"I have visited ranches and parks from Virginia to the Rockies, north to the Dakotas and south to Texas looking for potential subjects for my paintings. When I visit, I study the animals, watching how they move and how they watch. I watch them sometimes for hours. When I see them being themselves, I take photos for future painting prospects. When I paint them, I attempt to capture the spirit that they are, not just what they are. When I paint, I emphasize the subject and not the background, in order to allow them to better reveal who they are. When I paint, I attempt to create a connection between these beautiful animals and their human observers. Animals are far more complex and intelligent than many people believe. I believe that much ancestral knowledge about animal to human connection has been lost over time. Through the images I paint, I try to show how deeply connected we really are." - Kathy Winkler