Nicole Oquendo
EXPERIENCE THE WEST through Nicole Oquendo's eyes. She paints to show what it is like to be amongst horses in a great open country, she paints as a means of capturing the blood and bone responses of the horse in images of speed, freedom, alarm, curiosity and exuberance. In the horse's alertness and physicality I recognize our common nature and a manifestation of what in us is often hidden and complicated. I find subjects at rodeos, the sporting show-biz remnants of a practical past. The bucking horse paintings show an adrenaline-born moment when both horse and rider are tapping into their primary resources. They are about hanging onto a rough ride and getting a threat off your back. They are about strength, balance and survival. A cowboy image refers to that forthright, self-reliant, frontier-broaching man who kicked American progress into high gear. It refers to living close to the rigors and rhythms of nature, a connection that has increasing value in a world that is getting smaller with easy communication, travel and the pursuit, not of "happiness", but convenience. As we are aware of the changes in the world, we are reminded also of our own deep and instinctive nature. Nicole's favorite times are being out on the ranches, absorbing every detail of what she and others are doing so that she can go back to the studio and document the modern cowboy, as she has done for 25 years.
Endless nights of painting until dawn is finally paying off for Nicole Oquendo. She is one of the best known western artists on the east coast. Dozens of her Limited Edition Prints have sold out through the years, some as quickly as 2 weeks. Commission sales, which started in 2000, are quickly reaching the thousands. One of the most rewarding compliments are tears from her memorial portraits. Nicole is proud of her extensive global presence among private collectors. While most of her time is consumed by painting, Nicole regularly rides and works on various ranches throughout the West. She combines the basic ingredients of color, value, perspective and a pleasing design with her desire to be a perfectionist in portraying the real working cowboy. Along with lifting our spirits, Nicole Oquendo's special images keep the magic of the cowboy alive for literally tens of thousands of city folks across the nation and around the world. Nicole is the second generation Massachusetts native, born in 1978 and raised in the rural community in West Springfield, Massachusetts. She now resides outside of Athol, Massachusetts, where she continues to raise and train horses with her children and husband, Tony.
Endless nights of painting until dawn is finally paying off for Nicole Oquendo. She is one of the best known western artists on the east coast. Dozens of her Limited Edition Prints have sold out through the years, some as quickly as 2 weeks. Commission sales, which started in 2000, are quickly reaching the thousands. One of the most rewarding compliments are tears from her memorial portraits. Nicole is proud of her extensive global presence among private collectors. While most of her time is consumed by painting, Nicole regularly rides and works on various ranches throughout the West. She combines the basic ingredients of color, value, perspective and a pleasing design with her desire to be a perfectionist in portraying the real working cowboy. Along with lifting our spirits, Nicole Oquendo's special images keep the magic of the cowboy alive for literally tens of thousands of city folks across the nation and around the world. Nicole is the second generation Massachusetts native, born in 1978 and raised in the rural community in West Springfield, Massachusetts. She now resides outside of Athol, Massachusetts, where she continues to raise and train horses with her children and husband, Tony.
