My piece for the 2011 Rare Calendar! Ordering information and more images that will appear in the calendar can be found here:

http://www.ashalind.com/anthrocalendar/

This happy young gal is a Quagga, an extinct sub-species of Plains Zebra. I took a little artistic liberty with her markings a bit, but if you want to see more images and some information on Quagga's check out the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quagga

When I was chosen to paint the Quagga for this year's calendar, the first thing that came to mind is RUNNING. To me, equines embody the spirit of freedom and the joy of sprinting. Nothing thrills like running at break-neck speed across an open field with nothing to get in your way. I'm reminded of my days as a long distance runner, heading out into the open blond plains of Colorado, getting into the perfect rhythm of footsteps, heartbeat and breath, and just being alone and at peace out there.

It was hard to sit still making this painting because I wanted to revisit some of my old running routes so badly! Now that it's done I think I shall, even if it's just for a long leisurely walk. =)

I got a lot of GREAT critique while streaming the progress of this piece, which I think contributed greatly. Thanks to all who watched and suggested things, I'm sorry I got a bit burned out at the end there are decided to leave it be. Hopefully it still looks ok!

Also cookies for anyone who identifies the birds. Heather Bruton suggested the species, and I thought them very appropriate for a piece depicting a now extinct species.