Tether Series

I have done hundreds of sketches of horses from life over the past twenty years. I thought I was practicing, figuring out just how elements of the horses’ anatomy worked together. A trip to Mongolia brought about a sea change in my thinking. Watching the Mongolians tether and tack their horses I realized that sketching has more to do with experiencing a moment than prepping for long term drawings in the studio. Each line accumulates to form an image, as each bit of rope or rawhide combines to make the halter or bridle the horse and rider needs at that moment. The horses without their tack are beautiful, but with line, collected and willing. Their strength and passion are in evidence either way, but the line assists the rider in experiencing that passion, as the drawing assists the viewer in sharing that experience.

The drawings you see below are of the bridles and rope work the Mongolian horsemen created for their horses, along with larger drawings created from my on-site sketches of the horses themselves. They are drawings of drawings, and drawings of lines, lines that explore structure and my way of understanding the world.