Bold Beauties

Katie Upton in studio with her horses. Opposite: “Magie,” 2021 acrylic on canvas; 72X48.” Above: “Cruz” acrylic on Canvas; 72”X48.” Both paintings commissioned by Barry and Jennifer Waitte, Tamber Bey Winery, Calistoga,CA.

F+H GALLERY Katie Upton

Bold Beauties

by nanCy ransohoff

“I am still under the impression that there is nothing alive quite so beautiful as a thoroughbred horse.” — John gaLsworthy, twentieth-century English novelist and playwright

Santa Barbara-based artist Katie Upton may agree with Galsworthy, but would probably add the caveat that she finds beauty in all horses . “I’ve always loved horses,” said Upton, who grew up surrounded by them at her family’s home in Mission

Canyon . Upton has been observing, studying, drawing, and painting horses for decades .

She earned her BFA and MFA with a focus on painting and drawing at UCSB . The artist’s first solo exhibition took place in Los Angeles in 1989; over the years her work has been shown around the country and is collected worldwide . Now known as a large-scale equine painter, Upton uses acrylics and drawing mediums in her distinctive bold, vibrant style . Her knowledge and understanding of her equine subjects allow Upton to simplify and distill the figure to its essence and to exaggerate certain features to better capture who they are . “Horses are definitely my muse,” said

Upton . “But they are also a medium to use to push the boundaries of realism and experiment with light, color, negative space, and abstraction .

You recognize that it’s a horse but there is some exaggeration to it .” Instead of depicting her horses as part of a landscape,

Upton puts them front and center against a background of solid color . “I want to take them out of their environment,” she said . “I use multiple horizon lines and viewpoints to express the enormity of my subjects . For example, I use the forms of weight-bearing hooves and the edges of the canvas to indicate the ground and anchor the figure .” The creative process also fascinates Upton, who observed, “I paint like a builder . I’ll put something down, realize it doesn’t work, and have to rebuild it to create a strong composition . That element is kind of exciting to me . I love backing myself into a corner because then I have to be super creative to solve the problem .” Many of Upton’s horse subjects gallop from her imagination, but she also works on commissions from clients around the country and abroad . “If I can’t meet the horse in person, I ask for about 10 photos taken from different angles,” she said . “Then I come up with my own interpretation . You can kind of get the gist of a horse and a sense of their personality from photos — if they have an attitude, for instance .” Upton’s work offered in her online store includes original paintings, giclée prints, limitededition prints on metal, posters, greeting cards, and calendars . When asked what she aims to convey in her work, Upton said, “I hope that it makes people happy…that in a sometimes-bleak world, my work brings joy .”

Studio visits are welcome by appointment. www.katieupton. com