Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Update on Lightning: Painting Number 6 Mustang A Day Challenge

"Lightning"
Originial Acrylic painting on canvas board
10 by 8 inches
$265.00
Thanks to the many advocates and photographers following the Sand Wash Basin HMA in North West Colorado I have been able to follow through personal contact and on Facebook the many wild horses of this herd.

Lightning is among my favorites. This past winter he passed away of old age on the range where he was born. He was well over 20 years of age before he finally lost his band. The following is what I wrote regarding this magnificent stallion when I first posted this original painting in 2010:

"Lighting is a very flashy black  pinto horse with what appears to be a large white dagger on his face in the form of a blaze then a lighting mark on his left side neck and stomach. He has other white markings too. Lighting is a perfect example of the ever changing circumstances of the band stallions. Last year, according to heard watchers at Sand Wash Basin HMA, he had a small band of mares and foals, however by this summer one by one each mare had been stolen by other stallions. "

Later in his life in the months before his death, Lightening began to pal around with Picasso, one of the most famous wild pinto stallions in the west and certainly in Colorado. By this time Picasso had lost his mares as well and the two stallions kept each other company. They were seen frequently together on the range. It occurred to me as I heard and read the stories and observations, this is the way really long living wild stallions live in retirement. Rarely are wild horses, even stallions, alone and friendless in nature.

You can read more about Lightning and the other horses in the challenge on the Mustang A Day Blog:
http://mustangadaychallenge.blogspot.com/2010/12/lighting-of-sand-wash-basin-hma-mustang.html
Special Thanks to Nancy Roberts for the reference photography of Lightning.


See more of the Paintings I have done in collaboration with the Wild Horse Photographers and advocates here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MustangADayChallenge?section_id=10096928&ref=shopsection_leftnav_2

Thank you for looking. ~Linda

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