Donna Bernstein
I paint the classic form of the horse in modern colors and a signature style. Through my process, I have come to understand that, “it is not horses that I paint; I paint the way they make me feel.”
I grew up without horses, and through art could experience them. My work is full of the dreams of horses, the horses of my imagination, the horses I never had. Endless in design, personality and style, I ride with them now on an artistic journey.
There is more to a horse than just a picture of him; there is a symbolism, a mythology, an ancient and universal connection we can trace through our own humanity. My kinetic equine works are filled with this mythology of the horse as experienced in art, culture, and history.
And sometimes you just have to paint large...many of my artworks vary from 4x5 feet and up. Horses inspire me in very different ways, each with his own personal energy. That energy is what I paint. That is why if I am doing a commission piece I like to see pictures and more preferably videos of the horse moving, if I can’t make a personal visit. It’s the attitude and the kinetic that gets me. Horses are Big energy, and that is what I paint.
I feel lucky to be profoundly aligned with the infinitely expressive equine, as they are an animal unique in their ability to mirror the spirit, reflect our imagination, and inspire action.
