Jul 15 2024

Equine Art Extravaganza 2023

Painted Partners

August 19, 2023

The 2023 Equine Art Extravaganza was certainly a study in perseverance. Honestly, we were not sure if we were going to be able to make it happen, but a last minute rally of energy got us to the proverbial finish line, and we had a fine showing of artistry and celebration under the theme of Painted Partners. We were determined to take this theme as a premonition and transfer it into a new and exciting format for 2024 – Stay Tuned!

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS

The public voted for their favorite "painted pony" by making a $5 donation to the Friends of Dunrovin in the name of the artist/horse combination they wanted to support. Each $5 donation constitutes a vote. The total of all donations raised via voting was shared with the artists who receive the first and second most votes.

The First Place Winner was Kate Wasem and her equine partner, Rocket.

The Second Place Winner was Georgine Forgatch and her equine partner, Banjo.

Presenting the 2023 Artists

Georgine Forgatch with Banjo

Lisa Gibson with Lady Lonza

Maureen Sherriff with Whiskey

Douglas E Taylor with Flynn

Kaylee Thompson with Mystery

Kate Wasem with Rocket

Aug 09 2022

Equine Art Extravaganza 2021

"Free Rein"

In anticipation of a future that brings us to more opportunity to be with each other in a way that is safe and less restricting than Covid-19 would permit, we gave the 2021 Equine Art Extravaganza the theme "Free Rein". The artists interpretation of this theme ranged from visions of vibrant colors to symbols of freedom and nature. Serendipitously, they almost all gravitated to connecting with flight or feathers in their designs, and yet each was completely unique.

Enjoy these highlights and artist interviews from the 2021 Equine Art Extravaganza.

Artist Inteviews

Evening Showcase

Releasing the Herd

Congratulations to Georgine Archer & Kimberly Spence ~ our 1st & 2nd place artists.

And Thank You All for Voting!

About the Artists

Tap image to enlarge. Tap on artist's name to visit their website.

Georgine Archer

Having worked with fabric in the garment district in New York City most of my life, 25 years ago I was introduced to the art of silk painting. Mostly self taught, I was creating custom pieces that included wedding items, accessories and home décor. This was the beginning of my silk journey that I continue today.

Using white silk as my blank canvas, I stretch my silk onto frames. I then mix my colors using French dyes. When you dip your brush into the silk dyes and place the brush onto the silk, a whole new world opens up, the colors explode in beautiful vibrant colors.

I am taking this ancient fiber and giving it a modern twist.

Feathers on equine is my concept created from my feather designs, that I create on silk, The quiet dance of these suspended feathers evoke a sense of delight as beautiful as seeing the graceful movements of wild horses running across the open plains.

On my chosen horse I plan to paint vibrant colored feathers on the horses body and incorporate my hand created silk feather pieces as a jewelry breast adornment.

Cathy Berendts

A Montana-made artist, CB gains motivation from her natural surroundings. As a self-taught artist, she appreciates the use of mixed media and bringing beauty to unexpected avenues. Much of her inspiration stems from untamed and tangled thoughts, that ultimately promote awareness and restoration through creation. Streams of mindfulness promote awakening within herself and art. Surges of emotion are fluidly incorporated into her creations. She hopes to evoke feelings of peacefulness, positivity, and balance through composition and color selection.

For the concept of Free Rein, my mind was drawn to wildlife, that has the freedom to roam. To symbolize this freedom, I selected a coyote, hawk, and wildflowers for my subject matter. Coyotes trot throughout the landscape, hawks have the power of flight, and wildflowers have the capability to grow in harsh and unexpected conditions.

The background will consist of a faded gradient the blends from blue to pink to gold. Subject matter will be done in black and will consist of a silhouette of both the coyote and hawk. Various wildflowers will also be done in black.

Claire Emery

For over 25 years, Claire has immersed herself in her dual loves of art and conservation as a working artist, naturalist and educator in Missoula, MT. All of her visual work begins with discoveries made while observing, listening, sketching and writing outdoors. This intimacy with the natural world is the foundation for her work in the world. Her hand-colored woodblock prints highlight the landscape community of the Northern Rockies and are full of vitality, warmth, and exquisite detail. Her field sketches, book illustrations and original woodblock prints are found in museums, university and private collections around the world.

Her current projects focus on gratitude, resilience and the interdependence of personal action and landscape vitality.

I envision a horse dressed in the regalia of the flowing river and its flying birds.

Dunrovin Ranch is located on the Bitterroot River, a wild and free- flowing sanctuary for migrating birds, who use the riparian area for food, reproduction, and rest. The Bitterroot River has free rein to flow from high mountain streams into a braiding valley web that rises and falls with seasonal flows. Riparian areas and wetlands like this one occupy less than 4% of Montana’s land cover, yet sustain over 80% of the bird species that live here. The birds flow, the river flows, and with our care they will retain their free rein to move and thrive with the seasons.

The canvas of the horse will include the blue stream of the river, its green willow and black cottonwood bank, its ochre hills and species of special concern such as the osprey, the bald eagle, the red-naped sapsucker, the Lewis’ woodpecker, the red-eyed vireo, the willow flycatcher, Wilson’s phalarope, Northern harrier, short-eared owl, pileated woodpecker, and Great blue heron.

Nikci King

I am a multi-media artist with roots in nature, health, animals, and a love of the old. Conceptually wanting a smaller footprint, I strive for repurposed materials to create my “whimsical industrialism” theme. My work contains strong movement, color, and abstraction, while searching for a balance between a structural habitat and abstract realism. I received my BFA in 2011 from Idaho State University with an emphasis in acrylic painting and metalsmithing. I have been found in art walks, farmers markets, bumpers, boats, desks, country clubs, museums, small shops, and currently a vacation rental that will be in the parade of homes.

Both sides of the horse will be a landscape with mountains concept. I like to throw in a swirl, or waves, or vines, that usually loop back into the sky. One swirl will leaf off into a feather that looks like a piano keyboard on one side. A lot depends on the horse, for design factors, and I am excited for that.

Kim Kresan

Kim Kresan is an artist, baker, and dessert enthusiast who’s hopelessly in love with her home state of Montana (she’s moved away and then back twice!) Her work dips back and forth between digital and traditional, geometric and naturalistic, and explores the flow in between. Though her subject matter is sometimes wildly divergent, it’s almost always colorful, and shiny whenever possible!

When not creating with lines and paper, Kim can be found baking breads and desserts, studying a wide variety of topics, hiking any and everywhere, working in her garden, and absorbing as much sunlight as possible.

After a year like the last, the concept of ‘free rein’, of uncaged and untethered freedom, has transitioned from an abstract idea into a huge and palpable emotion. When I think of shaking off all the worries and constraints of the world, when I think of running with freedom unbridled, I immediately think of Montana, my lucky home, my last best place. For me, there’s nothing so energetically spirit cleansing as bolting full speed through waves of long yellow grass as they toss and billow in the wind of a summer storm, and anytime I have free rein, that’s the kind of place I try to be.

Kimberly Spence

As artist and founder of Flock Taxidermy, I’ve been working with the avian crowd since 2014. I’d like to think my heart is concordant with that of the song of birds. And if you ask anyone where I live, they’ll point to the clouds and say, go all the way up.

The art of Taxidermy allows me to preserve species into beautiful treasures. I take time to quietly listen to every bird’s story, while learning, respecting and hoping to connect their great journey with you. I was taught the skilled craft by a Taxidermist on staff at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The time I spent working and volunteering at the museum is held dearly, where I educated guests in the hopes of fostering responsibility, respect and wonder for our natural world. I now volunteer at Wild Skies Raptor Center, in support of our moral obligation to protect and conserve our wildlife and natural resources for future generations through education and outreach programs.

May the natural world spark your curiosity, and mortality feed the fire.

Everyone understands the bird as a symbol for freedom. It speaks with the same awe to Koreans, Australians, Czechs, Sri Lankans, Spaniards, one language. ‘Free Rein’ to me is a bird in flight, free to our boundless, Big Sky country. The horse is transformed into vibrant plumage, effortless beauty, a reminder to us all to remain light. Its mane and tail set in motion by feathers and wind. The bird used as inspiration for the coloration is our Mountain Bluebird, endemic to our mountains of Western North America. Upwards, onwards to freedom for all.

This event was proudly sponsored by Biga Pizza, First Security Bank, and Friends of Dunrovin.

Hosted by DaysAtDunrovin

Jul 19 2021

A Homemade Herd of Horses

Give Yourself Free Rein

Add Your Painted Pony Poster to the Herd

It's an Easy Five Step Process

Select and download a horse outline from below
(you may contribute as many as you want).
Print the outline on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of printer paper.
Decorate your horse in whatever style you desire.
Take a photo of your artwork using your cell phone (or digital camera).
Text the photo along with your first name and where you live to
406-273-7745 or email the jpg photo to dunrovin@gmail.com.

Jul 06 2021

Equine Art Extravaganza 2020

It Takes a Herd

August 15, 2020

The idea for the theme for the Equine Art Extravaganza back in February 2020 when we started our planning was “Horse Play’, but soon thereafter, it was clear that not only our event and theme, but our whole relationship with each other and the focus and scope of our lives needed to completely change. We realized we could not go forward with the EAE in the same way as in the past, so naturally we reinvented ourselves to fit the times – ‘No’ was not an option! Thus the revised theme of ‘It Takes a Herd’ and the change to a simpler format for the art contest. We shifted from painting on 6 horses to just 2, and from a painter’s to a photographer’s contest.

Public Choice Contest

To honor the shared sense of community that is fundamental to human/horse bond, the world’s demonstrated ability to come together as a village to address the pandemic, and to honor the village that supported Jeffrey Beausoleil in his quest to become a member of the Canadian Paralympic Equestrian Team, we invited the Shriner’s Children’s Hospitals to be the designated Friends of Dunrovin recipient organization for funds raised through the 2020 Equine Art Extravaganza.
The below 6 photographers joined us on that beautiful August day, and these were the results:

Presenting the 2020 Photographers

The public voted for their favorite photo gallery by making a $5 donation to the Friends of Dunrovin in the name of the photographer that created the group of 5 images they wanted to support. Each $5 donation constitutes a vote. The total of all donations raised via voting was shared with the photographers who receive the first and second most votes. There was also a prize for Critics Choice – as determined by our panel of 3 judges ~ John Ashley, Ellen Cameron, and SuzAnne Miller.

The First Place Winner was…

BEV HENNAGER

Blue Ribbon Winner - Public Choice Contest

I am an amateur photographer, but I have been honored to have many of my images chosen as banners for Daily Horse Shots as well as inclusion in Equine Photographers Network. For as long as I can remember I have had a passion for horses. My first attempts at art were scribbles of horses. When I was older I rode bareback to have a closer connection with their rhythm and power. Over the years, my daughter and I rescued many horses, currently having 11, so there is no shortage of models. I studied painting when I was younger and often use creative elements to make my photographs more painterly. I am not satisfied until I feel I have conveyed something of their spirit and their soul.

MICHAEL VIVEIROS

Red Ribbon Winner - Public Choice Contest

I am a full time adventurer, I specialize in portraying the serenity of life through film.

I am grateful every morning I wake up and get to experience something new. Having a camera with me in these moments allows me to share them with everyone else on the Earth. It is a joy and a privilege to learn about the myriad cultures and ecosystems across the globe and how it is a true blessing that life is unified in its diversity. There is simply so much beauty spread throughout the world. I find happiness with the philosophy that a camera lens allows me to focus the eye of the beholder onto a subject that deserves attention and praise.

MICHAEL LAPOINTE

Critic's Choice Award

Going into the event, I was knocking around some ideas in the way of texture, of tight detailed shots, of cataloging the overlooked and taken for granted. In the spirit of competition I wanted to offer a collection of images that set me apart from my fellow photographers. I spent much of the day observing, engaging others in conversation, and reevaluating my initial inspiration for the shoot. It was easy enough to edit through my photos and arrive at a gallery of twenty or so images that I would be proud to send. Cutting that down to five was excruciating. In the end, I decided on a balance of shots, each conceptually different, that would honor the spirit of the event, my initial desire for textured detail shots, my affinity for the expression of human emotion, and the beauty of this Montana setting. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a wild event and look forward to seeing what my fellow photographers chose to capture and share.

JES KUMM

Best Donkey Diva Photo

Respect, generosity, and patience (exhibited even by the most spirited of beings) was what I experienced during this photo shoot and what I hoped to capture in these five photos that I chose under the theme of “It Takes a Herd” for the 2020 Equine Art Extravaganza at Dunrovin Ranch. I was not the only photographer who commented on what a privilege it was to meet all of the incredible beings that make the ranch the force of nature that it is. Everybody on the ranch, including a sassy Jack Russell terrier, two fun-loving donkeys, a stoic osprey, and many others, contributed to the festivity and made it something truly special. It was obvious that this was a herd that loved its community.

I hope I am able to share some of the delight that I felt on that day as you look through this portfolio. The first photo I chose was a close-up of the handsome Whiskey who was eager to have a romp in the field with his buddies and show off the vibrant canvas that he had become. This photo represents the pre-game excitement jitters that one feels before joining the herd, when you’re all dressed up and ready to go! The second photo I chose was of Jasper as he glided through a misty sunbeam. When I look at this photo, I think of those still, silent pauses that are made easier by memories of moments/traditions that were shared with others (maybe as a painting on our hide). The third photo I chose was of a conflict in the herd. Whiskey had thrown an inappropriate hoof and the herd came to an abrupt halt to settle the dispute. It didn’t take but a moment and they reached a resolution and were running together again. These three photos encapsulate how important it is to feel like you belong, are able to contribute, appreciate those around you, and are able to maintain that connection even in times of contention.

The next two photos I chose because they remind me of characteristics that are common in a strong herd. The fourth photo is of the smallest horse of the Dunrovin herd named Flynn. His stature does not hold him back from holding that tail high, showing off his beautiful stride, and taking the lead. The last photo of my series is of the inseparable bond between the beautiful Lady Lonza and her sweet boy, Ozzie’s Golden Echo. These two photos remind me of how important it is to both recognize and appreciate our own strengths as it is equally important to recognize and appreciate the strengths of those who hold us together.

I hope that you feel a little of the magic that happened during the Extravaganza as you look through these images. My goal is to give you a glimpse of the diverse and unique personalities that make up the dynamic that is the Dunrovin herd. Maybe you might be reminded as I was that day, of how important every member of our community is. How they change us and how we change them. It truly takes a herd.

RANDY HEATON

I can spend a day in the field and take a thousand photographs and maybe have two or three that I really like, and today I was to choose five. I found this to be a very difficult task. Too much light, too many shadows, blurred, not sharp. Too many people, not enough horses, wrong horse, wrong position. Then a few began to stand out, great lighting, just the right blur, horses that began to look like models.

I talked with my daughter about the ones I was thinking of submitting and she immediately focused on the blurred galloping horse. She told me, "dad, this is exactly what it feels like to be on a galloping horse." It felt right to submit it.

The black and white, I love this horse. The artist put a field of "Ghost Horses" on it's side and they flashed beautifully against this very muscular horse with every move, lope, or gallop. The lighting and drying leaves gives it an early autumn look.

The remaining three were the most difficult to decide on, the Champagne Palomino presented itself in a classic high lope with friends, dust flying and great lighting. The remaining painted horse is a great model, she has a beautiful full tail and flashes it with ease and what appears to be a great deal of pride. When I saw this shot I knew it was a winner, the map of Montana so talentedly and lovingly painted on the sides and braids in the mane. This girl would stand out in any crowd.

The remaining photo is a salute to the mantra of the event, "It takes a Herd". Horses are a very social animal with a strong herd mentality. These ones are together separately but as a single unit moving at a fast trot skillfully navigating past trees, downed limbs and photographers. In these trying times, like those horses we will need to work together navigating past obstacles until they are cleared and we can safely be together.

SEAN WEST

Plans change and mine certainly did for my approach to shooting and selecting these images. While it was a beautiful sunny day on the ranch, that can mean trouble for a photographer. Shooting in harsh sunlight can make it difficult too illicit emotion in our photos. In the end, I wanted to demonstrate how “it takes a herd” to make a day like this happen by showing the connection and interaction of just a few of those individuals. Every photo includes a human element, including the photo that doesn’t actually show the person.

In the mother/son photo, I was the original human element but chose this photo because that person could be any one of us. I hoped to be able to bring the viewer into the photo and shot it from the lower angle as if it were from the view point of a child.

From the person that originally had the idea for this annual event, to the coordinator, the handlers, the artists, the makers of the paint and brushes, the amazing people at The Shriners, the beautiful horses and all the generous viewers and voters, it truly does take a herd.

Nov 10 2020

Offering Stone Eggs

In early September of 2017, Dunrovin Ranch hosted a Fire Medicine retreat in collaboration with Spirit Dance Equine Assisted Coaching to acknowledge the emotions, fears, and disruptions that Montana's horrific fire season has brought to all who live here. Something of a skeptic with respect to ceremonies and group sessions, I found myself reaping benefits I did not anticipate.

It is difficult for me to be in situations where the focus is on feelings. I don’t really mind sharing my feelings in a spontaneous way, and I love it when others share theirs with me. It is less the act of sharing that scares me than the expectations that ceremonies and group sessions create. I have a hard time being dishonest. I cannot control when my feelings do, and do not, emerge. I get nervous during ceremonies that my own feelings are not the right ones, that I am not in sync with the group, and that I must push myself to feel something that isn’t really there. I also know that I can be a very dominant person. My voice is strong and assertive, sometimes conveying way more confidence than I actually have. Friends love to kid me about my lack of opinions—yeah, sure! All of this makes me reticent to participate in group sessions. My overbearing personality, my commanding voice, and my inability to conjure what I think might be the right feelings fill me with fear that I will dominate and divert the conversation away from what is meaningful to others.

This is where the skills of an experienced group facilitator and coach are essential. It takes reading the group, and each person in it, to shape a conversation space that pulls everyone in, acknowledges differences, prevents anyone from dominating, and not force feelings but allow an atmosphere of trust and openness to form organically, and then silently convey that any feeling is the right feeling.

Luckily, Lynn Baskfield of Spirit Dance Equine Assisted Coaching embodies all that one would want in a group guide. She is grounded and deliberate and calm. She listens and questions, rather than answers. Her body and voice radiate acceptance and kindness. She is truly gifted.

But I am not an easy nut to crack. I hold in when I sense anything that seems in the least bit inauthentic or contrived. So I was standing back. In spite of my good intentions, I found myself ready to find fault when Lynn had the group come together in the lovely cottonwood forest in the riparian area of Dunrovin and asked us to create a medicine wheel. Part of me dislikes appropriating ceremonies from Native American cultures. Why this is, I am not sure. I have no trouble participating in an Irish jig or a German Octoberfest. Perhaps it is because my relationship with Native Americans as a group is an uneasy one. I regret my country’s history with Native Americans, and once again, I am not sure how to feel about it. That translates into uncertainty about engaging in something that I know is sacred to them. How would they feel about it?

Nonetheless, I followed the group down to the clearing in the forest where we were to build our medicine wheel. Once I was able cleanse myself of negative thoughts and drop my insecurities, I began to focus on where I was emotionally with respect to the summer’s events, the fires, the diagnosis of moon blindness for Chinook, and the implications of my business losses. Lynn asked that we quietly walk down to the river to collect some stones to form the circle, pause, and reflect on the circle that is our life.

Along the river, my eyes immediately fell on a stone that reminded me of a bird’s egg. My heart skipped a little beat and my mind jumped to the ospreys from whom I have gained so much. They inspire me with their indestructible commitment to life, regardless of the challenges. At times I envy them. Self doubts, insecurity about feelings, living in the past or the future, too much introspection, are not part of their world. They take it in the here and now. I know they experience pain and fear, and I have little doubt that at some level they also experience comfort, joy, and sadness. But most of all they dwell on the task at hand, not its “cosmic” meaning, not its challenges nor the time it takes to complete, and certainly not how much or how little their mates participate. They just get it done. We humans go to special classes, learn meditation techniques, and turn to all kinds of addictive substances and behaviors to escape the relentless harping of our minds. Oh, to be a bird!

The more I searched for stone bird eggs, the more relaxed and in the moment I became. The more I let my mind fixate on the search, the less I cared about the finding. It was the looking, the quiet water flowing, the easy breaths, and the thoughts of birds flying in my heart that finally brought me out of myself and into the moment.

When I returned to participate with the others to offer my stone eggs to the circle, I had done exactly what Lynn had wanted us to do, to open a space in our hearts and minds to process the summer’s events. I found myself seeing myself from a bird’s eye, from a detached point of view. It helped me understand that while these events have been stressful and, for some, life-changing, it really is all just part of each of our rivers of life that flows over or around each stone in its path to reach its conclusion at some yet unknown destination.