Painting Toward the Year of the Horse

Painting Toward the Year of the Horse

Next year is the Year of the Horse, and perhaps that is why I’ve been painting horses in so many different styles lately. I joke that if I keep experimenting like this, a horse might start appearing in my dreams at any moment.

I’m still on antibiotics, my inflammation levels show little sign of dropping, and the fatigue and pain continue without much relief. I try to lie down and rest, but the horses in my mind seem unwilling to let me. Their quiet, persistent energy keeps pulling me back to the brush.

I need to complete twelve horses to create my calendar, and through this process, I’ve come to realize something: there is a calm strength in the way horses run. Their energy never feels frantic. It is steady, grounded, and endlessly forward-moving—something I deeply admire.

Nature, too, lives by its own inherent rhythm. It doesn’t force itself to move or stop. It simply holds its own energy, moment by moment. This is the quality I want to capture in my paintings. Even on the days when my body feels heavy with illness, nature’s current continues, and the silhouette of a horse keeps moving toward something beyond the horizon.
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Perhaps I am leaning on that energy now, painting one day at a time. The horses on my canvas seem to whisper that it isn’t over yet—that there are still more landscapes to run through and more wind to follow.

I send a monthly calendar to my VIP clients and close friends. This is my personal greeting to them, and I cherish this time more than sending any card. Among them, there is one person who truly shaped who I am today as an artist. I want to express my deepest gratitude here once again to Prof.Rachev. He has always supported and encouraged me, helping me stand and grow as an artist.

Whenever it is time to create each month’s calendar, I become busy with the desire to show my clients—and all my supporters—how much I have improved. I never want to disappoint them; their belief in me gives me strength. For an artist, a patron like this is an invaluable presence. In truth, an artist’s work is created together with those who support them. Art is never made by the artist alone. Without such encouragement and support, I could not have spent so many years devoted solely to painting.

To everyone who respects art, understands the life of an artist, and offers support so that the work can be completed—I offer my heartfelt thanks. Once I finish this calendar project, I will share an update again.