Saturday 14 January 2012

I owe it all to Jazz

Jazz
my mahogany boy, grazing at home



A small Combined event at Beaver Lake


One day old


My buddy

Jazz Braided for a show


Hello there, my camera is not working right now so apologies for not posting much lately. I love to share which is why I am motivated to blog and show my art. I do it for me.

Originally I tried selling my wares at craft shows and got into the Sooke Fine Arts show which I was so proud of and sold my piece. I was ecstatic! I have a great job with the government of BC in Avalanche and Weather programs and now I only have a couple of years left before I can retire so I didn't want to give that up. I decided a few years ago that I would stop selling my art as my paying job can be quite stressful and I needed to take better care of myself. It was a great decision and I started making art I wanted to make not what I thought other people would buy. Now isn't that what an artists is really supposed to do. Hell Yes, I say!!!

As a result I feel like I have really grown as an artist and I am so much more satisfied with what I create. I find it far more therapeutic too. It helps me cope with any challenges I have to deal with and I have had way more than my fair share of challenges in the last year! I don't think I would have survived if I didn't do art and art journalling.

I owe my artistic gift to Jazz. Jazz was my horse I bred and I was so proud of him. He was a great blend of both his mom and dad taking the best qualities of each. A breeders dream. I pulled him out of his mom, Personality on May 19 1986, cleared his nostrils and the first thing he saw was me. Mom? He had 2 moms me and his real mom :) He was a huge brat but very loveable, and a huge challenge to train. I discovered when he was about 4 years that he loved to jump and so I indulged this to assist with training and it worked very well. Dressage is what I really wanted to do but he found it so boring. Once we got the basics down and on to the more challenging movements his interest started to peak. He was elegant and athletic so when you got him engaged it was INCREDIBLE! He had just started to excel at Dressage when the unthinkable happened.

When he was 11 he ate some Yew tree branches and died. I was devastated. We were 2 peas in a pod. He was like my child and we shared a dressage and jumping career, we we best friends, I have never ever had such close relationship with another soul before. For 2 years I sunk into a deep depression I was obsessed with not forgetting any detail of him. I started writing about him, anything I could think of no detail too small. I also added any and all photos of him I could find but there was so many moments that there was no photo for and there was never going to be that opportunity. :(


I must learn to draw.


And so it started.


My gift of art is from him and now I can't imagine my life with out it.


I still miss him but he will be in my heart forever. Thank you Jazz!


6 comments:

Inspire Others said...

Hello Pattio,
Jazz is beautiful, sorry for your lost. I used to work with horses (The World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions) on tour. They were majestic horses and I will remember them always. I have a picture on my blog of "Majorio" an Andalusian that I use to ride and take care of. BTW, I've been following for a while, I enjoy your mixed media creations and your blog. Stay well and until next time☺
MoMeMa

lynne h said...

wow, patti, i didn't know this. i thought you'd *always* drawn. thank you for writing all of this down and telling us!

jazz was so, *so* beautiful...

xoxo

Anonova said...

So in a way Jazz was responsible for us becoming friends too, since art is what drew us together! Thanks Jazz! :)

Evidence of an Artistic Life said...

Beautiful piece-I knew of your love for Jazz, but I did not know that he led you to art!!!!
hugs, chris

Eva said...

What a touching story!Jazz was a beautiful animal and like a death of a child I can only imagine how devastating it was for you.If your wonderful talent blossomed as a result of your lost, then it wasn't all in vain. Like the Phoenix who rose from the ashes, you survived and triumphed.
As a retired as a professional artist, I can relate to creating for yourself. However, I have found not having a buyer for all of the work I create, my drive has slowed down. My studio is over running with unsold art!

Lisa Graham said...

Jazz was lovely lovely animal. Wow. Horses are so majestic, aren't they? I think your art is beautiful. Have you seen the movie War Horse? Your story of how you were with your horse makes me think of this movie.