Wildhorse Ranch Rescue Fundraiser for Einstein!

One of my favorite rescues to work with is Wildhorse Ranch Rescue in Gilbert, AZ. Not only is the founder and chairman Kim Meagher a wonderful person, she's a dear friend. I just love her. She is one of the kindest human beings I know. She started Wildhorse Ranch when she discovered the plight of homeless horses in 1995.

She and her children privately rescued horses until 2000, when she applied for non-profit status for WHRR. With the help of many friends, volunteers, and donors, Kim and WHRR have been able to help save many horses from abuse, neglect, and death.

This past week, when they were travelling back from an event, someone on the freeway slammed into  the horse trailer, resulting in serious injuries for Einstein, a much-loved horse rescued by WHRR.

Einstein (pre-accident)

In order to help raise money for Einstein's care and recovery, I volunteered to make some artwork featuring Einstein. We are auctioning these paintings, the proceeds from the sales of which will be donated back to WHRR. Scroll down to find bidding links.

Here are the paintings, both acrylic on canvas with color wrapping around the edges.

"Kick Up Your Heels" - 24x30 inches. This piece is large and stunning with vivid colors. This image celebrates the energy and joy of a rescued animal, rendered in the brilliant colors of the Southwest.

Click here to bid.

"Little Sister" - 16x20 inches. This piece is smaller, but no less vibrant. It features an image of Einstein meeting his new little herd sister, Pixie the burro. The original reference photo hangs in the barn at the ranch. I love it because it reminds me of the unfailing generosity and devotion of Kim and the rescue angels at WHRR. That a strong bond can be formed between the most unlikely of friends.

 Click here to bid.

Auctions will end on Sunday night, February 1st at 9pm. Please share this post with your friends and your network to spread the word about Einstein and WHRR. 

Want to see how I made the paintings?

Click here if link doesn't embed.

Second link.

WHRR Barn Opening

I'm so glad to be in The Valley of the Sun for winter. While the summers are hellish, the winters are lovely and the weather is perfect.

I was invited to paint at Wildhorse Ranch Rescue's barn grand opening and it was a delight to be around so many animal lovers, rescue workers, volunteers, and equine animals. There were some cats too, I think, and dogs. But I was mostly looking at horses and burros. Here are a few photos of my time there.

 Photos by Bud Anderson

Along with the finished paintings:

Yeehaw!

Wildhorse Ranch Rescue and DawgArt

Over the years, I have been privileged to forge friendships with people in the rescue business. One of my favorite people is Kim Meagher, with Wildhorse Ranch Rescue.

Kim is one of the most passionate and kind people I know. She has been rescuing horses for almost 20 years.

Last night, I was privileged to participate in one of WHRR's events, a charity concert at the historic Orpheum Theater in Phoenix with Spencer Day as the headlining performer.

I gotta tell you, Spencer Day is brilliant. Two of his songs (he writes his own material) made me cry. I met him after the concert and we talked about music and art and mental illness and I can't tell you how much his music meant to me.

You can hear one of my favorite two songs here.

So how many of you have been to the Orpheum? I've never been there, and it was pretty amazing inside. Here are some photos of the interior. I had to use flash, so the atmosphere of the photos doesn't approach what I was experiencing, but you can get an idea at least of the detailing.

I brought two donated paintings featuring WHRR horses Finn, Dunny, and Einstein, and a blank canvas to work on. You can see the set up here. I started painting before the show started and basically finished the piece by intermission. It went really fast.

Here's the finished painting:

Would you like a print of this painting? Visit Etsy.

Would you like to purchase this painting? Click here.