Meet Malena Hirschfeld, a contemporary Western artist most inspired by horses and Rocky Mountain wildlife. She attended Colorado State University, where she began painting and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in fine art with a concentration in painting.

While pursuing her master’s degree in education from the University of Northern Colorado, she continued painting as a hobby and became an elementary school teacher.

Hirschfeld shares, “Though I remain passionate about early childhood education and the role of art in children’s lives, I decided to leave the classroom to pursue my dream of becoming a professional artist.”

Hirschfeld’s family loves and appreciates art, but she is the only one to have pursued art, professionally since 2021. Her medium of choice includes oil and acrylic paint on canvas.

Her oil paintings “showcase the natural beauty of horses and wildlife through my love of bright color and varied textures.”

“My paintings are a combination of realism and abstraction. I hope my works can provide colorful, bold, and expressionistic qualities not often found in Western art,” says Hirschfeld.

She continues, “Horses have been a fascination and a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. They’ve played a role in teaching me independence, patience, responsibility, and creative escape. The individuality, intelligence, grace, and beauty of horses are what I hope to capture in my work.”

Hirschfeld also says she strives to “enhance the viewer’s appreciation of the subjects by creating a composition that generates interest from all angles. Close up, my paintings are a colorful array of marks made by the paintbrush and palette knife. As you step away, the image comes into focus.”

Her ultimate goal is to showcase the subjects’ natural beauty through her love of bright colors and varied textures. Hirschfeld plans to build a free-standing studio later this year. In the meantime, she paints in her dining room, which she shares, “which, for better or worse, gives my family a great excuse to eat wherever they want.”

Natural light and views of the beautiful surrounding land will be the focus of Hirschfeld’s studio while providing her with ample painting storage. A studio isn’t the only plan in the works for Hirschfeld.

In the future, she would like to incorporate the human figure into her work. “In addition, I plan to steadily increase the number of art shows and festivals I attend, and would also love to see my art in more galleries in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. I also plan to make my originals and prints available for purchase on my website.”

Other hopeful plans include learning watercolor wax batik. Recently, Hirschfeld was part of the Art in the Park in Loveland, where she set up next to a renowned watercolor wax batik artist, Linda Renaud.

“Her work is beautiful, and her artistic process is so interesting. I would love to learn more! I appreciate so many different art forms, from hyperrealism to abstract art,” confesses Hirschfeld.

She admits there are pieces she becomes more attached to. “I try to have a photo of the painting for my website, and sometimes I’ll create prints. I sold a piece at my last art festival but wasn’t able to take a decent photo of it. I was a little disappointed, but it is most important to me that my art is enjoyed and appreciated by others.”

When asked who her artistic role models are, she responded, “Oh my goodness, there are so many! In today’s art world, I am inspired by Thorgrimur Einarsson, Harper Henry, Kim Wiggins, and Peggy Judy. There are so many more, but that is a few of them! A few artists of the past that inspires me are Franz Marc, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, and Mary Cassatt.”

Hirschfeld is a part of several groups and galleries, including Cowgirl Artists of America, East Boulder County Artists, Lincoln Gallery in Loveland, Western Stars Gallery in Lyons, and The Old Gallery in Allenspark.

“As I’ve gotten involved with groups in the art community, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and connect with many wonderful people and inspiring artists.”

Malena Hirschfeld’s art is displayed at The Old Gallery in Allenspark. You can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/malena. hirschfeld.art or you can give her a call at 704-604-1390.

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