Shirley Kirkes Mar Dancing Horses - Summer 2007 Issue of Horses in Art Magazine

Shirley Kirkes Mar Dancing Horses

by Sarah H. Crampton

"Coda" – Mixed media on suede board, 22 x 20, by Shirley Kirkes Mar.
Energetic, enthusiastic and adventuresome are characteristics that have been used to describe Shirley Kirkes Mar’s paintings. She uses bold strokes and colors to imbue her subjects with both motion and emotion.

Shirley Kirkes Mar is a fine artist and a choreographer. Of late she has been choreographing The Music Man and the Cinderella Ballet. She often paints with a mixed media of watercolor and pastel, depicting dancers, still life, and horses.

When asked why she paints horses, Shirley responded, “Because I’m a Texas girl, comes with the territory. Besides, horses like a dancer are powerful, graceful, and sensitive. Each horse has its own talent and strength. The power of the racehorse has the surefootedness of a dancer running across the stage. The comparison of a dancer’s grande jeté leap is like a horse floating through the air over his hurdle or a stallion standing strong like a male dancer that takes charge of the stage with beauty, and aggressive composure.”

“To me, art is such a natural extension of dance,” Shirley continues. “The movement, the colors of costumes, the emotion and music I feel from every piece. It’s all so magical – horses moving together in bounding energy, or dancers on stage.”

She will continue creating fine art. “There are so many subjects and ideas to paint, so many surfaces to cover, so many colors to play with.”

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