On my Facebook page I discuss how to use the “Way of the Horse – Equine Archetypes for Self Discovery” Book and Card set
which I co-created with author Linda Kohanov

I invited readers to ask a question I could pose to the Cards as a sample reading.
Below I will be sharing a question and an excerpt from the book, as well as my own interpretation:

www.facebook.com/WayOfTheHorseCards

Jayne’s Question for the Cards was:

“Hello thanks for the opportunity here . I wish to ask the purpose of my daughter and her issues at this moment as we are both experiencing the same issues , we are both very stressed and anxious and experiencing financial issues and also feeling stuck in moving forward . Nothing seems to be in flow at the moment as though life is frozen . So much emotional , mental and physical blocks in the way , we were in flow then a obstacle has come before us . She is my mirror if i can clear ME i know i will help her too . Thanks for reading hope this makes sense …Namaste xx”

“Way of the Horse ~ Equine Archetypes for Self-Discovery” Book and Card set available for $35 at www.spiritofhorse.com

The card I selected for Jayne was “Field of Dreams”

“Field of Dreams” Pastel Painting by Kim McElroy www.spiritofhorse.com

Field of Dreams

Unexpressed Vitality and Imagination
Heart’s Desire
Self-Care Supporting Innovation

The Gift
No matter how disconnected you feel from the needs of your own soul,
this image reminds you that the restless spirit inside, the one that sometimes
feels dominated and spurred on by the demands of society and survival,
that dark horse racing through your dreams, is not so much
running away from responsibility as galloping toward the fulfillment of
your deepest heart’s desire.

The Challenge
The temptation to rein in this horse – and all he represents – is premature.
Turn him loose, let him play, watch him express himself on his own terms,
and he’ll lead you to a more soulful relationship with power,
intuition, instinct, and creativity.

Excerpt from the Way of the Horse Guidebook text by Linda Kohanov:

“Self-care is the key. Many educational, societal, and parental dictates are designed to turn people into workhorses.  Resist the urge to run yourself into the ground.  Taking time to rest, eat well, and enjoy life nourishes creativity, allowing you to move from a surviving to a thriving orientation.

Horses can help you explore the paradox of power and vulnerability, passion and gentleness, freedom and partnership.  If you’ve never owned a horse, this urge may very well mark the reawakening of a childhood dream.  If you’re an experienced equestrian, you may be craving the kind of relationship that first drew you to the barn – the magical connection between horse and human.

… In this field of dreams, you will glimpse a new way of being. ”

My insights on the creation of “Field of Dreams” and how it lead to a New Way of Being for me:

Follow me into fields of dreams
Where the honey-scented lupine revives your imagination
You will be surrounded by purple; the color of intuition and dreams
My coat is the color of mystery and midnight
I reflect all colors of light and shadow.
I will carry you on a journey through the meadows your soul remembers

~ Kim McElroy

“Namaste” Artwork by Kim McElroy www.spiritofhorse.com

Sometimes, the portrait takes on a life of its own beyond the story of the horse and their person.  The portrait becomes a work of art that means something to another, or many others.  Then the horse takes on another role, and that is to become a symbol of their kind and the lessons they have to teach us all. 

Mel

Melisande or “Mel” for short, was just such a horse.  Mel was an Arabian mare dearly loved by her owner Sharon, who offered her a home in retirement, after her many homes and many years spent as a show horse gathering glory for her riders.  With Sharon she had a chance to just be herself, and find out who that self was.  When the toll taken on Mel’s body from her years of service made it clear she was ready to cross the Rainbow Bridge, Sharon helped her make that choice with dignity and ease.  A year later, Sharon asked me to paint Mel’s spirit in an Essential Soul Essence Portrait.  Instead of just a pretty picture, Sharon wanted me to intuitively express her essence, just as in life, in her portrait, Sharon once again invited Mel to speak for herself. 

Usually when I begin the process of beginning a Soul Essence Portrait, I do a meditation to ask for the message from the horse.  Mel didn’t need to wait for my prompting.  She appeared in my mind one morning as I was awakening.  I felt the presence of a horse.  She galloped up to me, and I saw a lot of hoof prints in the dirt, I realized it was Mel because I had been thinking about her portrait.

I asked if there was something she could share for her soul essence portrait for Sharon.  I then saw an image of Mel and Sharon facing each other.  In between them was a bowl.  It seemed to be a ceremony of sharing the bowl – each sipping from it.

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/japanese%20tea%20ceremony

I asked if there was a cultural reference to the bowl symbol and the feeling was Japanese or Asian.  I saw a big shining brass gong.   Then the perspective of the vision changed to where Mel was facing me as if I was Sharon sharing the bowl with her.  Mel’s deep eyes were looking into me/Sharon with compassion and love -  The feeling felt like the gesture of bowing in the greeting “Namaste” a Buddhist greeting translated as “The divine in me bows to the divine in you”.  Reflected in the liquid in the bowl was a written the Chinese characters for the concept of Namaste.  I saw a purple shawl around Mel’s shoulders.  Later when consciously meditating on Mel’s painting I saw her eyes as a deep purple brown.  I saw a green mat under the bowl and a sage green background.  Also I saw a dove appear with the wings spread over her chest behind the bowl. 

http://www.sourceofsingingbowls.com/tibetan-gong-bells.html

It felt like she is a wise teacher – but humble, and that everything Sharon might see in her, she was also seeing in Sharon. A healer friend told me that in the Japanese tradition the roles of Master/Student are also called “Teacher/Learner”.  The Master and the Student are considered to have the same wisdom, and the master learns as much from the student as the student does from the master.  The feeling was that if Sharon were to look at this portrait of Mel, – she and Mel would be looking at each other and each would be saying/feeling the same thing – “Namaste You are my Teacher – I am a Learner….”

I shared Namaste with fans of my e-Inspiration emails, and I invited them to participate in a “group poetry” experience by sharing their thoughts on what the message of Namaste is.  A flood of emails began pouring into my inbox. The responses were so meaningful and so universal, that I was inspired to create a series of illustrated pages with the words from participants worldwide which formed an inspiring message of the profound spiritual gifts that horses offer us.  I am now offering the Namaste Story as a free download to save or print.

To purchase Prints or Posters of Namaste, and to read more about Mel and Sharon, visit this link to her page www.spiritofhorse.com

I researched some of the symbology of the images Mel had shown me and I found the following to be significant.  I find these to be profound messages from Melisande whose name means “animal strength”       ~ Kim McElroy

In looking up the symbolism of the Japanese tea ceremony I found some different statements to be profound when seen in light of the relationship of Sharon and Mel

http://blackrainbow-letslearnjapanese.blogspot.com/2011/07/japanese-tea-ceremony-sado-exquisite.html

• Every encounter is a singular occasion that will never recur again in exactly the same way, and so every aspect of the ceremony is savored.
• The chumon (door or “middle gate”) signifies the door between the harsh physical world and the spiritual world that is symbolized by tea.
• If tea is served during the day a gong sounds
• The host enters carrying the tea bowl (chawan) The tea bowl represents the moon (yin)
• The Japanese tea ceremony, or Cha-no-yu, meaning “hot water for tea”, is more than an elaborate ritual.  It is an interlude in which one leads oneself for the moment to the spirit of beauty, quietude, and politeness toward others. 

In researching Dove symbolism I found an interesting connection to Japanese mythology:  http://www.whats-your-sign.com/dove-symbolism.html

Doves are intimately aware of their environment. This kind of high sense of awareness reminds me of Hachiman, a Japanese god of war who claims the dove as a sacred symbol. Amidst clamor, battle and jarring conflict, the dove of Hachiman is a symbol of the peace that will (ideally) ensue after war has ended.

The war-association with dove symbolism inevitably leads us to the concept of death. Well, not death per se – more appropriately, the dove is a symbol of the souls sojourn after physical life has retired. Slavic legend claims the dove is a symbol of the souls release from earth-bound duty. In fact, when a dove is seen, it is a clear sign of the soul’s return to celestial realms. Furthermore, the dove’s most popular appearance in spiritual consciousness is that of the Holy Spirit in Christian wisdom.

The Concept of Namaste: http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/practices/namaste.htm The whole action of namaste unfolds itself at three levels: mental, physical, and verbal. It starts with a mental submission. This submission is in the spirit of total surrender of the self. This is parallel to the devotion one expresses before a chosen deity, also known as bhakti. The devotee who thus venerates with complete self-surrender is believed to partake the merits or qualities of the person or deity before whom he performs this submission. There is a prescription in the ancient texts known as Agamas that the worshipper of a deity must first become divine himself, for otherwise worship as a transaction would become invalid. A transaction can only be between equals, between individuals who share some details in common. Hence by performing namaste before an individual we recognize the divine spark in him. Further by facilitating our partaking of these divine qualities, namaste makes us aware of these very characteristics residing within our own selves. Simply put, namaste means the following: The God in me greets the God in you The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you.  In other words, it recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness of all.

One of the earliest religious disappointments in a young girl’s life devolves upon her unanswered prayer for a horse.  ~  Phyllis Theroux

I became enamored of horses at a very early age.  I played horse, collected model horses, and read horse stories.  I don’t know why I dreamt of horses.  I probably had never seen one up close. Even my crayon scribbles were of horses.

I began exploring artistic interpretations of my thoughts about the connection between women and horses at an early age.  When I was ten years old I drew a picture blending a woman’s face with a horse’s head in which they shared the same eyes.  This desire to portray horses and women as one being was to become a frequent theme in my later work.

When I started showing my art, horse people expressed amazement that until the age of 30 I had never owned a horse and had only limited exposure to them.  They wondered at how I could paint them so accurately in attitude and form if I hadn’t grown up with them.

These people never realized how powerful the imagination could be, for essentially I had grown up with them.  The horses I imagined and painted were just as real to me as flesh and blood horses.  They stomped and snorted, whinnied and galloped, pricked their ears, and watched me with intelligent and gentle eyes.

In 1995 I began a series I called the EquiSelf Series.  The first piece was “We Are”.  In it, I sought to portray the image of a woman with a horse that I felt had her same presence and attitude, as well as physical beauty and mysterious allure.  The title expressed my interpretation that these two beings defined themselves in each other and in their sense of strength and purpose.

“To see her is to love her,
And love but her forever,
For Nature made her what she is.”
~ Robert Barns

“We Are” pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints available at www.spiritofhorse.com

“We Watch” was the second in the series.  This piece was more ethereal, combining a ghostly image of a woman with her spirit horse in a way that would express their similarities; their sense of watchful awareness and intensity; at the same time both serious and serene.

“Approach us with care
we are wary of strangers,
yet as trust unfolds, we will allow.
True magic can happen, if you hearken.
We speak the language of dreams.”

 - Kim McElroy

“We Watch” Pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints Available at www.spiritofhorse.com

The next creation was “If Wishes Were Horses”.  In this painting the woman’s dreams of horses were reflected in her own image.  In my own interpretation, this symbolic image could convey the woman’s desire for a relationship with a horse, convey her own desire to be a horse herself.

” This one creature I have found who mirrors my soul…
…to him alone do I give the mystery of who I am.”

~ Author Unknown

“If Wishes Were Horses” pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints available at www.spiritofhorse.com

Later I created “Longing” which expressed my continuing quest to connect with a real horse.  In this piece, the woman looks at the horse with adoration, but the horse is elusive, looking off to a distant horizon, lost in its own inner world.

“He is all I love and long for
and have and have not…
all I have found, all I am seeking,
all I shall never find…

~Mary Bosanquet

“Longing” pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints available at www.spiritofhorse.com

In some ways this piece became a premonition, for it was not long after its creation that I finally met a mare named Darma, the horse that was to become my first.  Though Darma and I connected deeply and unmistakably upon our first encounter, like love at first sight that must form into a true relationship, it took some time for us to learn how to relate and trust each other.  At times the unknown of how to relate to her seemed daunting.

The first year I owned Darma I created “Desert of Inspiration”, which conveyed my dream of the deep understanding and partnership I longed to have with Darma.  In this piece, the woman and horse stand together in the desert.  Their future is uncertain, yet they face it together on equal ground.  They are independently strong, yet made stronger still by the presence of each other.  The horse is guide and companion, and the woman and horse reflect each other’s powerful presence.

“Sometimes, when we are in the midst of the desert,
we may feel that we are without a path.
Yet if we tap into our own inner strength
we can see the way before us appear like a distant horizon wavering into form.”

~ Kim McElroy

“Desert of Inspiration” Pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints available at www.spiritofhorse.com

As my relationship with Darma continues to expand, her presence in my life is constantly influencing my art, writing, and thoughts about horses and my inner self.  As I look back and wonder at my lifelong love of horses, I find that my desire to communicate this love has led me to create eternal images that explore this mysterious connection.

Kim and Darma

I look back on the pieces in this story with nostalgia.  I was in my early 20′s, just a few years into my career as an equine artist.  I had never owned a horse, and the only access I had to them locally was at riding stables.  Most of the stables weren’t very inspiring however, because the horses either stood around in their stalls or small dirt paddocks, or were being worked by riders.  But then I met Saradel Parker, and she invited me to her idyllic farm.  Saradel was a horse breeder who owned Parker Arabians on Bainbridge Island.  She also taught riding lessons at her farm.  I loved to visit her farm and photograph and sketch her horses as they grazed in lovely hillside pastures surrounded by tall trees.

Her sweet country farmhouse was perched on top of a hillside overlooking green pastures and a cozy barn.  I would sit in the pastures with her horses and dream of what it would be like to live with them in such peaceful surroundings.

Through Saradel’s kindness and openness in sharing her horses with me, I experienced some of the most special experiences with horses that I had ever had, and these experiences led to the creation of some of my most memorable pieces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alight”

One day I was standing on a hillside with this beautiful mare, and I was inspired by the sunset light sparkling on her face. 
That vision became the inspiration for a style of using Iridescent gold, silver, and copper metallic pastels on black paper that I still continue to create today

“Alight” Iridescent Pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints and Posters Available at www.spiritofhorse.com
Click Art to go directly to Spirit of Horse Gallery page

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“Long Shadows”

Not only were the horses inspiring, but the setting of her hillside pastures was often in and of itself a dynamic for inspiration.
“Long Shadows” was sketched from the shadow created on the hillside by the low setting sun.

“Long Shadows” Pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints and Posters available at www.spiritofhorse.com
Click Art to go directly to Spirit of Horse Gallery page

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“Promise”

“In the miracle of birth
He unfolded from the mare
Compact as a wet butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
His first instinctive thought, to stand!
~Kim McElroy

“Promise” Pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints and Posters Available at www.spiritofhorse.com
Click Art to go directly to Spirit of Horse Gallery page

            At 11 pm one night in the Spring of 1988, Saradel called.  I had been expecting her call, and now she was breathless on the phone as she said quickly, “If you want to watch, she just laid down.  You might catch it if you get over here quick.”  Fifteen minutes later, I pulled into their driveway and trotted over to the quiet barn shining like a lighthouse in the darkness.  Within, I found Saradel and her husband, Bud, watching their chestnut Arabian mare beginning to give birth. 

Just as I arrived, the foal’s legs began to emerge.   I readied my camera and watched with great anticipation.  I was witnessing my first birth.  The mare groaned softly and continued to push, and with each push the legs emerged a little further.  As the knees appeared, Saradel said, “Look at all that white, how high do those socks go?”  Then a nose emerged, also white, pressed against the knees.  Finally a dark brown head, and ears, neck and shoulders.  Then the rest of the foal slipped out in one amazing rush.  Saradel and Bud moved forward gently to assist, and I let out the breath I had been unaware I was holding.  It had all happened so fast.

The foal’s ears swiveled as he struggled to interpret his new, unfamiliar surroundings and strange physical sensations.  Instinctively, he began trying to stand.  First he struck out into midair with one long front leg, then the other.  He crossed them repeatedly in a parody of Bambi.  The deep hay might as well have been ice for the purchase he was able to attain with his wobbly legs.  I winced at the thought of him standing on his soft baby hooves, which looked fragile and sensitive, not like the familiar hard horn.  Saradel explained that they would harden in a matter of hours.  He finally stood, and as I joined in the effort to help him balance, I touched his wet, slippery coat for a few magical moments, and the miracle of his solid body, curly wet hair, and tenacious energy filled my awareness.  Saradel checked and confirmed he was a colt.  He nursed as we watched, and his mother cleaned him thoroughly.  We all looked at each other in shared awareness of the magical moment, and were thankful that it had all gone well. 

The next day I went to visit him again.  By now, of course, he was soft, dry, and frisky, whisking his fluffy tail and tottering around the stall.  Nursing and balancing were taken in stride.  He acted as confident as a big horse in a small body.  After our reintroduction, he welcomed my scratches and groomed me in return.

When I painted “Promise” I chose a composition that conveyed the newness of the foal, his wetness and confusion being comforted by the first greeting of his gentle mother – the purple night surrounding them in the colors of insight and healing.  When I look at the painting, I relive that moment of touching his warm, wet body, and witnessing his energetic awakening into a new life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saradel allowed me to be around horses in their most perfect setting, a home where they were loved, and her inspirations live on in my art and in my life on my own farm.

Thank you, Saradel

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“Little Angel”

“It is delightful to watch foals discover their complicated bodies.  They stand, balance and walk within moments of birth,
yet I think some aspects of the body they are in still surprises them at first.”

“Little Angel” Iridescent Pastel by Kim McElroy
Prints and Posters Available at www.spiritofhorse.com
Click Art to go directly to Spirit of Horse Gallery page

“Diva Divine”
Iridescent Pastel Portrait by Kim McElroy
www.spiritofhorse.com

Melinda called my studio one day.  She said had been a long time fan of my artwork and had always wanted a print of my painting “Shadow Dancer”.  As we talked her story unfolded of her love for her mare Diva.  She shared with me that she had lost Diva only a short time before.  I felt from her words that Diva was like a part of her sense of home, and when she lost her she felt bereft of that safe haven.  As she talked it became clear to both of us that there was more to experience and that Diva’s spirit was leading her to me for a reason…. and that a portrait of her could help to heal some of Melinda’s loss.

Melinda sent some professional photographs she’d had taken of Diva.  There were two stunning photographs of her which I immediately knew would be perfect for her portrait.

Reference photo by D. Allison used with permission

Reference photo by D. Allison used with permission

In preparation for the conceptual ideas for her portrait, I went into a meditation and I asked to connect with Diva’s spirit for her upcoming portrait and to see if she had any images, thoughts, or feelings about how she would like the portrait to be portrayed, as well as any messages she would like to convey to Melinda.

In my mind’s eye I was surprised to see a woman approach – at first she appeared to be the personification of what you might envision as a “Diva” –a backlit spotlight revealed a tall slim woman with dark hair, in an elegant evening dress edged with fine ostrich feathers around her shoulders. As she approached me however, her persona changed to a more real person – more innocent – and more lovely – mischievous and soft, almond shaped eyes in a feminine face framed with soft black hair that moved with the slightest breeze. 

So I asked if she give me a message for Melinda… An image appeared of a small oval black stone in a small calm pool 

Then I asked what she came to learn in life as a horse.  She said “to be an individual and to not feel like she needed to be guarded”

I asked if she had any feelings or impressions or additions to her portrait – she conveyed that she would be happy with what I create from the two photos of her – nothing to add – but that she would like me to portray her face without the bridle.

Photo montage mock-up of Diva’s portrait

Then she started to convey her message to Melinda in words rather than pictures.  This is what she said… the words came one sentence at a time.

Trust in the unknown

Let it be without

There is a plan and a

journey unfolding

Choose the way where

you feel centered

Choose the joy

and not the responsibility

Do not let others

influence your choice

On the other side

of the unknown

is a familiar feeling

of coming home to

yourself

Our life together

is about communication

about trusting your way

rather than

what has been done

before

Harmony is achieved

when we align

our wills

release our resistance

and remember our purpose

Remember the wild in you

before you were tamed.

~ Diva

I then sensed a pause and I asked if there was something more she wanted to convey – I sensed she had a message for me – and the message was – that this message was for me too.  It is fascinating because I had been undergoing a transition in how I meditate – I had learned some new techniques which involved trusting my intuition more and not having to use the tools I used to use to “go to” the place of meditation using shamanic drumming.  The first night with Diva I attempted to meditate my usual way while listening to the drumming cd, and could only get brief glimpses.  I was unsure how to proceed.  But the next day while meditating on my own – I realized I had the answer all along – which was not to rely on the “old ways”  and to trust my new way – and that is when this message unfolded both in picture and in words.  If I had been listening to a drumming cd, and expecting to see a horse instead of a human, or get pictures instead of words, I would have shut off the possibility of what unfolded.  Thank you, Diva.

My correspondence with Melinda was an important element in the feelings that went into the portrait.  When I shared the meditation with her, at first Melinda had trouble interpreting the symbolism of my vision.  Seeing her horse as a human diva – and a stone symbol was confusing for her.  Though she did say that some of the messages did immediately resonate with her and that she hoped some would make sense later. She did say she couldn’t read the meditation without crying, so she recognized she must feel more without being aware of it.  She also said that Diva loved to be in the spotlight!

I explained to her that my visions and meditations are symbolic rather than literal – as all my work is about interpreting the essence of things into form. So though the message is intended for the person through the horse, the imagery is coming through my “filter” of what speaks to me energetically and how to convey a message for the person. So for me, seeing Diva as a woman was not surprising, and in some ways gave me a greater glimpse of her spirit from another perspective of who she is. So it may have nothing to do with her soul being a human or a human spirit in any of her infinite forms – that was just one interpretation – but for me – it was how she appeared in the context of asking her the question of what Melinda needed to hear. 

I also realized that with some paintings, particularly those of horses who have crossed over, that it is important to share the meditation when the client sees the portrait for the first time.   I have witnessed many times my clients experiencing the healing energy of seeing their horse again for the first time, and there is a profound yet comforting shift that happens when the interpretation of the meditation can be more clear and free of the sadness of their loss.

I once spoke with a psychic about my visions and asked her why some seem so detailed and others seem to just have a few images or words. She said she felt the horse themselves offers up what their owner is needing at that time. This was amazing and comforting to me, because it took me and my “abilities” out of the equation.

An usual thing happened when I was almost ready to finish her painting.  Usually my compositions are determined in the beginning of the process and once I start a painting it is rare that I add anything more.  However I began to feel that something was missing.  I meditated with Diva again and I saw her again as a human diva this time with a pink boa – and then I saw a swan in flight. Diva had shown herself to have very clear ideas, and I realized there was just enough space to add a swan to her painting.  I told Melinda of the symbolic meaning of swans that had to do with awakening to the true beauty and power of the self.  Symbolically the swan can be a guide to how to see the inner beauty within oneself regardless of outer appearances.  This was a particularly vivid message for Melinda and she began to truly embrace the messages that Diva was expressing through the mystery of the infinite love such horses share.

At Melinda’s request I framed the painting with a lock of her hair inserted into the mat.  I wrapped the hair in silk threads.  This created a very unique and beautiful personal remembrance.

Melinda’s comments:

I met Kim McElroy many years ago at an event in California.  I had fallen in love with her work and was frankly a little star-struck.  She was warm and sweet and signed my book.

My Arabian mare Diva branded me has her human when I decided to take a different road to town.  I saw her in a pasture and even at 50 mph I was captivated.  She led me to purchase the home where she lived.  Imagine my astonishment when I went to view the home and found hanging inside a print of “Shadow Dancer” by Kim McElroy!  The homeowner and I became friends based on our mutual adoration of Diva and a love of Kim’s artwork.  Diva was not part of the deal for the house, (although I tried several times) but a few years later, she came to live with me.

Diva and I were together for an all too short 6 years.  It came to an end when I received a phone call at work from my panicked husband saying he couldn’t get Diva up.  I gave instructions to find a way to get her to the vet.  Her diagnosis was past grim.  Her last gift to me was that there was no gut-wrenching, guilt ridden decision to be made.  We had to euthanize her.  I was in shock and grief over the sudden losing of my beloved girl. 

At the end of a long train of thought that even I had a hard time following, I went to Kim’s website. I emailed for more information on “Shadow Dancer”, the print that had been the connection with my friend and new home, and I was surprised that Kim answered my email herself.  I found myself telling Kim about Diva, and shortly thereafter I decided I wanted Kim to do a portrait of her.  I sent photos of Diva, some of her mane hair, and I awaited my very own Kim McElroy original and for Diva to come home

Kim kept in contact throughout the whole process.  She sent mock-ups of the portrait and told me of the intuitive communications she had with Diva.  If I had a question, she always answered as soon as she could.  She always treated my connection to Diva with tenderness and respect.

During the creation process Kim revealed that she’d had an inspiration during a meditation with Diva to include a swan in her portrait.  She shared with me that among the qualities the swan symbolized in myth and story was self-acceptance.  I wrote Kim and told her that upon reading her email tears had quietly escaped my eyes.  The symbolism of the swan made sense to me. I have always struggled to find an acceptance within myself. I believe it was something Diva tried to teach me and something I am slowly beginning “to get”.

When Diva was finally on her way home, I think Kim was just as excited as I was.  The portrait is stunning and Kim went to extra effort to include a beautiful braid of Diva’s hair in the framing.  Diva now presides in the living room of our home, but being the true Diva she is, no matter which way you come in the house, she is first to be seen.

In regards to how I feel about her portrait, it is difficult to put it into words.  The photos that I have of Diva, while beautiful, aren’t really her. If someone wanted to see what she looked like, I would proudly show them the photos. If someone asked about who Diva was, I would even more proudly show them her portrait.

Having her home again by way of the portrait is, quite honestly, kind of disconcerting. She watches everything. I’m glad she is home, but it feels like we are redefining our relationship. It doesn’t feel anything like I thought it would. But, then again, Diva never did anything like I expected.  Getting to know her portrait is as wonderful and complex and wonderfully complex a journey as any relationship.

Unicorn by Kim McElroy
Drawn at Age 13

When I was little I drew horses on everything – usually whatever was handy which were often paper napkins in restaurants.  On one occasion, I drew a horse and gave it to a waitress I liked.  She was so delighted that she led me over to the cashier counter and gave me the biggest Snoopy cookie I had ever seen.  But it wasn’t only the cookie that thrilled me, it was the fact that she liked my drawing – that it made her happy.  That was probably the moment when I decided to become an artist.

When I was sixteen years old my mother and I were traveling to Germany from Seattle, Washington.  We stopped in San Francisco for several days.  We went shopping at the famous Cannery area Upstairs I found myself drawn into a fantasy art and toy shop.  I was transported into a magical world filled with faeries and dragons, art, books, toys, puppets, and music.  I talked with the lovely shop owner.  She had samples of the music she sold and I bought a cassette tape titled “Equineox” by French electronic composer and musician Jean Michelle Jarre.  (As I write this I just realized the synchronicity of the word “Equine” in the “Equinox” title!)

I took the music back to my hotel room and put my headphones on and listened to it on my walkman.  I had never heard anything like that music.  The music was inspiring I got out my watercolor paints and pad and started to paint a flying horse.

Winged Horse ~ Drawn by Kim at Age 16

I was so filled with the music that I became lost in the process more completely than usual, and the time flew by and my painting emerged without any preconceived idea.  I felt that music was a new key to my desire to be an artist.  The next day I went back to the store with my painting  to give to the store owner to thank her for helping me find such inspiration.  She was so thrilled with my painting that she offered to sell my artwork in her store.  She was my first Gallery!  I was so excited to have my art in such a beautiful, magical store.

When I returned home I painted several more fantasy horse paintings and framed them and sent them to her.  A few months later I received a check in the mail.  My first sale at age 16!  Little did I know at the time that I was going to become a famous equine artist!

Defiance ~ Drawn by Kim McElroy at Age 16

My impulse to share my art with no expectation in return – and the heartfelt responses of those who received my gifts, led to these magical moments that created my desire to share my art with the world.

Follow Me ~ Drawn by Kim McElroy at Age 16

It is fascinating to me that among my first works created for sale were winged horses.  Many years later I attended a workshop on Shamanic Journeys.  During the guided meditation to meet my animal guide I actually tried to not see a horse, thinking that I would be making it up if I did.  What appeared vividly in a way I knew instinctively wasn’t just my imagination, was a white winged horse I later painted called “The Messenger”

“The Messenger” by Kim McElroy ~ Drawn at age 29
Prints and Posters available at www.spiritofhorse.com

Sometimes we get glimpses of who we are in our childhood, in the things that hold magic for us.

Have you been transported by music, or art, or writing?  Perhaps there is a creative passion in your life that can lead to something you thought you could only dream of…

“Crossroads” Pastel Portrait by Kim McElroy
Available as Prints and Posters at www.spiritofhorse.com

In the gauntlet of time
Unforeseen allies appear
Our guides and guardians
Offer love ~ Conquer fear

Led by wisdom from sources
More ancient than we
Ever standing at crossroads
We cannot see

We are given the freedom
To make choices in trust
Gaining insight through courage
To move forward we must

The patterns are formed
Through our relations we learn
That all is connected
Around every turn

~ Kim McElroy

The following is the story of the creation of “Crossroads” which was commissioned as a portrait of Eleanor’s four mares.
My insights are interspersed with comments in purple from Eleanor’s emails as we corresponded about the composition over time prior to the final sketches.

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Eleanor contacted me in 2006 after reading an article about my art.  She wanted to commission a work of art that would portray her four mares together.   Eleanor’s horses were her Arabian mare named Dorie (who was in spirit), Mikey – Dorie’s daughter – also an Arabian, Gidget – a Quarterhorse mare, and Fine Time – a Quarterhorse mare, (shown clockwise in the portrait starting from the top)

I had created a group portrait of 4 horses only once before, so I knew it was going to be quite a complex process of deciding what composition best captured their unique presence and story of their relationship with her, as well as their individual personality and beauty.

I went to visit Eleanor and her horses and I photographed her 3 mares.  Dorie had passed away a year before so I chose a photograph Eleanor had from their early years together .

As we got to know each other I learned about Eleanor’s horses and the history that had brought them all together over the years.  We also talked about how Eleanor and I are both drawn to Celtic and Native American art and spiritual beliefs.

Dorie photo

Gidget

Fine Time

Mikey

Eleanor had asked me to do a “Soul Essence” portrait of her mares.  For this type of portrait I work with the mares in meditation to gain insight into what I am being called to create.  This process never fails to provide me with inspiration and clarity.  However, what neither Eleanor nor I foresaw is how intimately she would be involved in the imagery and composition.

In meditation with Eleanor’s horses I asked how best to create a portrait for Eleanor of all of them in one painting.  I sensed that I was to be present with them all together, and they all wished to join me in the meditation, but Mikey was the main guide. 

A story unfolded of another time and soul journey in which Eleanor was facing a life in which she would be stripped of the power to choose her future, but she escaped with the help of a beloved white mare who carrying her to safety at the risk of her own life.  At their most perilous hour, horse and girl were rescued by women from a religious order and they were given sanctuary.  The vision shifted to a glimpse years later when Eleanor, now as a member of the religious order, honored her beloved white mare’s crossing into spirit by spreading white rose petals on the surface of a moonlit lake.

I then beheld the image of a celtic knot pattern in a circle or square.  I saw Eleanor’s horses woven into the pattern in each of the 4 directions.  Dorie, the ancestral mare who is now in spirit was in the North, Fine Time was in the West, Gidget was in the East, and Mikey was in the South.  I sensed something was to be in the center but at first I didn’t know what it was.   I began to feel that the Celtic pattern was symbolic of how the four horses in Eleanor’s life were somehow connected.  I asked if the white mare was the spirit of one of the horses now in Eleanor’s life.  The awareness came that the white mare was spiritually and symbolically represented by all 4 of the horses in her life.  The horses had come as guides and protectors for Eleanor at times in Eleanor’s life when she needed them and they needed her.  They were all linked together by her love for them, and by her love and soul connection to the white mare.  I felt somehow there would be a symbol of the white mare in the center of the circle.
When I shared this meditation with Eleanor she felt the symbolism was significant in her life.  She felt my choice for the four directions also had a meaning for each of the horses and their traits and gifts.

Eleanor…

I think the image of the circle and the 4 directions and the white horse in the center is beautiful, and it astounds me how closely it mirrors my own awareness of each of the mares and our connectedness. If you had asked me which one I see as reflective of which direction, I would have said exactly what you discerned. While my idiom has been more the Native American one, I have long been drawn to the ancient Celtic wisdom.

At first I had difficulty finding a circular image of celtic knots that was simple enough in order to not compete with the horses and to also permit me to somehow weave their images into the knots.  I began researching celtic knot designs.  I mentioned my dilemma to my friend Angela of Spirit Horse Design who weaves horse hair into celtic knots- she sent me a book on celtic designs and I found a celtic cross.  I didn’t know the symbolism of the cross at first except that I knew it was a spiritual connection to the earth. In connection with the symbolism of the Native American medicine wheel, I decided to make the celtic cross in the colors of the four directions in Native American tradition.

Celtic Cross design

During this time Eleanor ran across an article about the Celtic Cross which she sent to me.  The symbolism of the cross was a perfect definition of how I envisioned her relationship with her mares and how it transcended time and space.

Eleanor:
Since the circle of the Celtic cross is representative of integration and unity and the soul, it seems a perfect metaphor for my heart connection to my mares, to Horse.

THE CELTIC CROSS

The Celtic cross stands as a reminder of our relationship with the divine order of things.This sacred design has been discovered in Paleolithic rock carvings in Africa, on monuments and seals of ancient Sumeria, and on Bronze Age carvings and coins from Scandinavia to Crete.

The circle, one and indivisible, is the symbol of the undifferentiated whole, the mystery of unity underlying our experience of the physical world. It is the eternal matrix of Being that exists beyond time and space, and it is also the pregnant womb that gives birth to the world of phenomena…that we call reality. The square or cross represents this differentiated world arising out of the circle, as the One separates into the opposites creating space and the four directions. It is, in fact, a map of the universe, a cosmological blueprint that encodes the mysteries of heaven and earth….The pattern reflects the template of a perfect and ordered cosmos which serves as a reminder of our relationship to the original blueprint of the universe. Every living thing is composed of repeating patterns — the rhythmic steps of the universal dance.

Naming it a mandala, from the Sanskrit word meaning circle, C.G. Jung discovered that these images arise when special circumstances cause us to tap into a deeper layer of consciousness. We see it in works of religious art throughout the world, including the sand-paintings of the Navajo people and also on the Aztec calendar. On the journey toward wholeness, visions of mandalas express experiences of integration and unity….The circle represents the soul, that part of ourselves which endures beyond time and space….The circle-cross is a primary symbol of the spiritual journey.

From an article in Parabola by Mara Freeman, Fall 2003

Beginning the composition

I began to create photo montages of the mares images woven into the celtic cross.  This was challenging as I only had one photo of Dorie to choose from that was of a portrait caliber.  Everything in thecomposition therefore revolved around her.  It just happened that I had photographed an image of her daughter Mikey in the same frontal pose.  This provided the balance of North and South.  Then it became clear the the photos of Fine Time and Gidget could be more horizontal and facing each other from the horizontal cross.

Then I realized that the white mare could be represented by the moon, and at first I was going to create the moon as the entire background behind the celtic cross.  Amazingly, Eleanor shared that a few years before she had done a sketch of her own trying to convey the moon and a horse’s eye as one!  It was as if she had known intuitively all along that there was something about the moon that was connected to her horses.

Another early idea

Eleanor:

I love that you are working with the idea that the white mare shape shifts into the moon and/or the moon into her, so they are one and the same.  I would say that the moon never fails to connect me to Spirit, even when I feel removed in the rest of my experience from my spiritual life from time to time. And I am always aware that the mares do the same thing for me, unfailingly, which means that for me they and the moon are inextricably linked. And of course the moon is identified with the deep Feminine, which sources me (and I imagine them in a very organic way). I just found some sketches I did a few years ago (very rudimentary ones!) in which I was attempting to reflect the moon in a horse’s eye as if they were not entirely separate images.

Some time later Eleanor wrote to share an inspiration she’d had for another element for the painting, that of a wild bird totem for each of her mares.  This was another key piece to their portrait creation…

Eleanor:

As I was sitting there, in silence and openness, some “knowingness” came through that I want to share. It may have meaning for our project, considering how integral my horses are to my connectedness and wholeness. First, words presented themselves to me which encapsulated who each of the mares is to me: Dorie = wisdom and patience; Fine Time = truth and purity; Mikey = beauty and gentleness; Gidget = seeking and finding. Then, the image of a bird for each came to me: Dorie = owl; Fine Time = eagle; Mikey = dove; Gidget = hawk. I will let these thoughts speak to you, or not, as they will. It seemed important to me to share them, since the artistic interpretation flows through you while the essence of the mares is personal to me.

I loved this idea as I have often felt that horses as spiritual beings also have their own totem animals who are guides and protectors for them.  I spent many hours researching stock photo imagery on www.dreamstime.com  of wild birds that portrayed the spirits of each of the mares as well as harmoniously adding to the composition.  It took some time to find the right birds that blended into the composition and yet also seemed to portray the individual spirits of the mares.

First composition with birds

Composition 2 – with Different Birds

At first I added the birds in the directions corresponding with the horses, but the composition shifted and it became clear that in order for the horses to be the main focus, the birds had to move somewhere else. 

But when I moved the birds, I felt that something was missing.  The moon element in the background wasn’t enough anymore.  I began searching again for more imagery – and in searching for the key word “moon” I serendipitously found the perfect image.  I had come full circle back to the vision of the moonlit lake.

DARK NIGHT FULL MOON © Mohamed Osama | Dreamstime.com

Then I knew that the birds needed to be colored like the sky in order to appear as spirits rather than real birds. And in order to not compete in color and focus with the horses.

Final Composition

Eleanor loved this composition most of all.  Now I knew I was ready to begin the painting… and that is a journey in itself… so many decisions in each moment:

The Background

… where to place the moon shining over Dorie’s shoulder…

… what colors to make the four directions to not compete with the horses

Adding the birds, beginning the horses

The Eagle

… weaving in the imagery of the birds, choosing to keep only their eyes and beaks golden…

The Hawk

The Dove

The Owl

… choosing to paint the mares in all their sunlit glory to contrast with the moonlit light…

… and the final touches… the spirit shining through their eyes…

Crossroads Detail

And…. a very happy customer!

Eleanor and Kim with “Crossroads”

Eleanor’s Comments about the final painting:

I became acquainted with Kim’s work a number of years ago through an interview I read with her in a magazine, and I was so moved by her spiritual approach to her art that I knew it would be a dream come true to have her paint my four horses. That was the beginning of a long term and lovely collaboration on a project very dear to my heart. Because we live near each other, Kim was able to meet and photograph three of my horses, but by that time I contacted her, my fourth one had passed on. Since Kim’s process is intuitive and visionary, however, she is able to capture the essence of a horse’s being anyway.

Due to my particular circumstances, “Crossroads” came into being over a period of several years. This actually turned out to be very interesting and beneficial as it allowed valuable insights, including meaningful and diverse elements included in the final piece, to reveal themselves gradually and gracefully. Kim has been lovely to work with, generous and patient throughout the long journey, always listening to my input so as to glean what was important to me and offering the benefit of her experience and wisdom in bringing the painting to fruition. Getting to know her in the course of the journey is a joyous and unanticipated gift.

As it happens, one of my other mares, the daughter of the one Kim never met, passed on shortly before the piece was completed, so to see both of them again at the unveiling was truly breathtaking. For me, “Crossroads” pulses with the aliveness of my four beautiful mares, as if they are coming right out of the painting, looking at me. To have them immortalized in this beautiful artwork is powerful, personal, and a treasure almost beyond words.

Thank you to Eleanor and her mares for such an amazing journey!

Postscript: Some time after I finished the painting – I went to see the movie “Snow White and the Huntsman”.  In the movie there is a scene in which Snow White escapes riding a white horse to freedom, only to fall into a mire.  This imagery was so much like my vision of Eleanor and the white mare it was uncanny.

Snow white and white mare

Drawing from the Essence of Life…

Dear Friends

After I shared my recent life changing event, the outpouring of love and support from all of you has been incredibly uplifting for me.  What a symphony of well wishes and stories you have shared that makes me feel so connected with you.  Sometimes the internet communication world can be a world of passively receiving information, yet I am learning that it also can be a heartfelt way of reaching out and asking for connection, and expressing how we feel.   When I read your posts, it makes me feel that much closer to you all and I feel so very fortunate that my life’s work has created such a loyal and loving following of like-minded people.

The drawing shown above was created at one of the equine facilitated workshops I taught when I was engaged in the process of drawing the “soul essence” of the person from receiving an intuitive message during a client’s reflective session with a horse.  I have often realized that as an artist who feels compelled to interpret and express for others, it is rare that I take the time to sit down and draw intuitively for myself.  When I do, I am always amazed at the profound imagery that evolves from the unseen world into the seen.  I thought you might enjoy seeing a few of my rarely shown personal creations that held powerful messages for me.

I know now that I have experienced a profound and daunting near death experience, that even though I have yet to put hand to paper, that when I do, I will be able to ask and receive insights into what this crossroads in my journey has in store for me…

The Weaver
This drawing was created during a workshop I taught at Epona – after I participated in a shamanic journey.
The message for me was that as an artist I am a weaver, and I create the horse as a tapestry from life itself

Heaven and Earth
This drawing was inspired by viewing the parts of myself in connection with heaven and earth and the elements

In closing I thought I’d share a couple photos of me in my younger years.  Some of you have known me from around that time!

Kim Drawing – 1989

 I recently heard an interview with Wayne Dyer where he said essentially that we are constantly changing and we are no longer the people/bodies that we were before… it is so true – I have grown so much and had so many magical times since these photos were taken, and my life is just beginning…  I am so grateful to have more of that life to live, and to have the continued vitality to express my creative spirit and continue to share it with all of you.

Kim and portrait of Vaguely Noble – 1993

Thanks for listening…

Kim

Hello my friends,

I write to share a profound and frightening event in my life.  I suffered a heart attack on Wednesday May 30th while in California for my Father’s memorial.  I was visiting Disneyland with my husband Rod and my cousin Cheri and was standing in line for a ride when I collapsed suddenly with what they later determined was a ventricular fibrillation. Miraculously – an unidentified EMT was in line nearby on vacation with his kids, and when Rod called for help he came to my rescue and kept me breathing while the Paramedics were on their way. The quick response from the emergency teams was incredible.  There are so many miracles that happened. The ride had been delayed and we were standing in line by an access door – if I’d been on the ride I wouldn’t have made it.  I was rushed to a nearby hospital.  The cardiologists determined that my heart is actually healthy but for some unknown reason my slight arrhythmia caused an extra beat which overlapped and caused the fibrillation.

I got out of the hospital on Monday June 4th .  Rod and I had a long drive home but we took advantage of the time to enjoy the coast Hwy 101 and stayed in some beautiful oceanfront hotels.  I am now home and still sore and slowly healing but so grateful to be alive. Rod and I feel so blessed to be experiencing each moment of life…. I hope you will take a moment today and give someone or yourself a hug, life is so precious.

The heart is a something we can take for granted

Yet the beat goes on, regardless of our awareness

In this moment, thank your heart

For all it does to carry life and love throughout your body, mind, and spirit

Feel the pulse that was in you before you were born

The rhythm that carries you onward

It is our own profound and sacred pact

With ourselves

~ Kim McElroy

“Raindance” is available in beautiful prints and posters at www.spiritofhorse.com

What would it feel like
To consider the rain a miracle
rather than a nuisance…

We tend to stand in our dry warm spaces and look outside at the rain and frown.  Rain, like our sadder emotions, is unwelcome unless you’re acclimated to it.  We tend to look at our emotional rainstorms as something to just get through as quickly as possible so we can move on to a brighter future.  If we allow ourselves to have a rainy disposition, and learn to flow with it rather than putting on our raingear, we might learn some lessons that aren’t accessible in sunny times.

Horses are masters of the moment.  When it rains, they don’t bemoan the fact that their day is ruined.  They live in the elements, so they either seek shelter, hunker down to wait it out, or they keep moving.  This horse is reveling in the rain.  He is suspended, freed from gravity by his joy and wildness.  The darkness of the day doesn’t affect his spirit but rather he takes the darkness and transforms it by his actions.

Sometimes when it rains, it pours.  Sometimes it is best to hunker down and wait out the storm.  Other times, if we can connect with the Source of energy within, we can learn to dance in the puddles. ~ Kim McElroy

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Raindance always reminds us of our horse Patches.  When we adopted Patches in 2001 he had been rescued by a kind hearted woman named Patti.  He was blind from uveitis, foundered with hooves that were overgrown from a year of no trimming, and he seemed at death’s doorstep at the age of 22.  But from the moment he came to our farm he stepped into the role of the leader of the herd. He learned the lay of the land and the placement of the gates, and where the water was, and within months of recovering his health he was trotting across our pasture at our call to feeding time.  A blind horse, navigating the darkness without fear.

This is a good lesson for me today.  The last few months have been some of the most challenging we have ever experienced.  We have had a series of seemingly endless health challenges with our animals.  Some have been life threatening, and others are ongoing chronic issues that defy solutions despite all medical, herbal and energetic and spiritual interventions.  During this time our weather has also been a hardship.  Each day we are challenged to provide the care they need while trying to balance our own needs.  It is mentally, physically and spiritually exhausting.  Yet each morning we wake up – and I see our animals carry the burden of their challenges with their hearts open and full of hope in the new day – and unlike us when we get lost in the appearance of the moment and the anticipation that things might get worse, they look for small pleasures.  Good food, a soft bed, loving companionship, a welcome scratch, and the impetus to keep moving because sooner or later the sun is going to shine, and in the meantime we need to remember Raindance…
“Raindance makes a beautiful print.  The original pastel was framed with a special stained glass called “seeded glass” which contains small bubbles that look like rain on a windowpane.  This special effect added many dimensions to the art, including shadows thrown by the bubbles, making another dimension of rain within the painting.  For more information on this print please contact me at www.spiritofhorse.com