Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani "COWGIRL COMPOSURE": "When I was in college, hanging out with my buddies and showing off my athlete of a thoroughbred newly off the track, I took her out to burn pent-up energy from being in a stall for a day or two... She was fresh, but oh so pretty, arching her neck, snorting, and prancing like a dressage horse next to me as I walked her.

I looked at her amazing arched neck with rippling muscles beneath, aching to be set free. I smiled to myself. Once in a while she'd let out a kick bc she felt so good and was excited to 'go run'. My friends stood atop the hill watching me walk her to the pasture below, and I'm certain 'in awe' too as they watched my gorgeous bay and shiny specimin of horseflesh next to me. Well on one of her happy 'kick outs', she happened to turn sideways and nailed my thigh with a back hoof. Being farther away, my friends exclaimed asking if she'd kicked me and if I was ok. 'Nope! Didn't kick me... just looked like it' I said, mustering a normal voice and smile through gritted teeth. Later that night, my thigh was a giant bruise with my thigh muscles in knots. I could barely walk, but I had to drive them all home, using that leg on the clutch of my rig, which was about all I to could stand, yet still maintain 'cowgirl composure'. No one knew any better... ever.

I still walk or ride fresh horses, wear flipflops, and am accused of showing off on occasion... I never did say I was smart. ;)"

Simple things.
Sonya
www.wildwindart.com

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani "Popsicles": "just came in from feeding 3 horses, 3 cats, and a 3-legged dog (and one raccoon who eats like 3) on this very cold, blustery, and rainy day. My fingers feel like, and work this keyboard, like a set of popsicles."

Simple things.
Sonya
www.wildwindart.com

A Cowgirl Commodity

"Hair is an essential cowgirl commodity, and it's great featured many ways, whether it's short & sassy, long~wild & free, or in a ballcap or pulled back in a ponytail when she means business and can't let it get caught in a dally!" ~Sonya

Simple things.
Sonya
www.wildwindart.com
www.facebook.com/cowgirloncoffee1

"THE UNBROKEN" Additional Color~ COMPARISON

"The Unbroken" Redone, with additional color

"The Unbroken" Initial with minimal color

Newly released October 2009
Pencil, Pastel, acrylic via wild horse hair
L/E 250 signed & numbered giclee prints

I had this "itch" to add more color to what I thought was a completed piece. I posted them together for a comparison. Those who know me and my art know that I tend to "overdo" things and not know when to quit. Many were threatening an intervention. ;)

The story about these horses:
A friend, who is also a stock contractor and a wonderful photographer, Robin Corey, allowed me to draw one of her beautiful photos. I loved the photograph and immediately came up with a name when she told me the story of these horses. These are horses that have an amazing 'unbroken' spirit, who refuse to "buckout" and so are unrideable. I VERY much admire that strength and tenacity as it depicts our wild west.

I was drawn to the striking contrasting details, the mane textures and wind knots. Your eye is drawn into the quietness as they are at rest, and while you feel you are among them, one clearly keeps his eye on you with her indeterminant spirit and fight to stay wild. As you move deeper within the herd, you are attuned to their levels of awareness.

Some light and dark contrasting hair details such as the whisps are via acrylic paint, using wild horse mane strands for the paintbrush.

Simple things.
Sonya
www.wildwindart.com

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani: "The American mustang: Well done in-a-nutshell video. Be informed about what's happening to our wild horses. And from the bottom of my GALLOPING HEART, please REPOST & SHARE so this country can be educated and perhaps take ACTION to save our ...wild horses before it's too late, and we have to visit them in our local zoos. Please share, as "Together, THEY stand. Divided, THEY fall" ~ VIDEO: THE PLIGHT OF OUR AMERICAN MUSTANGS

If you would like to join my cause, please do at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/LIVINGLEGENDS

Sad day for the West. 1/4 of WY Wild Horses Rounded Up this Month

I write this with a heavy heart as while I sit here, there is a mustang roundup CURRENTLY underway in Cody, WY ~ the McCullough Peaks wild herd. BLM is removing 122 out of 220 horses. Carol Walker who is at the round up is reporting on this in ‘real time’ via her blackberry. Horses are all healthy and on sustainable. They’re currently bringing in a colorful herd with pintos, palominos, cremellos, buckins, greys, bays, chestnuts, blacks. 220 horses taken from Wyoming's range of 177,000 acres.

BLM is removing 1000 this month about 1/4 of the horses currently in the state of Wyoming. Sad day for our west. One black & white band stallion, Washakie and his herd of 17, have been giving the helicopter a run for his money, double backing several times in order to avoid the trap. Photograph of him below, taken by Deb Little, fellow wild horse advocate who's photographed the McCullough Peaks herds many times before. Even with public outcry and rage, the government continues the roundups adding to the 33,000 already in captivity on taxpayers money, facing an uncertain future. Feeling helpless, all I can do is shake my head and put the information out there, in hopes more people know what's happening to our declining wild horse herds... OUR horses, on OUR public lands.


Washakie, band stallion
by Deb Little

Please share and spread the word about the continued and unnecessary roundups all over our west. Our west sadly feels... less wild.

Where the wild wind blows,
Sonya
www.wildwindart.com

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani: "Yesterday spent the late afternoon in a battle against wills with blackberry vines & other heavy undergrowth. Scratched up but unbroken, succeeded in making a trail over the creek that opens up to a back pasture for the horses before having to feed hay. One blackberry vine thought it got the better of me by wrapping itself around my leg, causing me to fall w/a thud. That was it's last mistake."

The Art of Riding

"Riding teaches sensitivity, body awareness, and reading your horse. Just the motion of turning your head, shifts balance and can change a manuever."

Simple things.
Sonya

www.wildwindart.com

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani: "Please ban together to keep our mustangs wild in our west to always roam free for future generations, because 'TOGETHER they stand, DIVIDED they fall'. Join~ Save America's LIVING LEGENDS~ http://apps.facebook.com/causes/367822/5816619...9?m=194ad066 Or contact Sec. of the Interior Ken Salazar 202-208-7351 or President Obama 202-456-1111"

My Cause: "Save America's LIVING LEGENDS"

Facebook | Return to Freedom: "HEY THERE! I just started a Cause with Return to Freedom as the beneficiary. I invite any and all to join the cause (just a few days old) Save America's LIVING LEGENDS !! http://www.causes.com/causes/367822/about"

I created this Cause, "Save our LIVING LEGENDS”, which also supports the wild horse organization Return to Freedom. It is also my hope that this cause will assist in preserving and supporting our American wild horse herds on our public lands for now and future generations. I hope you will join me in this Cause and show your support for our LIVING LEGENDS.

Simple things.
Sonya

www.wildwindart.com

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani: "This drawing matters a great deal to me. The original photograph for this art was taken 40 years ago and the mustang had ropes all over him as an attempt to subdue it. He fought and fought hard, as the mustang spirit does. I've redrawn this amazing wild horse...... but WITHOUT the ropes~ my way of 'freeing him forever'."

New Art "Travis"

Just finished this one, called "Travis". The medium I used was graphite, pastels, and acrylic via wild horse mane strands. You see, the "wild hairs, or stray hairs on this handsome hound are painted in with authentic American mustang mane.

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani

Facebook | Sonya Malecky Spaziani: "A black cat ran across the road when I was jettin' it to town. Phew... was I glad to see it had two white socks! :) Liking the 'Halloween feel' in the air."

Wild Horses INDIGENOUS to North America

In the plight to save America's mustangs, the fact that wild horses are native/indigenous to North America IS EXTREMELY important AND essential... and actually will be KEY in permanent protection for them by our government. Wild and domestic horses by DNA links, are indigenous to North America... and THIS is the angle we all need to PUSH (to stop the out-of-control bureaucratic locomotive from exterminating them) to get OUR American mustangs and the land they roam, PROTECTED.

For more information and understanding, please read: http://www.returntofreedom.org/pdf/nativeWildlife.PDF



Where the wild wind blows,
Sonya
www.wildwindart.com