The Eye of the Beholder

” The eye of the beholder
reveals many mysteries
Like mirrors of infinity,
the layers of perception appear endless.”

~ Kim McElroy

A friend of mine once told me that every painting I made was created for someone.  This was a very profound statement, for sometimes I would create a painting and despair when I find a home for it until years later.  Other times, I would find someone to love the piece in a very brief time.  One thing I have discovered;  it is always a process of being in the right place at the right time.  Sometimes, it is a more mysterious process of connection than I expect.   When an inspiration comes to me,  I decide to follow through on the idea, I am unaware of the unseen forces that seem to move the person it was created for toward my circle of influence.

Horses’ eyes are incredibly deep, expressive, and reflective.  Their eyes are the one of the largest in the entire animal kingdom.  If eyes are like windows to the soul, they are also like mirrors that reflect what they see.  Often, when I’ve looked in my own horse’s eyes, I have seen a vision of myself, or a reflection of the sky, or the land which we call home.  Seeing these reflections in her eyes add meaning to the moment, for they give me a perspective of the moment and its meaning.

At the beginning of my career in 1987 I created a painting called The Eye of the Beholder, in which one horse is reflected in another horse’s eye.  When I created the painting, I was so focused on the dynamic of creating the illusion of two horses looking at each other, I didn’t realize until later that both horses were also looking at me.

Vision

“Nothing in the world is single:
All things by law divine,
In one spirit meet and mingle
Why not I with thine?”

~ Percy Bysshe Shelley

I revisited this concept years later, only this time I wanted to paint a woman reflected in a horse’s eye.  When I conceived of the piece,  I wanted the viewer to identify with the woman, so I created a woman in a pose that was thoughtful and introspective.  Her eyes were downcast, giving an introspective aire to her mood.  I chose a horse’s eye that was kind and soulful, with the bridge of the nose visible against the sky to give the impression of depth.. I decided to make the sky a cloudy gray to enhance the somber mood.

As I worked on the pastel, I had some difficulty in making the woman look like she was reflected in the eye, which involves some distortion, while still making the eye three dimensional.  I had almost completed the piece when, as an attempt to rearrange the composition to focus more on the eye, I decided to crop the left hand side of the painting.  I carefully covered the area to be removed with a sheet of paper to make sure it was the right idea.  It seemed to help the composition so I cut into the painting, sliced four inches off of the image, removed the excess, and my heart sank.  It was suddenly all wrong, how could I have made such an error in judgment?  The painting was ruined.

As I sat in this depressed state my friend, Susan walked into the room.  When she asked how things were, I said, “Awful,  I just ruined my painting!”  She walked over to my drawing table to look at it.  I held the two pieces together, and then apart, and explained why I had cropped it.  She pondered for a moment and said she hoped I could fix it.  Then she commented that the woman looked Native American.  “Really?” I replied.  “That’s interesting, because the model is an Asian woman.”  She suggested that I put some feathers in the woman’s hair to emphasize the connection.  Suddenly an idea struck me. “Better yet,” I said, “I’ll put the feather in the horse’s forelock!  But somehow I had to get this piece glued back together!”

I took the painting to my framers, who painstakingly mounted the pieces of the painting as close together as possible.  This still left a small crack, which I tried to fill with matching pastel chalk.  It was fairly effective, but I could still see the crack.

When I was confident that the piece could be recovered, I began thinking about the type of feather to draw.  I wanted to emphasize the Native American feeling, and when I looked around my studio my eyes landed on a wall hanging made with owl feathers.  This handmade sculpture had been given to me by a woman at one of my art shows.  She had collected my greeting cards for years, and when she found out I was the artist she was almost speechless.  She told me that of all the artists she had ever seen, my work touched her the most.

The next day she had returned, this time with a beautiful poem written on suede mounted with owl feathers.  She explained that the feathers came from a barn owl that had lived on her property for years.  Sadly, a neighbor had killed the owl.  She had saved the feathers to remind her of her wild friend, and she now chose to give them to me in a gesture of goodwill.  I had been incredibly touched by her willingness to pass along a precious talisman that meant so much to her.  Now, years later, her gift was to become a part of my painting.

The owl feather and forelock were exactly what I needed to bring the painting to completion, but I still wasn’t satisfied with the visibility of the crack.  I decided to camouflage it with the addition of feathers and a horsehair forelock.  My friend, Dallas, a horsehair braider, provided the humanely gathered horsehair, and my picture framers artfully worked the hair into the mat to give the illusion of a three-dimensional forelock.  The whole effect was quite striking, and I began to feel that the piece was better with these additions than it would ever have been.  Also, in this way the crack was well hidden.

I told my framer how the piece had evolved.  He was concerned about my inclusion of the owl feather and the interpretation of the meaning of an owl in Native American tradition.  He said he had once painted an owl on a drum, and a Native American man told him that it was a bad omen, that in their traditions an owl represented a symbol of death and transformation.  I loved Native American traditions and wanted to be in harmony with them.  I decided the inspiration must have come to me for a reason.    I named the painting, Vision.

I displayed the painting at my booth at a horse show a few weeks later.  The first day, a woman came up to my display and stood for a long time in front of Vision.  After awhile I approached her, and said this was the first time I had shown the painting.  She seemed lost in thought.  After a moment she commented how beautiful it was and said the theme had a very personal meaning for her.  She didn’t elaborate, but quietly walked away.

Later that afternoon, she returned to my display, walked up to my table, and said, “How much is that painting?  I’d like to buy it.”  She took me by surprise, for usually I talk with people for some time before they decide to buy an original.  So in an attempt to get to know her and why she liked my painting, I made conversation.  I told her how that the creation of this painting had been an incredible journey.  I told her the feather was of an owl, and that I had been told that some might think this an unwelcome omen.  She looked at the painting, and said quietly, “Then this has even more meaning for me than I realized, for my son died three months ago, and I felt like he was speaking to me through this painting.  He and his father were Native American.  Though I am not of their heritage, I share their beliefs, and the owl is a meaningful symbol.”

I was deeply touched by her insights, and by her willingness to share them with me.  Now I knew why I’d had the inspiration to include the owl, and also why the woman in the painting looked like she was sad. All of the elements had come together for a reason.

In the midst of that reverential moment, she had started to make out the check, when all of a sudden my reverie came to a screeching halt.  I hadn’t told her about the crack!  This painting had a flaw, and I’d better make sure she knew about it before she bought it.  I was sorry to break the mood, but I told her I must show her something concerning the painting.  We walked back over to Vision and I told her about the crack, and how it had come about.  I went to great lengths to explain that I honestly felt that if it hadn’t been for cropping the piece I would never have come up with the idea for the feather.  I was so concerned that she would think the painting imperfect, that I didn’t notice the slight smile forming on her lips.  At last she said in a knowing voice, “I know why you did that.”  Confused, I responded, “You do?”  “Yes,“ she replied.  “When Native Americans create a work of art, they always insert a flaw into the piece, for only the Creator can make something perfect.”  I stood totally speechless.  In that moment all of my path in creating Vision was became prophetic – for here, standing with me, was the one person in all the world whom I had created it for.

“Unicorn of the Sky”

“When the last moon is cast, over the last star of morning
and the future is past, without even a last desperate warning…
Look into the sky where through the clouds a path is formed
Look and see, how she shimmers, it’s the last Unicorn.”

~ Lyrics from the song “The Last Unicorn” by Jimmy Web

I have painted unicorns as long as I have painted horses. They filled my childhood notebooks and galloped across my homework. I never stopped to examine why I loved unicorns. I just did.

The unicorn is a creature that has existed in the minds and imaginations of the known world since before the beginning of written history. Historians and philosophers have struggled to explain the hold that the unicorn has on our imaginations. But like many legends such as the Sasquatch, and Loch Ness, their eternal mystery continues regardless of proof.

At some of the horse shows I exhibited my work at I would often meet horse people who scoffed at my unicorn paintings. They relegated the magic of unicorns to a fad or childhood fantasy. Some even commented that my paintings of unicorns would be better if they didn’t have horns. Years ago, I actually believed them. I removed the horns from two of my pieces in an attempt to sell them more effectively to the audience I thought I was trying to reach.

I later realized that instead of trying to reach the wrong audience, I should just create what inspires me and the people who felt drawn to those pieces would be the same people who felt the way I do. I felt that the same people who see unicorns as magic and wise, will often also perceive of horses as magic and wise. In me, love of unicorns and horses is the same thing; for unicorns are symbolic of the magical, elusive horses that are unrestrained by human bonds. Their realm lies beyond our conscious recognition, but they live on in the dreams and artwork that celebrates their enduring gifts.

I once had a dream of seeing a unicorn fossil in a museum. Inside a glass display case was a skull that resembled a horse, but on the forehead were the unmistakable outlines of where a horn had grown, though the horn itself was absent. The area glowed with a luminous iridescence. My heart leapt with joy to see a confirmation of my belief that unicorns existed. I wanted to shout to the disinterested spectators, “Do you see? Now, do you believe?”

“Believe”

“How can it be?” The unicorn wondered.  “I suppose I could understand it if men had simply forgotten unicorns.  But not to see them at all, to look at them and see something else ~ what do they look like to one another, then?
What do trees look like to them, or houses,
or real horses, or their own children?”

~  Peter S. Beagle

The idea for painting Believe came to me soon after while I was watching a video of running horses. The horses had unusual bridles, which crossed at the forehead. When they ran toward the camera, my attention to was drawn to their foreheads, reminding me of a charging unicorn. I hadn’t painted a unicorn for years. Perhaps it was time.

I found a photo I had taken years before of a beautiful white stallion named Calyndar. I would create him as a unicorn. When I began the painting, I had the impulse to create the background in the colors and shapes of a circular aura. I planned on creating the horn last, so the colors seemed appropriate to the magical nature of the theme. When I was close to completing the face, I began to realize that the horn itself was irrelevant. I remembered the theme from the well-known book and animated movie “The Last Unicorn” by Peter S. Beagle, in which only those who believed in unicorns could see their horn; those who were blinded by life, and who didn’t believe in magic would only see a white horse. In Believe, the horn is on the verge of appearing, depending upon the viewer’s own belief.My mother used to quote something she had read, “Faith is a conscious condition that cannot conceive of its opposite.” One has to have faith to believe in the power of unicorns. Faith is often needed for us to follow our dreams..

At an art show I met a woman who worked in artist relations for a well known collectibles company. She commented on my painting of Believe. I told her about my dream, and of my insights about why I did not complete the horn. Though I had told the story of the meaning of Believe to many people at my art exhibits, only a select few had understood and appreciated the theme of the unicorn. Most people were content with seeing a white horse. But, this woman surprised me by listening to my story and becoming enthusiastic about the perspective it offered of her own interpretations of the piece. We talked for over an hour about unicorns, and art, and human nature. When she departed, she smiled and said mysteriously, “I have something I must send you….”

“Sea Mystic”

“And in the whiteness, of the whiteness, flowering in the tattered water, their bodies arching with the streaked marble hollows of the waves, their manes and tails and the fragile beards of the males burning in the sunlight, their eyes as dark and jeweled as the deep sea ~ and the shining of the horns, the seashell shining of the horns!  The horns came riding in like the rainbow masts of silver ships.”

~ Peter S. Beagle

A few months later I received a package in the mail. Not knowing its contents I opened it with curiosity.. Inside was a card from the woman I had met at the show. I opened the inner package to reveal a replica of a life-sized unicorn horn topped with a wrought metal handle inlaid with amethyst. I stared at the artifact in quiet admiration, remembering my dream. When I opened the companion booklet of the origins of this creation by artist Michael Hague, I read the following:

“Faith… reveals more to the bearer than the necessity of having the Unicorn reveal itself to the skeptic. For, if the presence of the Unicorn exists within the heart, the exercise of proof is obsolete.” ~ Michael Hague

This could have been written for Believe. It said in a few words what I had been trying to say for years. I was deeply touched by the gift, though she could not have known the effect it would have on me, for the fact that she had thought to give it to me represented the enduring goodness of some people. It became a symbol of purity and of friendship. It showed me that my efforts in continuing to shine the light of unicorns into human hearts had reflected back on me in surprising ways.

“The Journey”

“On earth I met him as a white elk.
His mundane domestic captivity
did not diminish him
He shone on the distant hill
as sacred as a unicorn.”

~ Kim McElroy

As if I needed more confirmation of the magic of unicorns and my desire to write about them, I experienced probably the closest thing to a unicorn’s earthly counterpart. I was visiting my friend who lives in the rural hills of Tennessee. One day we drove past a farm that housed a large number of rare deer. She mentioned that it was a private preserve, and that they actually had a white elk. “A white elk!” I exclaimed, “I never knew there were such things!” We agreed to come back the next day.

When we pulled up to the farm and got out of the car many of the elk started vocalizing a strange call with a sound between that of an tropical bird and a calf. It was like a scene out of Jurassic Park. While listening to these unexpected and haunting noises we checked the house, which was unoccupied. Several of the elk in the large enclosure nearest the house started moving toward the fence, hoping for food. It was then that I spotted the white elk. He stood regally at a distance on a steep, grassy hillside. I moved toward the fence to see him more clearly. After determining that I wasn’t a threat, he made his way slowly towards me. His body and carriage made him seem old and cautious, but he boldly walked directly up to the fence to greet me. Unlike the other elk that had licked my hands expecting food and then departed, this one merely sniffed my hand in greeting and remained, watching me.
His movements and attitude were so like a horse that I found myself wanting to relate to him at the same emotional level. Here wasn’t some distant and skittish wild creature, but an animal that was familiar with humans. He was willing to relate with me regardless of the fact that I had no food. I admired his elegant horns, so strong. I gazed into his luminous, slate blue eyes, so close. He was rare and beautiful and lovely and sad. I stared through the fence, knowing that it was his protection as well as his nemesis. I knew that if unicorns existed in today’s world, they would probably be behind bars too.

But when I looked through my camera lens, the fence disappeared, and I could look deeply into his wise and luminous blue eyes. I was transported out of the mundane human world, and for a few miraculous moments I saw him as a unicorn – for this wise and beautiful white elk had the same mystery, the same benevolence, and the same melancholy aire of that legendary creature.

“Norwegian Woods”

“The branches of the trees bend under the weight of ice and snow,
forming mysterious shapes enveloped in cold, furry frost.
Dawn’s rays alight on a snowdrift mounded in the shape  of a sleeping unicorn;
the light warms her new limbs, as she awakens and comes to life.”

~ Kim McElroy

Whether or not one believes in unicorns, we can appreciate their symbolic qualities of purity and goodness, and vulnerability in the midst of strength. In this fast paced world, it is nice to hold on to a little timeless magic.  ~ Kim McElroy

“The Unicorn was a creature of love and compassion. As in today’s world,
the never-ending search for those virtues ended in the destruction of the very object of that search. The Unicorn now lives only in the hearts of those who yearn to know that love and compassion which has become so rare.”

~ Bill (Vern) Pittman

“The Messenger”

I created the Messenger in 1995 from the inspiration of seeing a picture of a beautiful horse running on the beach.  I was inspired to paint the horse with wings.  There was something about this horse that felt very familiar, and while I was creating it, and ever since, it has remained one of my most cherished works of art.  The original hangs by my desk – framed in silver wood carved with cherubs.

I later found out that the photograph I had worked from, was a memorial for the horse pictured…

A year later I attended a short workshop by a local shamanic practitioner who offered to guide the audience through a meditation designed to help us meet our “Animal Totem”.  I was very intrigued and really thought that I would try to stay completely neutral because surely it would be easy to imagine my guide would be a horse, and I wanted the meditation to not be affected by my expectations.  Therefore I was even more affected when the guide that did appear to me, was indeed, a horse.  And not just any horse, but a white horse with wings.

There are many stories about Messenger’s gifts to me, but two I’d like to share are on the subject of faith.

Sometimes our faith in the power of good is tested, especially when we witness abuse of animals.  Yet in times when I despaired that there was no comfort for the helpless animals of the world, I was given a sign, by one of the most powerful healers of all, the spirit of the horse.

I had arranged to stay overnight at a client’s home, to photograph her horse for his portrait.  As she gave me the quick tour of their small farm, I noticed a dog barking incessantly on the other side of the fence bordering the neighbor’s property.  I commented on it, and my client said the dog was chained up, and that there was a horse living there too.  She didn’t know if the horse was ever fed, and she had thrown hay over the fence on occasion, but was afraid of doing more.  She admitted she was disturbed by the conditions the animals lived in, but she had resigned herself that there was nothing more she could do as she didn’t think the authorities would investigate and she was afraid her neighbors would threaten her own property or animals if she were to bring accusation against them.

I peeked through the fence and could just make out the horse in the dark, standing among piles of trash, and subjected to the endless barking of an angry and hopeless dog.

That night I couldn’t sleep for thinking of them both.  I wondered what could I do?  I would be flying home the next day – 3,000 miles away.

The next morning as the plane took off, I began listening to a music cd I had purchased on my trip.  When I bought it, there was something that told me the music was truly powerful and I intended to plan its use in a film about horses.  The cd is called Agnus Dei, and is choir music that is hauntingly beautiful.  The first song is also titled Agnus Dei – which I later discovered means “Lamb of God”

As I heard the rising chords of music, I began to weep for the animals in that sad place, and for all horses who are in lost places.  I wrote the following poem through my tears, and it became a prayer…

The horse is a holy creature
sent to this earth to remind us of the Divine
He is uniquely connected to us.
He is our benevolent companion
and our guide
to the beingness we have forgotten.

His four strong legs carry us when we are weak
from the burdens of life.

His beauty inspires us
when our eyes are weary from crying.

His spirit uplifts us when our hearts lie dormant

Let us not forget.
Let us not abandon him
or any of his kind.
Let us not relegate him to a beast of burden
but acknowledge his unselfish gifts.

Let us always care for him as long as his legs touch the earth
and beyond.

He is our reminder of what grace is
He is our return to grace

Only by awakening to the true awareness of the horse
can we ever expect to understand him.
He speaks to us in the language of the heart, not the mind.
His true self is only given to those who seek to comprehend

Only those who ask
rather than demand
will receive his undying loyalty and generosity of spirit.

Awaken
to the message of the horse . . .

~ Kim McElroy

A few weeks later I was in touch with my client.  I asked if anything had improved next door.  She said, “You know it is a funny thing, the week after you left, a horse trailer came and picked up the horse…”  I felt that my prayer had been answered…

Another time, the Messenger sent me a sign when I needed his light again.  In 2005 I drove with my friend Connie to nearby Vancouver, Canada for an exciting retreat with Linda Kohanov and other equine assisted facilitators, at Sandra Wallin’s Chiron’s Way Equine Experiential Learning center.  I was scheduled to showcase my art that night at a lecture with Linda at a nearby theater.

We drove up to the bed and breakfast that had been recommended, as it was the closest place to where we were attending the workshop.  In addition the bed and breakfast had horses!  We thought, what better way to spend our time surrounded by horses day and night in workshop and in sleep.

We parked at the closed gate and got out of the car, chatting happily about our upcoming experience, and then both of us stopped, shocked, in our tracks.  Staring back at us were half a dozen horses in various conditions of neglect.  They were all extremely thin and hollow eyed.  Some wore blankets despite the summer heat.  They stood in dirt paddocks barren of grass and looked at us with eyes of sadness.  We stood rooted, neither of us could think what to do or say.  We didn’t want to enter the property with no one there, but we knew we had to do something.  We said to the horses, we will try to help, and numbly got back into the car.  We had to rush to get to the auditorium to set up for the lecture, but I was in no state to be talking to people about my art.  On the way there we tried to compose ourselves and discussed what we would do to confront the owners, and we needed to make new arrangements for accommodations as we obviously weren’t staying there.  We said a prayer for the horses and vowed to do whatever we could.  But again, it was a helpless feeling, knowing we were in another country – away from home, and not knowing the laws or procedures.  I kicked myself for not having the presence of mind in my shock, to take pictures of the horses and their conditions.

Connie and I unloaded the car and began to set up my art in the lobby of the auditorium.  The canned jazz music playing over the loudspeaker seemed a surreal counterpart to the emotional state we were in.  After several trips to and fro – I entered the building again.  And I heard an entirely different piece of music…  Agnus Dei – was playing on the loudspeaker…  of all music, of all the places… of all the times I needed to hear it.  I ran out to Connie with tears rolling down my face, and told her that there was hope…

The story is a long one, but suffice it to say that night we did confront the owners of the B&B who denied anything was wrong and they were outraged at our gentle but firm accusations.  They said that sometimes they left their horses blanketed in the winter and they got a little thin.  But that was all.  The authorities did follow up on our complaints but nothing was done.  However, the miracle that occurred was through human angels in the form of a couple who were also participants at the workshop.  They too saw the conditions of the horses, and bravely stayed on as guests of the B&B.  They worked their way into the confidence and trust of the people and learned their story and their excuses, and gently tried to point out the conditions of the horses in a way that was non-threatening.  In the end, they were even allowed to buy one of the horses, and she lives happily to this day as a shining example of their dedication and ability to forge into the darkness, and find the light.

“The Messenger” continues to provide me with healing and support in my art and in my life.  I am forever grateful for his gift…

~ Kim McElroy

Dear One, be comforted
The Great Mystery is a beginning
Rather than the appearance of an ending
We never stop growing…

Even now, in your sadness
You can open the doors to healing in your heart
Then we shall enter the Mystery, together…

~ Kim McElroy

Noche’s Lessons on Intuition

This work of art was inspired by a horse named Noche .  Author Linda Kohanov has shared many stories of Noche in her books “Tao of Equus” and “Riding Between the Worlds”.  Noche assisted Linda in her equine assisted therapy practice and one of his special gifts was in allowing people to heal their unresolved grief.   In the book and card set Linda and I co-created called “The Way of the Horse”, Noche represents “The Master of Sadness” – and stands for Sadness and Grief, The Power of Tears, and Release and Rejuvenation.

Noche passed away before I met Linda, so I never had the chance to meet him in person, but I feel as if I know him, for he taught me that intuition isn’t limited to direct experience, and that even a photograph can allow one to tap into spiritual awareness.

In Linda’s books, she refers to intuitive messages she has received from the equine collective mind that she calls “The Horse Ancestors”.  For many of us who have enjoyed her books, the concept of these ancestors was very powerful.  Over the years I’d had a few experiences in meditation where I felt I had connected with horse guides in different forms, but usually these experiences were during a deep meditative state.

Then one day I had an experience that made me realize that intuition can happen in the blink of an eye in any normal, day to day circumstance.  Before we had conceived of the “Way of the Horse” cards, Linda and I were at an event together where she was presenting a lecture and a slide presentation that included her horses.  Upon seeing Noche’s photograph I felt compelled to close my eyes and I asked if he had a message for me.  I had done this in the presence of horses, but I had never asked in this way from looking at a photograph.  Instantly, I had a vision of a shape of curved lines – like the familiar entwined ribbon pin people wear in support of a cause.

When I later mentioned it to Linda, she raised her eyebrows and said, “That is the image that the horse ancestors once gave me; it is the a symbol of two rivers flowing together, then meeting and mingling.  It represents the energy of Equus (horse) and Anthropos (human) entwining.  It seems to speak to the ancient connection we have with horses.”  She had written about the symbol in her book “The Tao of Equus” but I didn’t remember the reference.

Her confirmation that the symbol I had envisioned had such a profound meaning to her, gave me a thrill of excitement and a deep confirmation of my life’s path of learning and growth, and a renewed sense of wonder at the mystery of horse consciousness.  I had been learning to access my inner wisdom through tapping into my body awareness, and horses were the catalyst that had taken me deeper into my own personal insights.  Those experiences with horses then began to expand into receiving intuitive messages from the horses, but how was I to trust that what I was receiving had meaning?  When I began sharing my experiences with others like Linda who were equally curious, their confirmation that I had received information I had no way of knowing otherwise, allowed me to begin trusting that what I received was meaningful.

When I later created this painting for the Way of the Horse card deck.  I chose to portray the flowing shape in Noche’s portrait.  When Noche passed away,  Linda shared that she saw the light of the light of the setting sun reflecting in his eye, and that a single tear sparkled there as he crossed over into spirit.  Tears are an expression of the inexpressible.

From my own self development and healing with the “Way of the Horse” card deck, I often drew the “Master of Sadness” card, and thus Noche assisted my healing in ways I can’t begin to describe.

Horses seem to tap into our deepest psyche.  In their silent but dynamic presence, they have a timelessness about them that invites self inquiry.  We all have the potential to receive their wisdom, because it is also our own.

I hope you will think about and share your own intuitive experiences you have had with horses….

“When horses are treated kindly and with respect, they will show their sentience.” ~ Teresa Tsimmu Martino

“The path of Life can contain what may seem like detours
What may look like dead ends…
Yet in any journey there are countless crossroads
We must watch for them

When we turn down a crossroad,
We can leave behind our goal
Thus, not knowing the destination
We may find what we seek”

~ Kim McElroy

Custom signed Giclees available at www.spiritofhorse.com

Path Fulfilled Insights
This painting is a Soul Essence portrait created of a mare named Kaylaa. I asked to understand more about her to convey her Soul Essence to her owner Nicole, and also for any information that she might need for her own self as well.

I envisioned Kaylaa as an Afghan tribal horse.  Her task was to carry her rider with an important message to a distant tribe.  But somewhere in the journey – I saw sabotage.  Enemy hands took her halter, and what she carried was taken, but the saddlecloth was removed and left in the dirt. From Kaylaa I felt a sense of loss at not being able to accomplish her task.

I felt Kaylaa needed to believe that she had accomplished what was needed.  So I decided to envision her arriving in triumph to the allies.  A great crowd gathered and called out greetings in ululations of celebration and pride.  She was so proud, high stepping.  The tribe honored her with a gift – it was a cross within a circle. I asked if Kaylaa could receive the wisdom from an animal totem, and the Carrier Pigeon appeared.  This guide was so appropriate to her goal.  I saw Kaylaa in my mind’s eye standing proudly with the cross around her neck, having accomplished her task and with a renewed sense of accomplishment and completion.

In my research for her painting I learned that In the Celtic world and sometimes in the near East, the cross-in-circle was meant to stress that it is ‘this world’ to which we are to return.  I researched Afghan horse culture and discovered reference to a tribe called the Uzbek or Lakai.  Lakai culture was intensely focused on horses and horse breeding.  I used a traditional ‘Da-our’ saddle cloth design for the border for Kaylaa’s painting.

The visions I have are sometimes very complex and I am amazed at the information I receive when I begin researching imagery that I see.  At every turn and crossroad through history and human culture, we find the horse has been there before.

My meditation with Kaylaa seemed to speak to other teachings I have enjoyed – from authors such as Richard Bach and Jane Roberts, who speak of time as network of interwoven relationships and that what we perceive of as “past” and “future” and “now” as all relative.  How powerful, to set the intent for a journey – by knowing there are no mistakes, and that we can also go back and choose a different path.

“From the shadows of night
I emerge into light
Carrying with me the mystery of my making
Did I always exist, thus
Or have I appeared, just
in the moment of your waking…”

"Satin fire" available as a custom signed giclee at www.spiritofhorse.com

Satin Fire Insights
“Satin Fire” was a painting that sold in 1987 before I’d had it photographed.  Fortunately the collectors lived locally and recently they kindly allowed me to borrow it back to have it photographed, so it is now I can share it with my fans.  It is always an experience seeing a work of art that I created in the early stages of my artistic explorations.  The texture of the pastel, the paper, the composition and technique are all slightly different from what I do now, yet the essence of the spirit, the intent of infusing paper with pastel to create life… is vividly there.  It is like being reacquainted with an old friend.  Perhaps Satin Fire had to wait until now… to be revealed to someone who only now needs to see it…

One day while staying at Connie’s ranch we had a break from the busy schedule and I spent an hour or so with Connie’s horses out in their field.  Connie’s horse, Chasta, is a honey colored mare who has a deep wisdom and sense of self.  As I lay on the bench by the pond, she graciously came over to me and gently nuzzled my torso and head.  I felt very peaceful and when I sat up I felt blessed that she had chosen to nap right next to me. 

I closed my eyes in contentment and a vision began forming.  I believe it was Chasta who communicated this message to me.  It was clear to me that the vision had many interpretations, but that it was especially appropriate for the experience our group was having in going out and reaching people to showcase the film and trying to raise human consciousness about horses.

Enlarged view here

Once there was a Being called the Beekeeper
He happily and diligently tended his hives
Only instead of bees, they were full of horses…
Horses of every size and shape, color and breed.

With the Beekeeper’s blessing,
One by one the horse beings left the hives.
They flew to the Earth realm, disguised as earthbound creatures
Only instead of seeking flowers, they sought human beings

The horses were most drawn to the humans that were open hearted
Only those humans could be pollinated with ideas and inspirations
With this miraculous partnership, the horses and humans thrived.

The horse beings are still working to this day…
Patiently waiting for more human beings to bloom
So they can continue to share their knowledge.
There is much to be done.

~ Kim McElroy

"Luminous" is available at www.spiritofhorse.com as a custom signed giclee ~ available in 4 sizes

 
“The Blessing”

Come, drink from river of Universal Knowledge.
With eyes unclouded ~ you will see
that spirits are not merely of the air,
they are woven into the fibers of the world.
With a heart unburdened ~ you will know
that Angels come in many forms…

~ Kim McElroy

"The Blessing" is available at www.spiritofhorse.com as a custom signed giclee ~ available in 4 sizes

“The Blessing” Insights

This painting is a Soul Essence portrait created of a filly named Shana.
Shana’s name is short for Justanemoshan – so named by her breeder, Barb.
I asked to receive knowledge of Shana’s soul essence and what she came to express of herself for Nicole and John and any other’s whose lives she touches, in a way that I could paint for her portrait.

I entered a beautiful glen with a river surrounded by trees of Fall colors.  The river spoke to me and told me that Shana receives Universal knowledge.
Shana conveyed to me that all of Nature was full of energy – horse energy and others, and that everything is connected.  That the spirits of all who have ever been and gone, are still here in the fibers of the world.  That we can learn to understand that spirits are not as intangible as we believe – our limited perception of them almost as like “air” , but rather they are in every rock and tree and river and leaf, the cells and the molecules and the fiber of nature. 

I asked Shana if we could know more about her own essence, and she lifted her head high up, and a human-like form of light emerged from her throat and neck and chest, as if she had metamorphosed for a moment into an angel.  She told me she is an earthly counterpart of the Archangel Raphael.

 
Nicole later shared with me that all this was so significant because many people are drawn to touch or be near Shana’s neck and chest – and that Shana will maneuver herself to intentionally put people there.  That her hair is so soft there it is almost unreal…

Later Shana’s breeder, Barb, told me the name Shana  means “God is gracious”…. 

Nicole Birkholzer is an Equine Inspired Personal Coach visit her website at www.birchwoodfarm.us

Nicole Birkholzer and I are offering a play shop September 10th – 13th at Birchwood Farm Westhampton, MA entitled “The Art of Attunement” Aligning with Horses and Nature through Art, Movement, and Meditation
for more information visit www.birchwoodfarm.us

This week’s inspiration flowed out of me late one night as I pondered our connection to our beloved horses who have passed on, and to the horse spirits who call to our souls.  The mystery of  our connection with horses is elusive as it is tangible. Much like the process of writing or art.  Creativity is unformed until we express it, and then the expression just takes us deeper into the mystery.

Someone asked me recently how I came up with my inspirational writings each week, and I told them that when I look at a collection of my paintings one will catch my eye and then I know there is something in me that wants to emerge.  I sit and wait for it and then words start to come.  This is how I’ve always written, even as a child. 

I remember sitting down to write my first poem at the age of 9 or so, and feeling the need to express some unspoken feelings that weren’t in the form of a conversation, or a story – but rather in as few words as possible to convey the meaning. 

I hope you will share your own insights into connecting with horses spirits…
 

“The Legend”
In the dark of night
a magic awakens
the veil is lifted
and for a short time
horse spirits walk the earth…

They call to our hearts
in the language of dreams

If you listen closely
you will hear them

If you wait patiently
you will feel them

Then, in wonderment and joy
you will remember

And until you meet again
the stars will shine
with new meaning…

"The Legend" by Kim McElroy available at www.spiritofhorse.com as a signed giclee print ~ available in 4 sizes

Insights into “The Legend”

“The Legend” was originally created as an illustration for a toy series and children’s book called “The Legend of the Night Mares” www.wildheartranch.com.  When I read author Dawn Van Zant’s story of 3 mares escaping capture by climbing a mystical path to the stars, her evocative story inspired me to visualize this painting in its entirety.  I then knew it was an inspiration who’s time had come.

 Leanin’ Tree Greeting cards originally published this image as a sweet card celebrating pursuing one’s dreams.  Then later they released it as a horse sympathy card with the phrase… heaven has welcomed a new angel.

 “The Legend” has become a powerful symbol that represents two themes.  To some, it represents our mysterious connection to the spirits of horses. 
As horseman Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling so aptly describes in the documentary “The Path of the Horse” – throughout history and culture – horses have always represented the line between the mystical world and the tangible one. 

To others who have lost a beloved horse, it is a poignant vision of the veil between worlds, and a faith that horse spirits return to that mystical place.  And perhaps come back again…

Davina and I started working together in 2005 when she contacted me to purchase a set of coasters of her favorite painting, “Shadow Dancer”.  From the very first time we met over the internet, we knew we were in sync with our love of horses and our artistic talents and our dreams of sharing our creative ideas with the world.

Davina has become an integral part of my business and my accomplishments, and I hers, and neither of us could have achieved as much without the other.  

I’d love to hear stories from you about how the love of the horse has inspired you to connect with wonderful people in your lives.  Or if you have stories of how dolphins and horses are linked in your minds and hearts…

 
We are linked
In the intricate web of life
With our joint momentum
We can move forward
With the energy of connection

The Water of our emotions
sustains us on the journey
The Sky of our dreams
gives us horizons to aim for
The Fire of our passions
gives us the fuel for our dreams
While the Earth
keeps us centered and grounded

We two – can go further than we would alone…

"Brother Earth, Sister Sea" custom signed prints available at www.spiritofhorse.com

“Brother Earth, Sister Sea” Insights

The story of the creation of this painting is another example of how connections with others can inspire beautiful things.  The idea for the painting was sparked by a conversation with a woman who was a collector of my work.  She shared that the horses hidden in the waves in my painting, “Night Run” (Shown May 11) reminded her of dolphins, and how her young daughter’s two favorite things were dolphins and horses.  This topic made me reflect that I too have always been drawn to dolphins, and I realized that the two seemed very similar in their behaviors and their mysterious connection with humans.  The next morning I was having breakfast with my mom at a local restaurant and the image of what would become “Brother Earth, Sister Sea” came completely formed into my mind.  I quickly sketched it on a napkin (as is the habit of artists when no other paper is handy!)

When I shared this painting over the years I had many fascinating discussions with people who shared their own stories of how closely dolphins and horses were connected.  One woman was a marine biologist and a horsewoman.  She shared how closely their social dynamics were and that she had used these insights in her work. She asked me why I had chosen to paint the Common Dolphin instead of the Bottlenose.  I said I felt the Common Dolphin’s face and body seemed more elegant and refined like the Arabian horse, and she said, “Yes, I always thought of Bottlenoses as like Quarter Horses!”