Topline Ink Magazine Cover by Sarah Lynn Richards

     This magazine issue (Jan/Feb 2011), of Topline Ink Equestrian Journal, features Sarah Lynn Richards' art on the cover. She is originally from Northern California. Sarah grew up racing horses bareback on the beaches of the redwood coast. Her family had a small farm in a rural valley and Sarah spent much time exploring the local wild lands and their inhabitants with her mare.

     Although Sarah is primarily a self-taught artist she credits her parents’ influence. Her father is an orthopedic surgeon and she credits him with instilling in her an investigative curiosity of all living things. She recalls discussions that often involved comparative anatomy of the creatures she frequently brought home.  "We used to talk about skeletal structures of frogs, snakes, horses, anything. Dad would point out the various relationships of bone, muscle and feather. It was a wonderful education." Her paintings still begin with a consideration of the underlying structure of the subject.  "I see in nature the balance, grace, power and humor that human beings can also embody. My work often draws the viewer into it, creating an interaction between them and the image. In my paintings I am trying to touch the essence of a creature, that certain something which we recognize in ourselves. My horses are about horses, but they are also about doing more with less, finding lightness, balance and power at the same time. Sarah credits her ongoing apprenticeship with her mother and watercolorist Lyn Snow as being a tremendous influence. Lyn Snow, who is also self-taught, gave Sarah the basics of watercolor technique. Sarah and Lyn still paint together, and through shared ideas they coach and support each other's learning process.

    These foundations of structure, a Master's degree in Counseling-Psychotherapy and continuous experimentation have allowed Sarah to develop a style that is richly symbolic and completely unique in the art world today.

     I think you'll enjoy Sarah’s work as much as I do. Her internationally award-winning work is displayed in over 220 galleries around the United States, and has graced the pages of many magazines. Check out her excellent equestrian art pieces at http://www.sarahrichards.com/ 
     Find out more about this issue and others at the Topline Ink website http://www.toplineink.com/