Randi Evans paints her passion and what she loves — horses.
Nine of her paintings, depicting mostly horses but also other ranch themes, are up at city hall for viewing during this year’s Art Walk.
This year is Randi’s first time in the Art Walk.
She works out of her studio at her log house where she lives with her husband Sam on 14 acres in Springhouse. When she is not painting she is likely out with her horses, who provide her with loving inspiration, particularly Legacy, a 4.5-year quarterhorse-palomino.
“He’s my inspiration in a lot of things,” says Randi, who grew up in the Fraser Valley.
Her love of painting and of horses developed from a very early age, so for Randi, the two have always been a big part of her life.
“I can’t remember when I didn’t love horses and when I didn’t love art, so the two were just a natural marry up.”
She says most of the horses shown in her artwork are hers. For example, Randi’s colt Legacy, a foundation quarter-horse palomino, is featured in one of the paintings at city hall.
“He’s my baby,” she says. “He’s a third generation. His grandfather’s name was Colonel and when I found this foal, his name was Colonel’s Legacy — that was my old horse. He (Legacy) is just like him. He is my inspiration in a lot of things.
“I am riding him like crazy now and just loving him. I started him this year, so I got him four and half years ago.”
She also has an older, feral mare from Grand Cache.
“She really was a wild horse and she is very special to me, but she is getting older now, and I have another quarter horses called Keeper and a donkey,” she says.
As a teenager, Randi was mentored by the late Rein Leigh before going on to study fine arts under European artists Merco and Jeannine Jacabo at the University of the Fraser Valley. There, she majored in fine arts, studying life drawing, painting in all medias, etching, graphics, and sculpture.
Though she paints mostly horses these days, she can work in other medias and subjects, she notes.
“It’s just that I think it makes your work stronger if you do what your heart says. It’s just such a flow for me because I love it so much.”
When she met her husband Sam, he had a hunting cabin in Meldrum Creek on the old Moon Ranch.
“I was the first girl that got to go to that hunting cabin,” Randi says. “He brought me and my horse, and that made him pretty big in my eyes.”
They then moved to Alberta, where she continued to pursue art while also being involved in rodeo, including the Calgary Stampede and Calgary Log Show, as well as helping out well-known rodeo family — the Daines.
Randi and Sam returned to the Cariboo two years ago. Randi says their Springhouse home suits her passions.
“I don’t know why they built it this way, but it worked for me,” she says, explaining the home has a large dining room, big living room, and another large room, which serves as a perfect studio.
Randi’s artwork can be viewed at city hall from Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Erin Hitchcock photo
Randi Evans’s paintings — including this one called Family Support, an acrylic on canvas — are up for viewing at city hall during the 2012 Art Walk that runs until Sept. 8.