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Horses at arm's lengthWendy loves them, but can't stand to be near 'emBy Duane Radford
Wendy Risdale's western art kindles memories of Western Canada's rich history and colorful past. While cowboys may not be front and centre in her works, the beauty of her horse portraiture, rural landscapes and wildlife tugs at your heartstrings. And, if a painting isn't perfect, it just isn't complete by Risdale's standards. Risdale (nee Scollon) was born in High River, AB and raised in Edmonton where he developed a life-long love affair with horses. As a youngster, her pastime was drawing and sketching horses. Later, she would complete a diploma in Architectural Technology at the Northern Institute of Technology (NAIT). She worked as an Architectural Technician for about five years upon graduating.
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Horses have been a life-long obsession, yet she can't stand to be near them. After working right along physically with them for years, allergies forced her to work with horses strictly at arm's length, at an easel with an artist¹s paintbrush.
Afterwards, she embarked on breeding and showing horses, but this was cut short when she developed nasty allergies to the horses and dust. As blessed compensation, she sub-sequently found the time to plow into her art. Wendy started by doing original children and animal portraits; prints of children, horses, rodeo, hockey, wildlife and landscapes; mini-prints of birds, children, dogs, horses, western farm and ranch life and wildlife. She works in oils, acrylics and pastels. Though she has no formal training as an artist, Wendy has drawn ever since she can remember. Through school, all her books had horses drawn in them. "Somehow I managed to work a horse into the subject matter in every art project I got in school. I don't think that I ever did anything other than horses," she chuckles. Her use of light and shadow is self-taught, largely through her drafting and architectural training. Risdale's art career actually got kick-started at Coles The Book People bookstore when she purchased a book on how to draw horses in pastels, and some soft pastels. As they say, the rest is history. "I've never had a real job since my son was born," laughs Wendy. Risdale usually takes a camera into the field or whenever away from home to capture subject matter for use later on. She often visits rural neighbours for images and her photos are filed away actually, many are kept in the back of her mind, it would seem.
She doesn't search out subject matter; normally something just seems to happen during her everyday routine that strikes her as a winner. "A lot of photos are taken so they can be filed away. While you're painting because once your painting is drawn and composed your mind is free to start thinking about what you're going to do next. So, I'm planning my next two to three paintings and it doesn't take much to be inspired. Most of the time I don't go looking for a subject, unless someone asks for something specific," says Risdale. She enjoys going out to art shows, meeting and talking with people her warm and friendly nature makes for easy conversation. Risdale says, "When I'm first blocking in a painting I can talk to people and work at the same time. But once I start putting the final details into the picture I get so wrapped up nothing else is on my mind. You get into your own little world and that's where you are." She's a meticulous worker, likes fine detail, and tries not to let anything go until it's perfect and before it's signed. Risdale can spend a whole day in her studio, until her husband (Bob) comes home from work. She may subsequently return to her studio later in the evening until the wee hours of the morning the next day, she's at it again! Most of her original art work is marketed at two art shops: Johnson's Gallery in Edmonton; Peter¹s Gallery in Calgary. Numerous other galleries carry her prints. She¹ll take in more than a few trade shows each year: Edmonton's Northlands Farm and Ranch; Ponoka Stampede; Lakeland Finals in St. Paul; Stony Plain Cowboy Poetry Festival; Calgary Stampede; Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton; Cowboy Christmas Show in Red Deer. Don't be surprised if she shows up at the University of Alberta Christmas craft show at the Butterdome! She's one busy lady, but still finds time to spend with her grandson, son, daughter and husband, as well as tending to her rural acreage and garden. In 2003 her painting, You Want Me To Do What?, won Best of Show at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Western Art Gallery and the painting The Suncatchers, won the Collectors' Choice Award for the Western Art Show. Her prizes were two prestigious belt buckle awards. She has many other awards to her credit. No doubt, the peaceful rural lifestyle and scenic countryside serve as a never-ending source of inspiration for her art. Ridsale's "Hearthstone Art" studio is in her rural home near Tofield, east of Edmonton check out her website at www.wendyrisdale.com.