Horseypedia

Cholla. The horse that paints

Cholla's abstract work shows that he may have been influenced, in terms of content and colour, by the monochrome work of Yves Klein in particular 'La grande Anthropometrie bleue' circa 1960. As Jackson Pollack, who developed Action Painting said ''The modern artist, it seems to me, is expressing an inner world- in other words- expressing the energy, the motion and other inner forces'' (could Cholla be a frustrated dressage horse?) Anyway enough of this- Cholla has been very clever, he obviously has a brilliant agent. Not for him, the life of many artists, starving in a garret losing the will to live far less paint. Just look at his lifestyle- the sunshine, the amazing landscape even the decorative easel. Cholla does not have to show like Tracey Emin 'My Bed' I am quite sure his bed of shavings or straw is made daily by his human minion. Well done Cholla you are an inspiration to all our horses.

Rider and art critic, Maggie McCloud

www.artistisahorse.com

Cholla Painting He’s been hailed by the art critics for his originality and his energy. He’s been featured in art magazines. He takes part in painting competitions and often wins an honourable mention or an award. His latest was an Honorable Mention at the famous Italian Art Competition at Arte Laguna.

He even has his own solo exhibitions.
The next one takes place in Venice at the prestigious
Galleria d’arte Giudecca in the Spring.

He is Cholla, a 23-year-old mustang whose paintings sell for anything up to £5,000.

Today, he is rated one of the highest grossing animal artists in the world.

Cholla Painting >>

How it all started

Cholla, who was named after the infamous cactus, was born in Nevada in 1985 from a Mustang stallion and a Quarter Horse mare.

 

Dream of a GondolaHe is 15.2 hands and 1,200 Lbs., a copper buckskin with black mane and tail complete with a dorsal stripe down his back. His legs have ancient horizontal zebra-like stripes.

Cholla wasn't gelded until he was 18 months old and was broke the old fashioned way, with ropes and force, a method called "sacking out." This is where the cowboys halter the horse, then tie ropes on each limb, trip the horse to the ground and tie him off so he is fully restrained. The horse fights until completely traumatized and exhausted. At that point, the cowboys rub sacks of flour up and down the horse's body. This is supposed to make the horse submissive towards man, it will work with many horses, but it didn't work for Cholla.

<< Dream of a Gondola

What it did for Cholla was to teach him not to trust man and his ropes. His intelligence was much greater than their exhausting attempts to manipulate his mind. Cholla, now has deep scars on his hind legs at the fetlocks from their efforts.

In BalanceRenee Chambers, his owner, acquired Cholla just before his fifth birthday.

Renee is not a horse trainer or an artist. She is a trained ballerina. Cholla is the first and only horse Renee has ever owned.

Cholla followed her instantly, and their relationship together began. It has taken years for Renee to gain his trust, and he is still quite the wild thing with a mind of his own.

It was Renee's husband, Robert, who gave her the idea to teach Cholla to paint. Renee would paint the corral fences each year, and Cholla would follow every step of the way and watch with great curiosity. Cholla has always loved to hold things in his teeth, so Renee decided to see if Cholla would paint on paper.

In Balance >>

She chose water colors for Cholla's medium, and on April 29, 2004, she tacked a piece of water color paper to the fence and stroked the artist's brush across the paper.

Cholla Painting

 

In Balance Cholla Painting She held the brush out to him, he took it in his teeth and his painting career began. Renee got him a big sturdy easel and Cholla made the transition to the easel without hesitation.

Only Cholla applies the paint to his creations. No one moves or rotates the paper or easel. Cholla's art speaks for itself. His art is recognized worldwide and is collected in the U.S. in both original and giclee formats.

In September of 2005, The Art Newspaper International ranked Cholla the 4th highest selling animal artist in the world.

 

 

The KissRenee has Donated Cholla's Art in Original and or Fine Art Giclee Print Formats, to the following Fund Raising Efforts:

* Lights Camera Auction Public Television - KNPB Reno, NV
* Virginia City, Nevada - Wildlife Protection Association
* Humans Enriching Animals Lives - HEAL New York
* Kid's & Horses Adaptive Riding - Minden, Nevada
* Wild Horse and Burro Exposition - Reno, Nevada
* Humane Society Truckee-Tahoe, California
* Shakespeare Animal Fund - Reno, Nevada
* St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital
* Day of the Horse - Aneheim, California
* Barbaro Fund for Laminitis Research
* Paws at the Park - Reno, Nevada

The Kiss >>

Cholla's painting can be viewed at the prestigious Galleria d’arte Giudecca in Venice.


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