Rebecca Prow, Artist
About The Artist
I am a self-taught artist that relishes in new challenges. I view every piece as a challenge to better my skills. I have been an animal love since day one. I currently have German Shepherds, a mini-Schnauzer, Quarter Horses, Nubians goats, standard and minis, mini-Herefords, and Blue Laced Red Wyandotte Chickens. They are frequently subjects in my artwork.
I ride and compete in Ranch Versatility with my little palomino mare, Salty. We do cattle work, trail classes, and pattern classes. I love a horse that can do anything and everything asked of it! TuffEnuf is my older horse. I have had him 13 years now and he is semi-retired. I still putz around him from time to time.
Artist Statement:
My artwork is realistic portraiture, and my hope is to capture the emotions or thoughts of my subject which may involve a little anthropomorphizing. For example, the sheer love and admiration a dog’s eyes can hold, the exuberance for life baby animals have, the servitude of a good horse, and the placid, peacefulness of cows.
I love working with strong lighting and deep shadows, and different, interesting angles. I have always enjoyed drawing the little details, the eyelashes, the highlight just right in the eye, and even almost every hair sometimes. I have always preferred drawing over painting because of the control I have with pencils. I started with graphite and added colored pencils in time. But most recently I have taken up pastels and I love them! They have brought a softness to my art and seem much more painterly. And I have enjoyed creating backgrounds much more with pastels.
My work is important to me because I strongly believe we are all God’s creations, we all have a soul, and we are all wonders to this World. I do not feel that these creatures are here on Earth simply to be used but to also be cared for and cherished. If people feel animal emotions in my art, I hope they feel more drawn to care for and cherish them, from the calf to the mountain lion. We are stewards of the land and the creatures in it.
It is my hope that my audience will be able to put themselves in my art and feel the warmth of the sun hitting an old dog taking a nap, a joy in the heart at the antics of baby animals, and a softness for horse’s curiousness and servitude. Or simply to pull at a memory of an animal they once connected with on a deep level and feel the love in their heart again.
