“Letters to Santa”

The American artist Didi Arias wants to present her work with a statement: "I look at horses and I am hit with informative visuals. I think about horses, and I receive a flood of feelings. I also have a structured and intimate knowledge of them, due to my professional career in the horse industry"

These three “elements” interact with each other in Didi’s head and are impacting on the way she creates her paintings - starting with the form. 

In this painting there are many contrasts: some elements are solid, others more intangible. There are strengths and frailties, both physical, mental-emotional. 

The inner knowledge that she has of horses, and what she feels as an onlooker make her a two-sided observer:  one that looks in from the outside and one that looks from within.  And that is how Didi can bring her essence to her work.

But to capture so many facets of a horse´s essence is there a need to use a variety of painting mediums? This is a question that Didi asks herself every day and she thinks that yes, one medium isn´t quite enough.  While one technique can give a soft and delicate stillness, another one may give power and movement to the subject. 

There is also a wonderful brushstroke play between opaqueness and transparency. A contrast that she also recognizes in actual horses. 

The artist finds that often times there are things that deserves to be left out, as can be seen in many of her other pieces. Generally, her arts’ style is not realism, yet regardless of its unrealistic style, she still manages to achieve a deep connection between viewer and painting. 

Didi created the piece “Letters to Santa” because she wanted to capture a memory. Memories are ethereal, they live in our minds but aren’t tangible things, that’s why the horse and girl become transparent. They are part of the background, but regardless, there is no doubt they are the main subjects of this art piece. 

With the choice of the colour palette and the application/removal/dilution techniques employed, the artist created a vintage feel, taking the viewer back to childhood photographs. 

The subject for this project came to be immediately:  How many of us wished year after year that Santa Clause would bring us our most wanted dream of a horse?  Portraying the horse somewhat elusively here, transparently, just out of reach, keeps us questioning whether or not our wishes will come true.

Didi moved to London in 1980, then emigrated to Andalucia, Spain 1984. 

Though she had an early passion for art, with horses being a favourite subject, Didi put aside her art materials to pursue a career within the horse riding sport. As of today, she's a riding instructor, that has received judging certifications, which led to running her own teaching facility for over thirty years. 

The creative spark never died, and she would occasionally paint with watercolour, a medium she briefly studied while in the UK.  

A devastating personal loss caused a life shift and a yearning to develop her own talent. And so, since 2016 she regularly takes medium and technique classes. 

In 2019, Didi became a member of the prestigious Paard Verzameld Collective a highly motivational and wise move as she steps into an exciting art career.

Since 2000 she is a writer too, and an illustrator for a US horse publication.

Didi´s original artworks hang in numerous homes around the globe.

Didi Arias, 1958, US. Mixed media artist.

FB:  Didi Arias Art

IG:  didiariasart

“Letters to Santa” acrylic paint and ink on canvas, framed, 20cm x 30cm.

Didi Arias is a member of the Paard Verzameld Collective.

Through international collaboration between Paard Verzameld and the Horse Museum Foundation, the painting will be exhibited during the Pratoni del Vivaro World Championships in September 2022.