Capturing the Beauty and Spirit of Wild Horses: An Interview with Sandy Sisti

Sandy Sisti advocates for the innate wildness of all animals and their need to be free

"The Black Stallion" The wild mustang stallion, Mesquite, surveys the grand landscape of McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area outside Cody, Wyoming

EquuStyle:  What is it about wild horses that captivates you?

Sandy Sisti: Initially, I was taken in by their beauty. All horses are beautiful, but there’s just something about the wild ones. No matter how many times I see wild horse herds gallop past, their beauty alone never fails to bring me to tears. Once I began spending time with wild horses, I found that it was their toughness and their incredible ability to survive in the toughest of circumstances that really captured my heart.

EquuStyle:  Can you describe what it’s like to spend time wild horses?

Sandy Sisti: There’s nothing quite like spending time with wild horses. I find the experience to be very peaceful. When I’m upset about something, spending time with wild horses always makes me feel better. They really do have a calming influence. Most wild horses in Wyoming live in areas that are difficult to access, so you’re usually alone with the horses and I really enjoy that type of solitude.

"Lean on Me" This cute little colt was born in early September 2021 to the mare, Theya, and her band Stallion, Tahlequah.

EquuStyle:  How did you come up with name of Wild at Heart Images?

Sandy Sisti: I always liked the phrase “wild at heart”, especially after reading Tennessee Williams “A Prayer for the Wild at Heart…” while in college. To me it captures the idea of wanting to do something out of the norm, something that isn’t expected of you. The phrase also reminds me of the innate wildness of all animals and their need to be free. Now that I’m focused on wild horse photography and advocacy, the name really seems to fit.

EquuStyle:  How did growing up on Long Island influence your craft?

Sandy Sisti: Although there wasn’t much wildlife where I grew up, I always had a camera in hand and photographed whatever animals were around. This included our family pets, along with butterflies, birds, small mammals, and the turtles that frequented our local ponds. Once I started driving, Heckscher State Park and Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge were two of my favorite spots for photographing whitetail deer and birds. Although I didn’t go there often, the Bronx Zoo was my favorite place to visit as it exposed me to nature and wildlife that I would never see in my neighborhood.

EquuStyle:  Did you grow up with or around horses?

Sandy Sisti: Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up around horses, but was always crazy about them. I grew up in suburban Long Island, and there weren’t many, if any, horses in the area. My best friend attended horse camp one summer, but my mom wouldn’t allow me to go with her because she was worried that I’d get injured. I did finally start riding, but not until I was an adult.

"Summer Thunder" When you hear the sound of whinnying and thundering hooves and see a cloud of dust appear on the horizon, you know a herd of horses is galloping past.

EquuStyle:  Did you ever formally study photography? If so, where? 

Sandy Sisti: I never formally studied photography, but always considered photography one of my favorite hobbies, even as a child. When I was attending SUNY Stony Brook as an undergraduate, I was a fine art major (drawing, painting) before switching my major to Biology/Biochemistry. After working in the sciences for many years, I returned to the fine art field as a photographer.

EquuStyle:  How was your professional career impacted after being published in National Geographic and National Geographic Kids magazines?

Sandy Sisti: At the time of these publications, I was mainly focused on wildlife photography in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Being featured by National Geographic helped me to become more well known as a photographer and led to more clients using my work for print publications.

EquuStyle:  What was your experience like when you were honored by The Smithsonian for your image “Surveying the Kingdom”?

Sandy Sisti: It was an incredible honor for my work to be recognized alongside many of the nature and wildlife photographers I looked up to at the time. I visited the Smithsonian a few years prior to receiving this award and made a point to see the Nature’s Best Photography/Windland Smith Rice International Awards exhibit. Even then, I never thought a picture I had taken would ever hang in the Smithsonian. It’s still unbelievable when I think about it.

"Battle at Red Rock" The pinto stallion, TNT Dynamite, lunges at band stallion, Kiamichi, as they near the edge of a steep cliff.

EquuStyle:  Which creative individuals have most influenced your work?

Sandy Sisti: When I began pursuing photography seriously, I focused mainly on wildlife photography. At that time, world-renowned nature and wildlife photographer, Thomas D. Mangelsen, was my greatest influence. I studied his style and incredible body of work and was really taken with his images of grizzly bears. Grizzly bears became my favorite subject, as well, and I spent more than ten years focused on bears, as well as, the other megafauna living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

At the same time, I was also photographing the McCullough Peaks wild horses, who would eventually become the main focus of my photography. The incredibly talented and internationally recognized horse photographer, Carol Walker, was a big influence on my photographic work with wild horses. Over the years, Carol became a cherished friend. These days, I continue to look up to Carol, not only in her work as an amazing artist, but as a powerful and unwavering advocate for wild horses.

"Black Beauty" Frigid temperatures and frozen fog make foraging difficult for the horses in winter.

EquuStyle:  Do you have a safe distance that you maintain when photographing wild horses? 

Sandy Sisti: The requirement at McCullough Peaks is to stay at least 300 feet from the wild horse herds, and I do my best to comply with that. I usually don’t get any closer than 100 feet to any other of the more approachable wild horses. Many of the wild horses in Wyoming, run off when they hear a vehicle approach, so I photograph them from my vehicle or from a great distance with a super telephoto lens.

EquuStyle:  Have you ever found yourself in a precarious situation with a wild horse?

Sandy Sisti: In all the years I’ve been photographing wild horses, I’ve never found myself in a precarious situation.

EquuStyle:  Why is advocating for wild horses important to you?

Sandy Sisti: If we don’t continue to advocate for wild horses, in time there will be no more wild horses on our public lands, only livestock. This year, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to remove more than 10,000 wild horses from public land with the majority of these horses moved to long-term holding facilities where they will live out the rest of their lives.

"Thunder and Lightning" Lead mare, Taboo, guides her band to a nearby draw as a fast-moving thunderstorm hits the range.

Currently there are more than 60,000 once wild horses stockpiled in long-term holding. If the BLM has their way, this eradication of wild horses will continue. I don’t want to live in a world without wild horses and I know I’m not alone. That’s why I continue to advocate for them.

EquuStyle:  Do you believe social media posts are effective for changing the hearts and minds of people about the need to protect wild horses? 

Sandy Sisti: Social media is a very effective tool to help educate people about the plight of our wild horses. The majority of Americans have never seen wild horses and many don’t even know they exist.

Through the use of social media, we can inform people about the BLM’s terrible mismanagement of our wild horses. In time, many of these people will begin to care about the wild horses and some may eventually become advocates. I’ve seen this happen many times thanks to social media.

"God of Thunder" The stallion, Thor, postures towards a rival stallion intent on stealing his mare, Shakira.

EquuStyle: How has your influence on social media helped with fundraising and motivating people to take action?

Sandy Sisti: I believe that the more people learn about the McCullough Peaks wild horses, the more they care about them.

Sharing stories and photos of these horses on social media gets people involved in their lives and over time they develop a real affection for them. The deep feelings people have for the McCullough Peaks wild horses motivates them to want to help them when they can, with donations, petition writing, etc. Many people who contact me about the McCullough Peaks wild horses have never seen them, but they know everything about them and care about them just as much as I do. Without social media, I don’t think this could happen.

EquuStyle: What would you like people to know about the McCullough Peaks wild Mustangs?

Sandy Sisti: The McCullough Peaks herd is a small population of wild horses that have been effectively managed with PZP immunocontraceptive vaccine since 2011.  Thanks to the use of PZP, their average yearly population growth rate has held at 2% for the last ten years. Because of this, there had been no roundups since a 2013 bait trapping operation where 20 young horses were removed.

"Ice Dancer" Graceful as a dancer, the black stallion, Chippewa, makes his way through the fresh snow early on a December morning.

During the winter of 2023/2024, the BLM initiated a bait trapping operation at McCullough Peaks and permanently removed 40 horses aged from 4 months to 15 years. During the removal of these horses, nursing foals were taken from their mothers, families were torn apart, bloodlines were expunged and horses were injured. One horse, a yearling filly named “Kat Ballou” died from acute head trauma after running into the side of a holding pen while in the care of the BLM.

Now, more than two months after the conclusion of the bait trapping, the McCullough Peaks horses are still in disarray after the traumatic removal of their longtime family members. Although I’m heartbroken about what happened at McCullough Peaks, this happens every time the BLM rounds up and removes wild horses from their rangeland homes. The BLM destroys the horse’s families and the tight bonds that have been formed over many years of living together. In time, the McCullough Peaks wild horses will adjust as best they can to their new circumstances, but we can’t forget what happened to them as we continue our fight for not only the McCullough Peaks herd, but all the wild horses

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EquuStyle: Are there particular horses in the McCullough Peaks herd that you have come to know and they recognize you?

Sandy Sisti: I’ve spent thousands of hours with the McCullough Peaks wild horses in the 15 years I’ve been observing and photographing them. I don’t only photograph the horses when I visit, but I talk to them too. Because I’m an almost constant fixture on the range, I believe that many of the horses recognize my voice and scent. It would only seem natural that they would.

"Stormborne" The stallion, Washakie, rears up to protect his newly acquired family from curious bachelor stallions.

EquuStyle: What do you believe is the best way for people to advocate for wild horses?

Sandy Sisti: One of the best ways to advocate for wild horses is to contact your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators to inform them about the plight of our wild horses. The only way to truly protect our wild horses is for Congress to enact new legislation to protect wild horses and limit the grazing of private livestock on public lands.

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Freedom for Wild Horses with Carol Walker Podcast

Saving the McCullough Peaks Herd: Interview with Sandy Sisti

All images Copyright Sandy Sisti and Wild at Heart Images -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Sandy Sisti and Wild at Heart Images.

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Prolific Impressionist Painter William "Bill" St. George & His Equine Artistry

The spirited and inspiring life of talented artist, teacher, gallery owner, and former art director William "Bill" St. George 1939 - 2015

"Petit Rhone" Oil on Canvas 30" x 40"

Few artists are able to proficiently paint a variety of subjects both in watercolor and oil. William "Bill" St. George confidently painted Boston cityscapes, portraits, floral landscapes, and dynamic horses, often running through water which was a favorite theme of his to capture on large-scale canvases.

St. George liked to share, “I wasn’t always a full-time painter. I worked as an art director and a graphic designer for many years. While doing ads and creating logos was satisfying, my desire was always to paint. On weekends, or any other time I could slip away, I’d paint. I even moved my schedule around to take classes at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Finally in 1991, after the success of my first one-man show, I decided to follow my dream and made the switch from advertising to painting”.

William "Bill" St. George & "Mediterranean" Oil on Canvas 36" x 48"

All along I felt that art chose me and not the other way around. It may sound like a cliché, but it really has given me a way to express my inner feelings and emotions.

"More than anything, I try to give the brightest and purest notes to my color, as if the entire personality of the painting could be found in a single brush stroke. Painting is a process of discovery. Paint, as a medium, lends itself to many surfaces. In a single painting I will use brushes, palette knives, paper towels, any method to get my feelings onto canvas. When I create, paint is the master, and I am its vehicle to the world’s eye.”

"Spain" Oil on canvas 36” x 36”

From a young age, William St. George was drawn to the power and beauty of horses. By fifth grade, his sketchbooks were filled with drawings of them, and when time was available, he rode as often as possible. Now that early love of horses has been translated into powerful paintings that capture the beauty, strength, movement and mythical nature of these magnificent creatures. “You have to know what a horse is, not just the anatomy,” says St. George, “but you need to have a feeling for the spirit of the horse.”

While the love of horses started at a young age for St. George, the animal took a back seat while working inside Boston offices for several decades. During this time, the subject matter was the Boston Public Garden with its Swan Boats and all the surrounding brownstone style buildings. It wasn’t until his fifth grandchild, Sophie, took an interest in horseback riding at the age of five that the artist’s passion for this majestic animal was rekindled. The two would spend hours at the barn taking pictures of the various breeds. These photos would serve as the subject matter for dozens of his later paintings. The more confident St. George became with painting the animal, the larger and brighter the paintings became.

"Halfinger" is an 18” x 24” Limited Edition Signed Giclee Print

You have to know what a horse is, not just the anatomy, but you need to have a feeling for the spirit of the horse.

In 1999 William St. George established the St. George Gallery on Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts in a 19th century brownstone building. The same building where John Singer Sargent, the leading portrait painter of his era, once maintained a studio. St. George was both inspired and influenced by Sargent's later landscapes. His gallery received first prize in the storefront category of the Boston Mayor's Garden Contest on several occasions, including three years in a row. According to short article in BostonCatalog.com, he "approached his Gallery's garden with the same imagination and striking use of colors as he does in his paintings."

William "Bill" St. George painting "Vaccares"

For more than 20 years, impressionist painter William "Bill" St. George St. George hosted his own television show "Impressions" on Walpole Cable TV. He taught on location and inspired countless artists and students. St. George’s son Mike said that his father was a lighthearted, encouraging teacher, who told his students not to be afraid, but to dive right in to painting.

Comments posted online by friends, former colleagues, collectors of his work, and former students reveal the depth of their appreciation for his generosity, humanity and talent. One student named Rachel posted, "I can't paint without thinking of Bill. He was a wonderful man and a gifted artist and teacher." A former advertising associate named Paul shared, "Besides painting which came later, Bill was also a great art director to which I owe a debt of gratitude for inspiring me early on in my career."

As the cover artist of Horses in Art in the article "Inspired Brushwork" by Sarah Crampton, St. George shared, "The ability to produce hundreds of successful watercolor and oil painting is most fascinating to me." He also expressed, "Some people might think that working with speed would be a negative for an artist, but I find it a real positive."

"War Horse" Oil on Canvas 48” x 36”

More than anything I try to give the brightest and purest notes to my color, as if the entire personality of the painting could be found in a single brush stroke.

Painting is a process of discovery. When I create, paint is the master, and I am its vehicle to the world's eye.

Liz Ichizawa, Reporter for The Town Common wrote this excerpt in the Menlo Charity Horse Show Guide, 2005 about the sensations she experienced after viewing St. George's horse paintings:

“You can almost hear the horses snort, chomp and whinny in the oil paintings by William St. George. With thick strokes of luscious color, the artist brought to life not only the horses, but the whole atmosphere in which they move. You can see sunlight and water glinting and almost hear the sound of the wind.”

On February 7, 2024 the Walpole Public Library held and opening reception "Impressions"A Retrospective-William “Bill” St. George, 1939-2015.

Click on any painting above in the article or below in this gallery to be redirected to the painting, giclée or canvas print on the page of St. George Gallery for pricing information and to purchase the artwork.

Three Graces 58" x 82" Oil

Homeward 36" x 48" Oil

Storm 30" x 24 Oil on Canvas

Trio 40" x 30" Oil on Canvas

Poseidon 40" x 30" Oil

Pthalo 36" x 48" Oil on canvas

Hermosa 18" x 24" Giclée Print

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Awards

• Special Recognition: “Impressions” - Cable TV producer and host for over 20 years

• Owner of the St. George Gallery in Boston for over a decade

• “Who’s Who” in American Art, 2008-2009

• Menlo Park Charity Horse Show - Artist of the Year, 2005

• WGBH Two Collection Best of Show, 2005

• Appeared in The Best of Acrylic Painting, Quarry Books

Corporate Collections:

• Executive Office of Citizens Bank, Boston, MA

• The Boston Globe, Boston, MA

• Mass General Hospital, Boston, MA

• Blue Cross Corporate Collection, Boston, MA

• Baupost Group, Boston, MA

• Colonial Management, Boston, MA

• Grill 23 Restaurant, Boston, MA

• The Bank of Canton, Canton, MA

• Kuhns Brothers Investment Banking, New York, NY

• Related Urban Development, New York, NY

• Executive Offices of Ackerley Communications, Seattle, WA

• The New World Power Corporation, Lime Rock, CT

• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

• Office of the Undersecretary of Finance, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

St. George Gallery

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EquuStyleArt & Travel magazine appreciates Mr. Michael St. George, son of the late artist William "Bill" St. George and owner of St. George Fine Art, for providing us with information, awards, and beautiful photographs.

All images Copyright St. George Gallery -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from St. George Gallery.

#stgeorgegallery #billstgeorge #williamstgeorge #fineart #equineart #horseart #equinefineart #horses #equustyle #equustylemagazine

Michael Ome Untiedt is a Master Oil Painter and Storyteller

One of America's great contemporary fine Western Artists

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I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Ome Untiedt in 1997, shortly after moving to Colorado. He generously donated an exquisite landscape oil painting to Rocky Mountain PBS for its fundraising event. The next day, Untiedt contacted me to pick up the painting I purchased the night before and to choose a frame. Needless to say, I was very excited to meet the artist who created such a gorgeous work of art.

Everything I Every Wanted to Say 24 x 30 oil on panel

Over the years I discovered that Michael Untiedt who is known as a master painter of the American West, is also a master storyteller and there is always a fascinating story behind each piece. One of the reasons I chose to purchase one of his gorgeous paintings during a PBS fundraising event was because of its intriguing title "Gates Open to the Sangre de Christos". Being a newcomer to Colorado, I did not know anything about the mountain ranges or the people who had lived on the land before. As you will discover by clicking each of the images of Michael Ome Untiedt's paintings, there is an enlightening and amazing story!

Night Herd with Starry Night "24" x 30" oil on canvas

"Night Herd with Starry Night" is a classic Untiedt nocture. The artist's talent for creating these works are often compared to the nocturnes of American painter and sculptor Frederic Remington (1861-1909).

In this scene, Untiedt uniquely captures the peacefulness and subtle colors of a solitary cowboy watching over his herd in the moonlight.

Discover more by clicking on the painting to read Untiedt's story that inspired this remarkable work.

Michael Ome Untiedt's Stories Behind His Paintings

Explore the stunning works of Western fine artist Michael Ome Untiedt and discover the stories behind each breathtaking piece. EquuStyle Art & Travel Magazine is thrilled to share Untiedt's genuine talent and passion for storytelling with our readers.

Click or double click on the center of a painting to open the page where you may discover Untiedt's backstory about his pieces and how they are influenced by the world of the American West. You will experience the beauty, history, and culture of this timeless region.

"Crossing at Red River Station"

"I Came to a Place Where the Lone Pilgrim Lay"

"Heed Thee Well When West Winds Blow"

"Les Dindons: (the turkeys) Sometimes One Will Do What Must Be Done"

"El Paso, Una Puerta Haint (the passing, a haint door)"

STUDY; "Night Watch"

"I Have Learned Best by Open Gates"

tudy of Travelers on the Camino Real

Gallery of Paintings

Galleries where you may purchase paintings by Michael Ome Untiedt

InSight Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX

Cawdrey Gallery in Whitefish, MT

Sanders Gallery in Tucson, AZ

Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ

The Adobe in Ruidoso, NM

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All images Copyright Michael Ome Untiedt -all rights reserved. Cannot be reproduced for any purpose without permission from Michael Ome Untiedt.

#michaelomeuntiedt #insightgallery #cawdreygallery #sandersgallery #legacygallery #westernart #horseart #fineart #equinefineart #westernfineart #equustyle #equustylemagazine