OCALA, FL (352today.com) – She paints the life she lives. Equine artist Sharon Crute has spent the preponderance of her life in the thoroughbred industry, working just about every job imaginable.
It’s that expert knowledge and first-hand experience that enables her to produce dynamic muscular figures in action, engaging the viewer in a way as if they’re part of the image.
“I’m not just an artist painting horses because I love horses,” said Crute. “I’ve worked in the business for most of my life. I got my first track license when I was 15 years old, and steadily worked at the track, with a little break of 10 years when I did the summer at Saratoga which was wonderful.” Crute was a vendor at the racetrack in Saratoga Springs, New York, during that “break.”
Crute and her husband have called Ocala home for years now.
It’s her use of light and color that binds her forms together into a harmony of tones and they’re portrayed with wonderful realism and energy. Crute knows horses intimately, understands their way of thinking, appreciates their intelligence, especially that of thoroughbreds.
“This is why thoroughbreds can quit working at the track and go on to a whole new career,” said Crute, who marvels at their versatility. “Horses have an effect on humans that’s different from any other animal. They play a role in helping people recover from traumatic experiences as part of their therapy. They’ve been used in the rehabilitation process for those who are incarcerated. So, they’ll have a new vocation when they’ve been released from prison. And have helped children with autism – some who’ve never spoken a word until they’re initial encounter with a horse. They’re more than just an equine athlete running around an oval.”
The artist’s depictions are painted with a boldness and brilliancy of color with incomparable draftsmanship conveying the highest degree of energy and movement. The environments Crute works in also play a large role in her work.
“Most people on the racetrack are there because they love the horses,” said Crute. “I also get up with the chickens and the light at Saratoga. I want to get the light. I think the air is so clean and clear. It’s different up there. When the sun comes up and there’s so many trees too. So, you get all that dappled light. When the sun comes up above the horizon and you get the first sunrise, it’s absolutely magical. There’s no other way to explain it.”
For more information about the artist and her work, visit her website.