Melanie Stoltz Brown

Snortin’ Horse Studio and Farm
573-808-0584
www.snortinhorse.net

Equine Artist ‘Watercolor has been especially liberating’, says Melanie  Stoltz Brown. ‘Watercolor is an active fluid medium. It allows me to be more expressive with the action and life of the subject’. Horses and art both came into Melanie’s life at an early  age. She started riding neighbors’ ponies and then convinced her parents  to buy her a horse. Also interested in animal biology and an avid reader  of horse books, young Melanie told her parents, ‘You know you cannot have just one horse, because they are herd animals!’ With this persuasive argument, she soon had three horses. Her art began to reflect the forms she saw around her in her home state of Missouri. Realistic renditions of horses, pets, and wildlife attracted the attention of teachers and classmates. Her first art award came in fourth grade, and she earned accolades in high school and in regional shows with figures and portraits.  Her fascination led her into animal health. Earning a BS degree in biology, she pursued a successful career in science, but continued her art as a hobby, selling commissioned works. To balance her scientific side and satisfy a need to express her appreciation of animals, she participated in art classes, workshops, and self-study to enhance her natural gift. Artistically recreating the natural beauty and power of horses and the spirit of the equestrian life is her most fulfilling work.  Her paintings capture the horse’s personality and elegance. With strong backgrounds in drawing and biology, Melanie shows a strong sense of  proportion and anatomical accuracy in her work. She has also studied and practiced dressage and jumping, and enjoys a growing partnership with her Haflingers using natural horsemanship. In earlier years she rode gymkana events such as pole bending and barrel racing. Originally from Missouri, USA, where she now lives, she had some artistically inspiring years in the Pacific Northwest and had a studio/gallery in Leipers Fork, TN as well.