Ellen Tibbetts

I grew up in the midwest around horses. Back then, the term Western Pleasure meant riding your horse in a horse show competition, dressed in a western cowboy outfit. The outfits might include chaps, boots, hats and silver belt buckles. Horses were judged on their calm manners and easy going collected gait.

Fast forward a few decades and I have now spent much of my life here in the west. When I decided to title my art show Western Pleasure, I thought about how I could broaden the definition of the term to include more than just pleasure horses, riding and cowboy outfits. Instead, I thought about how it could refer to many of the things I have experienced, noticed and learned to appreciate while living in the west.

The Western Pleasure series began with a title for each piece. When I think of the west these days, wilderness, mountains, animals, deserts and rivers all come to mind. After deciding on a title, I would consider different ways it could be interpreted and then come up with what I wanted to make. I was even able to incorporate some of my other favorite things like telephones and cats, titled appropriately to fit within the parameters of my western theme. Each piece is made with clay, colored with ceramic underglazes and stains, finished and fired in an electric kiln.