CANYON SHADOWS

MEET THE ARTIST

Chris Cummings

Growing up on a small acreage bordering the Santa Cruz Mountains in Northern California, artist Chris Cummings has been surrounded with horses, wildlife and adventure for most of her life. Since her first horse at the age of seven, Chris can’t recall a time when there wasn't a horse around. After attending the University of California as an art major, she transferred to Humboldt State University where she graduated with a degree in wildlife biology. She worked briefly as a wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Nevada, and then began a nomadic life for several years with her husband who also worked for the BLM in Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. They finally settled down on a farm in Oregon where they ran a dairy for ten years, grew cherries, wheat and hay, raised three girls and began a successful art career. The 100-acre farm now consists of hazelnuts, pasture, forest, two Tennessee walker horses, one cat and a flock of wild turkeys. This diverse background has enabled her to realistically paint the horses and rural scenes that she loves so much. Inspiration for new paintings has never been far from her front door. Her artwork began to appear in equine magazines and on greeting cards in the early 1980's, and she began working with Wild Wings, an art publisher and licensing agent, in 1990. Her work is currently available as limited edition prints as well as many licensed products in home décor. Her original oil paintings hang in private collections throughout the country and she is always creating new work. Besides painting Chris enjoys horseback riding, camping, skiing, photography, and spending time with friends and family.