.” In Ladies of Province, she captured a radiant trio of Lusitano broodmares at the Massa stud in France. “Their owner was very proud of these beautiful mares. When I visited, they were quietly together, waiting through their pregnancies.” “Horses have expressive body language. Their movements reveal what they are thinking, and general attitude, whether of peace, dominance, or suspicion, as well as strength and grace. I refuse to paint what I don’t see or feel for myself. I will cross an ocean, if I have to, to meet the horses I paint. The ambiance of the environment, and its people inspire my color choices and how I represent the horse.” Natural Influences “I remember from my youth my love of nature and ability to draw. Both came naturally.” Inspiration came from such wildlife artists as Robert Bateman, Ray Harris Ching, and George McLean, whose influences show in her work. In addition to horses (Les Chevaux), her portfolio includes birds, exotic wildlife, and farm animals.
Toronto-born Robert Bateman, whose one-man museum shows include the Smithsonian Institute, has said, “Earth’s crowning beauty is its natural world. I want to soak it up, understand it as well as I can, and express it in painting.” Beaudry echoes that her creative energy comes from “attempting to master and capture the impossible. Representational art is perfect for learning the subtle nature of painting.” Her simplicity of composition is reminiscent of avian painter, Ching, whose style the National Museum of Wildlife Art describes as a “limited palette and attention to detail, often painting a single bird with minimal background.” Ching has said, “It is important to me to deny [the backgrounds]. I don’t want to tell you about nature studies. I want to tell you about my concerns at this moment with this thing that I am painting.” Beaudry is also a minimalist. “I try not to give all the space (on a canvas) to the details because people will only see a nice image but won’t feel the emotion. I give a big space to my subjects. They are the first element added.” And like Canadian painter, George McLean, (whom Ching calls “one of the great masters of animal art”) she says, “Painting and horses are the center of my life. Everything comes from these passions.” Similarly, McLean, an animal lover, felt he had no other outlet for such feelings except through his work. From such influences, Beaudry’s eloquent style has evolved: “Besides my choice in subjects, my concerns remain those that govern art: composition, shape, and color. These form the language that allow my paintings to communicate with their viewers.”
It is easier to communicate through pictures than words. Naming paintings is her hardest task. “The title comes after, and I can tell you, it’s very difficult!” As for speaking through art, “I am not yet able to decipher the infinite possibilities painting offers.” But, she adds with a laugh, “One day, maybe when I am 110 years old, I will be able to say, ‘I am an artist. Color and me have become as one.’” To view more of Carolle Beaudry’s work visit her web site at www.carollebeaudry.com |
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