About the Artist

Alex Lederman

artist & (anxious) equestrian

Origin Story

I started riding at 10 years-old when my parents signed me up for one of those horseback riding summer day camps at a local hunter-jumper farm just over the Ohio-Michigan line.

Since then I’ve been blessed with owning 3 horses: Razzle, Bianca, and (since August 16, 2020) Lyra.

Razzle

Lyra

Bianca

Since owning Razzle and Bianca, I’ve been fortunate enough to compete at incredible competitions like the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, Kentucky Horse Park, and the World Equestrian Center in southern Ohio.

But when I would compete and ride in lessons (still to this day), I would get so caught up in my head panicking and thinking the worst like:

what if I fall off?
I don't want to embarrass my trainer...
what if I go off course and the class becomes a waste of money?
my horse deserves a better rider...

& the ultimate question:

why do I even try anymore?

Depression - Anxiety - Coping with Horses

Worrying about the what-ifs would rob the joy of being with my horses.

To combat my anxiety and depression, I practice a lot of mindfulness at the barn to keep my mind in the present.

That mindfulness fuels inspiration for my paintings where I highlight:

otherwise mundane things that possess unrecognized beauty

interesting perspectives I’ve noticed while at the barn or at shows

things I miss most since my riding has slowed with Razzle and Bianca’s retirement.

Oil Paintings

I follow an old school oil painting technique called glazing. It’s a layering process of transparent oil paint that ultimately creates very complex and luminous colors not attainable by mixing colors on a palette.

We all have horses in our lives because we share the same passion and need for relief from whatever struggle we’re going through.

I create paintings to honor that.

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