Tranquil Moments – The Paintings of Laurie Kersey - Summer 2008 Issue of Horses in Art Magazine

Tranquil Moments – The Paintings of Laurie Kersey

by Sarah H. Crampton

Segovia — Oil, 10 x 8, by Laurie Kersey. “Segovia is an Andalusian horse with a strong presence. He has that beautiful Andalusian crest, with the long mane and forelock. I had this image of him in my head for quite a while and was finally able to get some reference photos with the help of a friend and a number of carrots!”
The scenes painted by Laurie Kersey are almost dreamlike. The subjects appear basked in soft light that lends the paintings an air of calm, offering a respite from life’s comings and goings. These oil paintings include landscapes of the West Coast, beaches and rocky coastlines, farmland and hills dotted with oaks – scenes found near the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California where she lives with her husband, artist Brian Blood. She also paints still life, the human figure and horses.

Kersey’s love of horses grew when she moved to California, and today she rides hunter/jumpers and collects references around the stable for her favorite subject — the horse.

A shape, a gesture, a value contrast, a lighting or atmospheric effect can result in the theme for a painting. Kersey comments, “I always bring my camera with me when I go to the barn, because I never know what I’ll come across that will just grab me. Something like the way the late afternoon light illuminates a horse against a dark background.”

A Nap in the Sun – Oil, 11 x 14, by Laurie Kersey. “This was a little filly that I met just hours after she was born. I caught her napping in the spring sun one day when she was a couple months old and was able to get some reference photos of her.”

“I find that I do have to have an interest in, or connection to, the subject in order for the painting to be successful,” Kersey continues. “I don’t think I’m able to put the same kind of energy into trying to depict something that I’m not really interested in.

“I try to depict the things that I love as honestly as I can. Whether it’s the natural landscape, or flowers from my garden, or the horses that I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. I try to show people the qualities that these subjects possess, that mean so much to me.”

View more of Laurie Kersey’s paintings at www.lauriekersey.com.

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