The Discipline of Restraint
Inspired by Agnes Martin and Bruce MauThere is a reason the arena is silent before a dressage test.
Restraint is not the absence of motion — it's its most elegant form.
In both the equestrian world and in art, we often equate impact with immediacy. But in truth, the most lasting impressions come from what is withheld. From the gesture not made. From the power shaped, rather than shown.
Agnes Martin spoke of beauty as a mystery — something internal, something disciplined. Bruce Mau said, "Begin with caring." In that spirit, I create each piece in the Rugged Grace collection through a process that values both the tension of the unseen and the softness of control.
These works are not about showcasing dominance. They’re about honoring balance: between horse and rider, texture and space, control and vulnerability.
The marks I make are a response to that dialogue. Scored lines that pause before they cut. Stitched edges that suggest connection. Nothing is random. Everything is earned.
In a world of visual noise, this is art that whispers.
For those who collect with intention, Rugged Grace offers a study in silence. A tribute to the practiced, the precise, and the beautifully restrained.