Crush, Oil, 48x72, $10,000
Painter, Robin Caspari has lived most of her life riding horses and painting on the same 150 acres in Goochland County, Virginia which has a profound affect on her own painting and that of her students. “All my students come out to the farm for lessons,” she says. “People unwind on their drive out here so they are relaxed. The studio we paint in has a view of the lake with cows and horses which helps my students to connect to their work.”
A lifelong equestrian, Caspari grew up fox hunting and showing horses in Hunter/Jumper competitions. When she moved out West to go to art school she parlayed her English riding skills into a job. She says, “When I lived in Durango I rode horses to support myself. Most of my clients had jumpers they wanted me to ride.” Returning to Goochland after earning her degree, Caspari began riding Western style and competing in team roping cows as a hobby. “I met my husband team roping,” she says.
Double, Oil, 20x20, $2,000
Seventeen years and two children later, Caspari and her husband have dropped their lassos for surfboards. “Our cattle are big pets now,” she says. She also paints every day which helps to keep her life balanced and happy. “My art teacher in college told me, ‘If you don’t become a painter you are going to be a very unhappy person’,” she says. “If you’ve got a passion, follow the passion.”