Do you have a "purple passion" for horses?

Silly title, I know.  I had such fun, turning this palomino horse purple while thinking about what a passion some of us have for the presence of a horse in our lives.

I speak as some one who's only spent a few horseless years in her life.  No matter what problems come along with horse ownership, I'd rather have one than not.

Stormy came into our lives last summer.  She was a rescue horse, saved from the Billings Livestock Market.  I found her on Craigs List, and her photo showed her with her head lowered over a child who was painting on her face.  The child was turning Stormy into an Indian pony.

Stormy has become such a part of our lives, we can't imagine what it was like, to live without her.  I'm learning to teach her tricks.  She'll stand still while I walk around her with her bucket of pellets.  She drinks water from my hand, and I'm working on other "tricks" as I dream them up and see what kinds of things she's interested in doing.

We built a barn for her, but she chooses to stand out in the storm, no matter how the blizzard rages around her.  Her name sure fits her personality!

 And in case you're wondering what she looks like....ta da!  Here she is!  She's our "purple passion" :)

Tail Wind, horse photo.

Tail Wind is the last photo in this set.


We went to a tool sale yesterday and these are a few of the photos we took along the way.
Near Cascade, Mt is St Peter's Mission, or what's left of it. This rock wall was at one time part of the girl's school, built by the Catholic Church to educate Blackfoot children. Late 1800's. You can read about this mission and an exciting lady if you google Stagecoach Mary, Cascade, Mt.

I especially loved the way this broken wall mimicked the shape of the hills in the background.


We went looking for wagons to haul our art work in to shows, and found this turkey! He was so pretty when he fluffed out his feathers.


Easy to see what this is! A Tail Wind! This horse was standing with his rear to the wind and I like the way his tail blew around.

You'll see these photos and more on my photo site. There are photos for artist's reference or simply for your enjoyment.

Donna Ridgway

More Montana photos.

A true harbinger of spring. When I was ranching, I loved grabbing one of these little guys to listen to them bawl lustily for their mom. They're very strong, you have your hands full when you get hold of them...you'd better be determined when you make the attempt.

Of course, when they beller, their mom is breathing snot down your neck. So you tag them and vaccinate them as fast as you can. One of my happy memories of spring....

We saw eagles circling and circling in the sky over a ridge. We stopped to see if we could tell what they were watching....no such luck. But while we sat there, this eagle got curious about us! He swooped down low and craned his neck toward us. This connection to a wild creature will stay with me for a long time, for as I looked up at him through my lens, he was looking down at me. This is why I'm so in love with my camera. Not only am I able to go out searching for these rare and unbelievable moments, but I can share them, and through my photos, you can put yourself in my place.... Now this eagle is looking down at you!

After the eagle looked us over, he soared away...his curiosity satisfied. He was so close, I was able to see his feet all tucked up under his belly.

Here are two versions of the same horse on a hill. This one far away and the lower one, a close up. I loved the rough pattern of the brush, the figure of the horse, then the blank slate of the sky.

In this photo, I concentrated more on the horse, the snow and the sky. I might crop the brush out and leave a blank surface before and after the horse. Those are decisions I can make as I go along.

Montana photos, wildlife, horses, scenery...
Donna and Robert Ridgway

Paint horse photo, Christmas gift item!

I took photos of this beautiful paint horse this week on a photo shoot near Belt, Mt. He's the perfect Christmas gift for someone who loves horses.

Photo is 8X10 inch, on archival paper, using archival inks. Purchase with your credit card by clicking the paypal button below. Shipping is free on this item. You can see more equine art on my website.

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful holiday season. Donna