By Shya Beth
Judy Widener’s early memories are chock-full of pure delight and unconditional love whenever she was near horses, knowing they were a source of all things good. As she matured and grew into a young adult, she realized they are also the most effective therapy in the world, and the best means of grounding yourself. Horses, like the meditative environments of her art studio, provide both calmness and comfort that fuel her creative energy and take ideas from her mind into the real word on canvas.
“I am a private person by nature, and am also sensitive to the surrounding energy,” Judy said. “I need to protect the creative and inspirational energy within, so I developed a system of cleansing specific places and keeping any negative energy away to create the perfect environment. There is too much stress inflicted on all of us today. I have to make sure the painting area is ‘toxic free,’ as I try to put healing energy into all of my work as well. I’m reclusive by nature, and it’s also part of my process.”
Included in that process are practicing yoga and meditation daily, and traveling to new places when it fits into the overreaching schedule. “These three things most definitely help me keep my life in balance: Meditation and yoga improve focus and concentrated energy, and, at the same time, reduce triggered reactions, stress and anxiety,” Judy said. “All of this can impact not only quality of life, of course, but also the quality and focus of my paintings. Traveling, on the other hand, opens me completely. I am always learning as much as I can about the history and culture of the country I’m visiting, and am continuously inspired beyond belief with every trip!”
Blending Biology with Brushstrokes
To combine active horse activities with more passive avenues such as painting and drawing horses brings even more life, inspiration and creativity into Judy’s art studio. Her goal is to inject some of that “life” into each piece she creates; it’s no wonder that since the humble age of 7 she has been winning art competitions with her horse paintings. Judy was born into a family with a passion for horses, though focused on horse racing. Judy’s interest, on the other hand, is riding, training and showing hunters, jumpers and dressage horses. Art is just the method that makes the most sense for Judy to express her love and connection to them that goes beyond riding, in a way that builds community and connects with others across the world, too.
Judy has degrees in biology and studio art, which might seem a bit peculiar due to being two unrelated fields. However, in her mind, they have set her up perfectly for success. “When I attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia, my original intention was going to veterinary school, but art won me over. I brought my horse with because they had such an amazing riding program, headed by icons Paul Cronin and Lendon Gray. It was such a gift to have them as instructors,” Judy said. “Obviously, the degree in studio art is very helpful, but so is the biology degree, for similar reasons. When painting any animal, horses in particular, you need to be able to render its shape, movement and weight correctly. Only by truly understanding the animal’s physical shapes, muscling and movement can you achieve that correctly.”
“The Golden Boys” is a luminous 3-by-4-foot oil painting portraying three remarkable brothers—clones of Charlotte Jorst’s celebrated Grand Prix dressage horse, Nintendo. Though Nintendo is now retired, his legacy lives on through these horses, and this is one of Judy’s most interesting works. Her goal with the painting was challenging in parts: to show the differences between three nearly identical horses by focusing on the minute details of each, enhancing their differences but drawing attention to their similarities within a story not many horses have—and, as always, highlighting the continuously changing connection between horses and humans.
The bond between horse and human has spanned millennia, shifting with time and technology. Still, its heart remains the same, as one unforgettable pony once showed Judy. “Nero was a bay pony with a Roman nose and a quiet nobility that earned him his name. Though not beautiful, he was strong, athletic and utterly trustworthy,” Judy said. “I rode him for his owner, who had outgrown him, and he always took care of me.
“One afternoon, while schooling fences before a show, Nero misjudged an oxer and took off too soon. We flipped, and my arm became trapped between two poles, the bone breaking through my wrist. I fainted, coming in and out of consciousness, but each time I awoke, Nero was there, standing over me like a guardian,” Judy recalled of the moment that still inspires her artwork. “For over half an hour, he didn’t move except to lower his nose and nuzzle me gently. He could have left, but he chose to stay, protecting me until my mother arrived two hours later. I’ve always believed animals can be angels. That day, Nero was mine.”
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