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The Defiant
Fifth in the On
the Run Series
In
her On the Run series, artist Judy Larson focuses
on animals that either find, or have found, themselves in
dire circumstances. The Defiant is inspired
by a heartbreaking chapter in history.
“The year was 1858, and several companies of soldiers
under the leadership of Colonel George Wright were engaged
in a punitive military expedition against the Native American
tribes, Yakama, Spokane, Palouse and Coeur d’Alene,”
explains Judy Larson. “On the morning of September 8,
Colonel Wright and his troops spotted a large cloud of dust
which revealed the position of 800 Palouse horses. Although
a valiant effort was made by the tribes to drive their horses
into the mountains, after a fierce skirmish, the majority
of the herd was captured. Although it was a crime to kill
a horse on the frontier, it was Wright’s job to subdue
the tribes’ powerful hold over their land and to demoralize
them. It took the better part of two days to shoot, club and
kill all the horses and, as the Native Americans watched helplessly
from the hills, they could not believe what they saw. Today,
along the banks of the Spokane River, a monument marks the
site that became known as Horse Slaughter Camp.”
LOOK CLOSER...
Through her unique scratchboard and concealment technique,
Judy Larson has immortalized, in the coats of these three
horses “on the run,” two other members of the herd
and a soldier giving chase.
Greenwich
Workshop Fine Art Giclee Canvas:
limited to 200 s/n. 19"w x 23"h.
$650 | $915 CDN | £400 + VAT
Greenwich
Workshop Fine Art Print:
limited to 1000 s/n. 18"w x 21 3/4"h.
$245 | $345 CDN | £150 + VAT
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Judy
Larson: “On the Run”
In her On the Run series, artist Judy
Larson focuses on animals that find themselves in dire
circumstances. Across North America, the wilderness
and all that is wild and free, continue to slowly disappear.
For Judy Larson, whose underlying message is always
passionately ecological, her medium of scratchboard,
as well as her “art of concealment, allows her
“to take the viewer with me.” Explains Larson,“My
desire is to engage viewers on three levels: first,
by revealing the beauty of animals through intricate
detail; second, by concealing a hidden image that draws
the viewer to examine the painting more closely and
through which I can tell a story; and third, by promoting
a deeper awareness of the environment on a level that
will hopefully have an impact.”
In
the On the Run series animals find themselves
in critical situations all across North America. Concealed
within each image one can find either the spirits of
missing companions or the shadows of their persecutors.
Judy Larson’s unique artistic signature is her
meticulous scratchboard technique and “art of concealment”.
With her dedication to the natural environment and aptitude
for explicit detail, it’s
not surprising that Larson would choose an art process
that has deep roots and demands exacting skill. Larson
uses a clay-coated, Masonite backed art board called
Claybord®. To produce an original drawing, she paints
the subject solidly with
black India ink to create a silhouette. Larson then
scratches away the dried ink using hundreds of XActo®
blades and the result is a magnificent, lifelike image.
Once the subject has been totally scratched, it is a
finished black and white illustration,
ready for Larson to add color. Larson prefers a combination
of airbrush, gouache or acrylics for adding rich layers
of color, with frequent rescratching for detail.
To view all of the extraordinary hidden images within
Larson’s work, visit www.greenwichworkshop.com/larsonkey
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