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Artist of The Month: Lynn Wade
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by M. Y. Mim
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Artist Lynn Wade speaks
articulately about her professions as an artist and
previously working with horses. Lynn is one of those
remarkable women who followed her dreams, worked
very hard, and achieved what she set out to
accomplishment. Both she and her art inspire us.
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"I've been a horse person
my entire life. I turned professional at age
17. Drawing horses was always a small but
passionate hobby. My parents had both been
commercial artists in their youth and were
encouraging (I look back at drawings I did
at age twelve and think they're actually
pretty good!). It was obvious to everyone
who knew me that my career would be with
horses. They were my life.
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Full
Dress by Lynn Wade
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It was at age 40 (maybe after hitting the
hard winter ground
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off one last yearling Thoroughbred) that I thought
'I wonder if I could actually make a living
doing art...?' I know that i f I weren't an artist,
I'd still be getting tossed off those Thoroughbreds.
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So I began to reinvent myself as a
professional artist specializing in equine
art. I adore pastels and pencil (the Ansel
Adams of media), but my research told me
that oils sell best, so that's what I went
after. I started by doing commissioned work:
pet portraits of horses, dogs and cats.
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Photo of the
artist, Lynn Wade.
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Intruder by Lynn Wade.
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I starting teaching myself
in the only ways I could think of. I
subscribed to art magazines, tearing out any
painting that made me either hesitate and
look at it or turn the page back to look at
it again. Those paintings were doing
something right. I just had to figure out
what that was. I had never been in a
gallery, had no knowledge of art
terminology, no technical skills, but I
figured there was - in this totally diverse
group of paintings - some common
denominators, some elements that were
important for me to know. There were.
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I matched up all the parts
I liked with terms in art books: values,
chiaroscuro, focal point, edges,
complementary colors, and, most importantly,
light. Everything about light fascinated me:
The source of light, the bounce of light,
the effects of light and all the different,
delightful shadows that lack of light
causes.
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All this research and study took nearly
eight years. I was pushing fifty before I
got the nerve to pursue gallery
representation.
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Call of Duty by Lynn Wade.
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Three wishes by Lynn Wade.
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In those years, I absolutely threw
myself into the art world, taking it as seriously as
I had my first career with horses. It took me three
years to attain full membership into the American
Academy of Equine Art, and a couple more to become a
signature member of the Society of Animal Artists. I
entered national competitions, introduced myself to
artists whose work I liked and took some superb
workshops. I taught art (truly a great way to learn
yourself), audited Academy jurying sessions, and
donated paintings to local foxhunts for them to
auction off. I read any art books I could find and
tried to see real art whenever possible.
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My dearest friend for most of those hard years was
the artist whose work I admire the most, Lanford
Monroe. Lanford was truly a world - class equine
painter. When she said 'It's time for you to get
into a gallery. Why don't you move here to Taos?' I
did.
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The Golden Girls by Lynn Wade.
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It was Lanford, again, who decided it was time for
me to go for the absolute top southwestern art
gallery in the country: Trailside Galleries, which
represented her work for years. Walking into that
hallowed place with two 8 x 10" paintings was like
walking into the Vatican... but being able to tell
them I'd been recommended by Lanford was akin to
saying "the Pope sent me!" When the Managing
Director looked at my little paintings and said,
'OK, I'll start with these.' it was, in a way, a
breakthrough moment. If this gallery was going to
give me wall space next to a $100,000 Howard
Terpning piece, I had to be on the right track.
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Although I'd been making a living for years with my
animal portraits, it was then and there that I felt
I could fill in the 'Occupation' line with 'Artist.'
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I'm inspired by good art no matter
what the subject or medium. And it's funny, the
longer I paint and the better I get, the more
I admire - am astonished by - the talent of
good artists. But every day, light is my
inspiration. Low evening light coming through the
Spanish moss and our Gypsy Vanner horses' long manes
will make me absolutely foam at the lip. I want to
get that on canvas. I want to say 'see what I got to
see? Isn't this light just a wonderful thing?'
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Cushti Bok Magic In The Air by Lynn
Wade.
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Ready for Breakfast by Lynn Wade.
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Seeing, by the way, is an acquired skill; one
without which you cannot produce great
representational art. My husband says he sees things
he never would have before, since meeting me. High
praise." Readers no doubt echo Lynn
Wade's husband's assessment. ENM offers her
high praise, too.
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About the Author: M. Y. Mim is
a free-lance journalist based in Santa Barbara, Ca.
She may be reached at
mymim3@cox.net, or through
her agent R. Almqvist, 805-705-5349,
http://web.mac.com/macmym.
The author wishes to thank Mr. Almqvist for his
assistance in making this article possible.
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Copyright © 2008 All rights reserved. The above
article is the property of the Author and may not be
duplicated or redistributed in any way without
permission.
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