Creating an Equine Masterpiece
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| (c) Frédérique Lavergne |
The
cottage emits aromas of linseed oil and acrylic paint. Colors are settled
neatly around the room in anxious containers, awaiting the chance to become
fine art. The inspired energy in the studio is surrounded by sketches of royal
equines. Elegant, finished paintings inhabit the room’s circumference. A
world-renowned equine artist works in this humble studio. She greets us into
her creative realm.
From
Paris, France, Frédérique Lavergne is a world renowned equine artist. Now
living in Bayonne, France, she is in the process of painting a Criollo with
traditional tack. With brush in hand, Frédérique smiles as she glances at her
work. Her artistic abilities arrived at
the age of four. She has been drawing since she knew how to place her little
finger in the mud. Frédérique remembers, “My mother was a designer and I saw
her drawing throughout my childhood. When we went to visit our horses at the
stable in Rambouillet forest, which is close to Paris, we stayed there for the
weekend. My parents used to go for long rides in the forest, and I stayed at
the stable with the horses. I learned to
ride and began drawing horses there.”
Growing up with creative equestrian parents,
Frédérique learned early how to paint and ride. She learned the smells, the
mess, the struggle to control the uncontrollable urge to paint horses; the
special knowledge only painters keep of how colors will blend and mix, the
magic of a horse’s heart, soul and chemistry and capturing it on canvas. “I paint horses first because I feel a strong
link to them,” explains Frédérique. “When
I paint I am absent from this world. I don’t talk a lot and I realized very
young that horses talk with their soul. I find them beautiful, of course, but I
am fascinated by their powerful soul, by their generosity to humans. They have a symbolic force and, from my
convictions, they are able to go from one world to another, from our human
world to the one of invisible. That’s why they help us to know who we are.”
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| (c) Frédérique Lavergne |
Frédérique
has painted many horse breeds, including Lusitanos, Arabians, Friesians, Paso
Finos, and Mangalargas Marchadores, to name a few. Her beautiful paintings announce and proclaim
the grandeur of each horse. A palette of
indigo, sepia, crimson lack, madder brown, brown pink, and many other royal
colors comes together in layers of light and dark to create a masterpiece. Defining
the horse’s hide, their neck highlights and facial shapes takes precision brush
marks. Frédérique’s work is more than horses and their story, but just as
important is the amount and feel of the brush marks for each breed. “I have no
favorite breed to paint. I love to paint expressive horses. Andalusians are
very expressive. They are the horses I paint the most. But I have recently
discovered Marwaris, Kathiawaris and really fell in love with them. I hope to
go to India soon to meet them in person. They look so magical. I am really impressed by the way they carry
their head. However, I can paint all horses because I feel connected to all of
them. Do they have a common soul? There are some horses that don’t open the
door easily, and sometimes it takes more time for me to get in the work, but,
finally, I have never given up with any of them. This must seem silly, but I
often feel to be more horse than human.”
Attempting
to paint every horse breed, Frédérique’s sumptuous art spans the horse world. “I
unfortunately paint more often from pictures because the horses I paint are very
far from me – Pakistan, India, Australia and USA. But as often as I can, I
bring my studio to the stables. When I paint from photos, I like to see several
and then I compose. The ‘look’ of the horse from one picture and the ‘attitude’
of the horse from another, create a stellar image of grace and strength. To get
inspiration you need to have something to say in the painting, and in a perfect
photo, all is already said.”
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| (c) Frédérique Lavergne |
The
internet has made a significant impact on contacting clients, viewing horses,
and reaching otherwise unreachable horse breeds. “Through my website I’ve been
able to contact art galleries to submit my work. Galleries that currently exhibit
my work from internet referral include the Chisholm Gallery, Pine Plains, New
York, USA and Greenlane Gallery, Dingle Kerry, Ireland. The internet has
changed my way of considering equine art. Before, I painted horses that I had
seen in person, most of them Spanish horses because one of my friends is a pure
Spanish breeder and I painted his horses. When I joined the internet, I wished
to discover horses, horsemen, and equine cultures from all over the world.
That’s how I started painting Desi horses of Pakistan, then Indian horses,
etc. I discovered that horses that had
been a door to the unconscious became my door to the world,” says Frédérique.
Monica
Michele Brown from Kuwait City fell in love with Frédérique’s fine art and
commissioned a portrait. Monica says, “Frédérique’s amazing portrait of my
friend Prince Malik Ata and his stunning dancing horse is one of my most
cherished possessions; she has a wonderful talent for expressing the beauty and
power of horses.”
The sunset
bows through the studio window. A day of manipulating light, shadows, and expressions
add essence to canvas. “Who made me a better painter? Who will make me a better
painter? Horses of course!” exclaims Frédérique. “They teach me my job
everyday. The mystery we can see in their eyes makes me try to become a better
painter and to try in each new painting to put more soul. Each time I paint a
horse, it is like I take a little step toward sacred.”
Follow
Frédérique http://www.frederiquelavergne.com/
Gina
McKnight is a writer from USA http://gmcknight.com
Archived Article
Orginal Publication: Going Gaited Ezine copyright (c) 2012 gmcknight.
Orginal Publication: Going Gaited Ezine copyright (c) 2012 gmcknight.
All
rights reserved.
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| (c) Frédérique Lavergne |
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