As a young child, I was enamored with the equine species, after all, isn’t every little girl? My passion could only be expressed on paper as owning such a creature wasn’t possible as a town dweller. I would sketch, color, read and dream about horses and so developed my artistic talents in that area. As an adult, I was fortunate to rescue the most magnificent horse ever. The big yellow man stole my
heart 13 years ago and hasn’t ever let me down. Though he is of mixed blood, his compassionate heart, massive form, large beautiful head, golden color and white mane and tail make him
absolutely breathtaking to me. Thus, Buddy is the inspiration for many paintings and for the name of my studio. As for being creative, I have always found ways to use different mediums as I come across them. Acrylic on canvas has always been a favorite but building funky wood art out of ‘found and discarded wood’ developed through the years and along with my Dad, we had great success at many Artisan markets. When my Dad passed suddenly in 2008, my personal creative inspiration left me and I immersed myself into teaching Art to high school students. When one is under budget restrictions, searching for inexpensive mediums is mandatory. A few of those collected items happened to be coyote skulls which graced my desk in all their toothy glory. When my daughter brought home a sun bleached cow skull she had found on one of her work sites (yep, passed on the “collecting” gene to her as well!) I found myself wondering how to use it in a unique way. That is when I became fascinated with the art of Pyrography which is also known as wood burning. A small coyote skull was my first victim and I loved the results and the process so much, I invested in a high tec pyrography system and began to burn! When I ran out of the few skulls I had collected, I began searching for more. Finding the large Hereford bull was like winning the lottery! After cleaning and drying, I knew I was onto a new type of canvas, one that I rather liked and found unique. I love the challenge that each new canvas brings whether it is bone, wood, beads, leather or cloth. I continue to develop my skills and widen my content focus in all areas. One day, my real job teaching Art and English will end and I can devote my days to my creations. Incorporating some clay sculpture into my menagerie of creativeness will be my next adventure! Until then,
Sue Wiberg ~ Yellow Horse Studio
