Susan von Borstel is an internationally known artist of horses, wildlife, and people. Crazy about horses and wild about art, she started painting and drawing horses at a young age and went on to receive a B.S. degree from the University of Colorado in Zoology and Art.
Von Borstel paints in oils on canvas and archivally prepared natural stone that inspire her with their patterns and textures. When she finds a special stone, she creates a painting suggested by the stone that teases the viewer into supplying the details.
Taking suggestions from years of painting on stone, Susan also works in oil on canvas and follows where her imagination takes her. These paintings are layered, complex, often suggesting deeper meanings. Her lifelong involvement with nature guides her hand.
Von Borstel ‘s work has appeared on numerous magazine covers, in magazine articles and at many art galleries. She works full time in her studio in Davis, California.
View von Borstel’s work at https://susanvonborstel.com/
5 QUESTIONS with Susan
Your passion for horses and art started at a young age. Which passion came first … horses or art? Can you share a childhood memory?
My love of horses seems to have been inborn. We lived in the city in Southern California then after much begging, I was given riding lessons on my fifth birthday. I strongly remember the intensity of touching the big horse’s head and feeling we were joined, sharing some vast universal secret. I’ve wanted to convey that feeling to others ever since. We moved to the country and I was given a foal. The rest is history.
Your website www.susanvonborstel.com is not only very thorough, but also very personal. Can you share with readers why you love what you do?
I was fortunate to study Zoology and Art at the University of Colorado. After that, my life often centered around owning, observing, drawing, and painting horses and other animals. Our two daughters were also involved. I love the process of developing an inspiring set of visual problems to solve and then seeing if I can pull it off. It’s self-perpetuating, especially when I get feedback from folks that enjoy my work. Really seeing, understanding, and remembering shapes, shadows, textures, and colors in their daily lives helps artists to be constantly aware. Life is richer for it. I am fortunate to have a studio several miles from my home. It’s easier to separate “work” and play with few interruptions. My husband is my business partner and framer so it’s never lonely. I am very grateful for my life.
Tell us about the process of painting on archivally prepared natural stone? That sounds very challenging.
I discovered the amazing textures, patterns, and colors of natural stone a while back and started seeing horses and other subjects in some of them. It’s like seeing objects in a cloud. They’re open to interpretation. Some people might see a dog, others a fish. The hardest part of painting on stone is finding just the right ones with a picture already suggested on them. Sometimes it depends on which way the stone is turned. After staring at the stone for a while I often shape it with a diamond saw and smooth it with a grinder. A chemist and I worked out the best way to make the paint stick to rock so it is archival. Surface texture helps the paint grab and hold. The stone is sandblasted and/or sanded to give it tooth. It’s also best to have a neutral pH so it’s washed, dried, and treated with a light acid to etch a bit and adjust the pH to neutral. It’s then sealed with an oil painting sealer, painted, sealed again, and varnished. When it’s dry it’s framed and made ready to hang. I like to think of it as a modern-day cave painting.
You were chosen to illustrate for the multi-million dollar Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Professionally, that was a huge opportunity for you. What would you consider to be the thrill of your lifetime so far?
The Kentucky Horse Park assignment was a thrill. It opened doors for me with new magazine interest, clients, and galleries. I don’t think there was one bigger thrill unless it was meeting my husband. I try to live day by day and have lots of smaller thrills worth celebrating. One fun experience was when I was showing my work at Cattlemen’s Western Art Show in Paso Robles several years ago. I received an email from two owners of a large stone quarry and slab company in Shanghai, China, who saw my website said my artwork was “perfect”. I invited them to the show and they flew over. They bought five of my paintings there and five more large ones at a nearby gallery where I was represented. They spent two days at my studio afterward, great fun!
You also paint in oil on canvas. Is there any similarity to the processes of working on stone and on canvas?
The two are quite different in my mind. Stones tell what they need. Canvas is so blank. Since anything goes color-wise, texture-wise and subject-wise decisions must be made and problems solved before starting. I enjoy that. I studied Photoshop a bit to save images of my paintings. I now use it to try out compositions, colors and to solve the problems I make up. That frees up the painting time and reduces mistakes. I draw thumbnails first and decide on the shape and texture of the canvas. Right now, I’m exploring square formats. It’s challenging but can add drama I think. Recently I went to a field south of town and found a small herd of fairly wild cattle. I had recorded a violin piece on my phone because I heard cows really like instrumental music. The cows all came tentatively forward until they were close enough to photograph with detail. They had great expressions. I painted four square paintings of them enjoying the concert. Two are now in the Mountain Oyster Club Annual Art Show in Tucson, AZ.
Portraits by Susan von Borstel
Medium – Oil on canvas or on archivally treated natural stone.
How to order a portrait of your animal friend:
1. Contact me to schedule a discussion of what you have in mind including your subject’s history, personality, characteristics. We will decide on a small, medium, or large format. We’ll also discuss your budget and my timing. I am not doing home visits right now.
2. You send me as many photos as you can, even the imperfect ones. They might have information on the shape of the ear, for example. You can send them digitally or by mail. I’ll have questions. We’ll discuss what I need from you. Then you can help me get to know them over the phone.
3. When I’m ready to begin selecting a stone or canvas for the artwork, I’ll ask for a 50% deposit
4. Once the work is complete, you’ll receive a photo of the final piece for approval.
5. We’ll decide on a shipping method that varies by size. You’ll send the final payment and I then ship it insured.
Paintings on stone – sizes priced by longest dimension:
12” or less $1300.
13” – 18” $1800.
19” – 24” $2500.
Larger by request
Paintings on canvas – sizes priced by longest dimension:
12” or less $1000.
13” – 18” $1500.
19” – 24” $2200.
Larger by request
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