Artist Alley

ART OF THE HORSE

LEONARDO

AND THE SAN LUIS REY VALLEY

OCEANSIDE CA

                                        Leonardo's Horse Milan Italy

In 1992, I was new to the San Luis Rey Valley in Oceanside. One misty morning as I was driving to the Library, I happened to look up the hill and there, was a beautiful white Horse at the top looking very much like a story out of Camelot. Stopping the car I walked up the road, and stopped at a very old ranch. This was the Davy Jones Ranch and later I was to meet Mr  Jones. He told the story of the White Horse of the Valley. “He keeps the Valley” Mr Jones told me, he was never ridden, but was allowed to run free and now, the Valley is his in our memories.

My fascination with Horses began reading the Black Stallion Horse books by Walter Farley when I was nine years old. These books were my doorway into the Horse World. Drawing horses behind my book in class was a way to keep the boredom afar, and did get me into trouble. When older, my passion took me to the classical arts and I found Leonardo.

Leonardo was a giant of invention, writings, painting, and sculpture. His most ambitious sculpture concept was to create a giant bronze Horse. For twenty years he toiled on the impossible dream, and it was not to be. For the technology of the day was not able to cast a solid form as gigantic as was the plan. His Horse* was cast in America and today stands in Milan Italy. Replicates are found in the United States. 

The passion for the White Horse was a driving force for me in the following years. I spent many days sitting next to the great White Horse, Kublai Khan. He was the last of a herd of white Arabians which ran across the Valley. I sketched many images of his beautiful head, the large soft eyes glowing with the intelligence and wisdom of his age. People all over the Valley knew the White Horse and loved him as did I. He died one day after the climb up the high hill of the valley, he was thirty six years old. They buried him there with the Century Plant that still stands there today. 

Farewell to Khan

I still see him, high on his hill, remembering him through the morning mists of that day so long ago. A painting of his spirit, Farewell to Khan is in the collection of a dear friend in Oceanside.The challenging spirit of the Khan is in my private collection until I find my friend on the High Hill and stand with him in the San Luis Rey Valley in Oceanside.

The White Horse of the San Luis Rey Valley

                                                  

The White Horse was honored to be in the Ocenanside Museum of Art's 25th Celebration of existence. Twenty Five years of Art,  Exhibition for the Arts in Oceanside CA.  OMA is located in the downtown Cultureal Arts District on Pier View Way.

* For more detailed history of da Vinci's Horse you will find that his model was based upon the life image of the Friesian Horse. He named his horse which was discribed as "jet black" Cicciolino.