Salina Ramsay Equine and Sporting Artist - Fall 2008 Issue of Horses in Art Magazine

Salina Ramsay : Equine and Sporting Artist

by Sarah H. Crampton

All about Alice – Painting by Salina Ramsay.
A ride on her cousin’s pony at the age of five pretty much determined the course of Salina Ramsay’s life. She knew even then it would somehow involve horses. Known for her portraiture and paintings of the thoroughbred racetrack genre, the works of equine and sporting artist Salina Ramsay capture the likeness and motion of her subjects.

Her portraits range from a simple detailed pencil to a representation of the client’s life experience with the use of background symbolism as the setting for the character study. She has had pieces auctioned by Sotheby’s, and her art can be found at leading galleries such as Frost and Reed of London and the Kentucky Derby Museum. Ramsay is currently among a select group of artists to have works officially licensed and sold by the Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.

Discussing the influences on her life and painting style, Ramsay relates, “I love the thick paint and flourishing gestures of the Rococo era paintings. To the Impressionists or ‘Les Refuses’ we owe so much as artists and as human beings. I want to live each moment completely the way the Impressionists’ paintings inspire me to do. I strive for technical perfection in each painting, but that is a very delicate exercise.

“So often the original power of a piece can be destroyed by trying to achieve technical perfection or photographic realism. I use cameras, of course, but I have to constantly filter that information with what I know, have been taught and am trying to convey about a particular subject. It never ends. The original vision is never quite what the final painting is. Ever. I have to reach a point where I say to myself, ‘Is this close enough?’

“Horses are always making me laugh,” continues Ramsay. “They are so present. The big draft crosses that I ride are so powerful, yet so very timid sometimes. Mostly, I think horses want to please us -– especially when we take the time to get inside their little worlds. Painting horses involves mastery of landscape painting, mastery of the figure, and the ability to look at a horse through a horseman’s eyes. I’ll let you know when I reach this Nirvana of painting.” As an artist, Ramsay is not lacking for inspiration. She remarks, “I have no idea what motivates me to create. I am obsessed with it. I always have been. I really have never understood why. I think maybe I wanted to create worlds where all things were peaceful and beautiful.”

Painting, drawing and researching other artists’ techniques and materials are an everyday exercise. She enjoys contour drawing and teaching it and feels there is no reason why everyone cannot learn to draw well. She comments, “Most people simply give up, usually because someone told them they had no talent. I don’t know what talent is exactly, but I think sometimes it is a weapon. I know that I have worked hard and other painters I admire have worked hard. It isn’t magic! It is sometimes a bit of smoke and mirrors, though.”

In addition to the contour drawing, Salina Ramsay teaches classes on basic oil and watercolor painting. She concludes, “Teaching is a way that I can keep things simple. Coming back to basics is also an everyday battle. It is so easy to get distracted by bells and whistles. I believe that the best ideas are the simple ones.” Salina Ramsay is working on the Secretariat Festival to be held in Bourbon County, Kentucky, this Fall 2008 that will include equine art. Visit her web site at www.equinefineart.com.

Bit of History:
Rococo Painting

Rococo painting is a style of 18th century French art that was a reaction against the formal atmosphere of Louis XIV’s court.

It originated in the decorative arts, and these painters used delicate colors and curving forms to achieve elegant and charming effects. They often decorated their canvases with cherubs and myths of love. Portraiture was also popular among Rococo painters. Landscapes were pastoral and often depicted the leisurely outings of aristocratic couples. – The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Art and Artists

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