Equestrian Network Magazine

Spotlight On The Artist:
Pat Stoddard Aragon

by M. Y. Mim

"I am older now, live on a cattle ranch in Wyoming and still have, love, and paint horses!"

Pat Stoddard Aragon

Pat Stoddard Aragon's statement sums her life as an artist and horse lover. Since she was quite young, she always rode horses and painted them.

A self-taught artist, Pat began

painting with oils at the precocious age of 12.

Pole Bending

ENM: When did you establish yourself as a professional equine artist?

P. S. A.: "I suppose When I was in my twenties. I would sit on the tailgate of my pick-up at horse shows and do pastel horse portraits for the owners. And then I was asked to paint the High Point Awards for some of the

Horseman's Associations. It just seemed to go on from there. I did mail-order portraits from photos for many years."

ENM: Why equine art?

P. S. A.: "I was, like most young girls, 'horse crazy.' My entire life seems to have been centered around living the 'horsy' lifestyle. When I married and had children we lived in the country and had horses, and our friends were all horse people. I was a 'horse artist.' Sometimes I add a cowboy, a dog or a cow or two."

Soak Up Sunshine

ENM: What is your inspiration?

P. S. A.: "I get inspired to paint what is going on around me in the usual ranch situations with cattle and horses and cowboys. I keep my camera handy at all times! I love watching the horses' movements when they are working. Every horse has a distinct look that is only his in the eyes and nostrils. When I see a horse with a special look, I want to paint him!"

Hellyer Basking

ENM: What's the first thing you do when you begin a piece?

P. S. A.: "If possible, I like to see my model 'in person' and watch him move and get a feeling of his personality. I do a few sketches and take notes for my own information. I like to take my own photos, but if I'm doing a commission

and the horse is far away, I will use the owners' photos."

ENM: Please describe the process of making a piece.

P. S. A.: "If it is a commission, I discuss what the owner's ideas are and add my own suggestions until we agree on most things. I usually will create a few small sketches to show what it might look like. If there is e-mail I can keep the customer updated on the painting's progress.

If the artwork is a pastel I start with a colored pastel paper that will complement the horses' coat and coloring, or if an oil painting, I tone the canvas with a wash of color to eliminate the white. I do the basic sketch directly on the paper or canvas with a piece of vine charcoal. On the canvas I 'set it' with fixative.

From there I just keep adding color. I try to get the horse's personality in from the beginning. Sometimes if I am having a problem, I set the painting aside for a while then when I look at it again it is easy to reevaluate it."

Reservation Kids

ENM: How long does it take to make a single piece?

P. S. A.: "Pastels are much faster to paint and I can usually complete a head portrait in a few weeks. Oils I allow longer as they need a lot of drying time. A commission is usually completed within two months."

ENM: Do you prefer any particular work above another?

P. S. A.: "I prefer realistic and colorful and anatomically correct artwork. An artist who doesn't know a horse's anatomy is noticed immediately and the mistakes stand out like a sore thumb to horse persons! I enjoy horse art in any medium."

Wyoming Cow Pony

ENM: Whose work do you admire in equine art?

P. S. A.: "Leslie Harrison, Chris Cummings, C. W. .Anderson, Tom Ryan, Shufly Shufelt, Tim Cox and all of the Cowboy Artists. I love history so I have always admired Charley Russell, Leigh, and Remington's work."

ENM: What do you hope or plan for the future of your art career?

P. S. A.: "I would like to have some prints made from some of my paintings. I plan on retiring from the physical part of ranching and do more of what I love to do most: Paint! Commissions gladly accepted!"

To learn more about Pat Stoddard Aragon's work and commission a piece, email her at paragon1111@wildblue.net, or contact her at: 1111 Mail Camp Road, Pavillion, Wyoming, 82523. Phone: (307) 856-6015.

About the Author: M. Y. Mim is a free-lance journalist based in Santa Barbara, Ca. She may be reached at mymim3@cox.net, or through her agent R. Almqvist, 805-705-5349.