Caitlin Rantala

Artist Statement

I am an oil painter, who explores girlhood through the lens of whimsical equine art. Drawing on my own childhood with horses, I reflect on the lessons they taught me and how they shaped much of my own identity. Horses ask one important question: “Do you have the courage to be honest about what you feel?" Because although horses are flight animals, even they know you can never outrun yourself. I play with these emotional narratives through color and subject matter, inviting viewers to examine the juxtaposition between the power and joy of being unapologetically oneself—an art we so often lose in childhood.