K.C. Snider, an honors graduate from The Eugene School for Art, is a prominent Oregon artist.
Her love of the western life and of wildlife has been developed since her youth, with her natural talent for drawing and color exhibited since she was ten years old. She has shared her talents as an Art Instructor at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. She has instructed painting workshops for the High Desert Society of the Arts in Redmond, Oregon.
K.C.'s painting, the “Brothers of the Wolves I”, has been published by Colorado’s Leanin’ Tree, Inc. "Spirit of the Hunter," a painting of a cougar with Native American hunter spirits in the background, was chosen by Leanin' Tree for their 2006 Christmas card line.
Specializing in Western Art, her collection of oil paintings, lithographs, and pencil drawings include portraits of the All-American Cowboy and Cowgirl and their lifestyles of days gone by.
KC now publishes her own limited line of greeting cards using her art including the painting of the Wild Ochoco mustangs. Many of the pieces seen here on Creative Shake or on her website are now available in an assortment of six greeting cards for $15.00. Other items are available at http://www.cafepress.com/KCSniderart.
K.C.’s paintings incorporate majestic wolves and buffalo herds, as well as eagles and other native birds of prey, in their rustic natural habitats. The western terrain in her art is not only very detailed, but it also transcends time. When one looks closely, the visions of spirits, especially Native American hunters and warriors, create an inspiring visual impact. K.C. has a gift for capturing the shimmering iridescence of the spirit world. In her reverent detail, one can almost hear the howl of wolves and the trampling of running horses on dusty trails as their stories depicted on the canvases come to life in the mind’s eye. In 2006, she completed an original art work that depicts the wild mustangs from the Central Oregon Ochoco Mountains. This piece of art was sold through silent bids to benefit the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition. The famous lop-eared adopted mustang, Eeyore, is one of her favorite subjects. Eeyore's owner, Debbie Driesner, commissioned a portrait of him which K.C. has completed and it is now available as a giclee.
KC's most recent projects include the illustrations of a number of children's picture books. The pioneer Christmas story, "The Christmas Angel," by Mary Jean Kelso, tells the story of a young girl traveling the Oregon Trail with her family in the 1830's. Melissa is allowed to take one special possession on the arduous trip and chooses the Christmas angel tree topper her father brought back from England. The book has now been published and is available through Guardian Angel Publishing, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.com. Kids, parents and teachers love this book about a young pioneer girl traveling on the Oregon Trail and the lessons she learns along the way.
K.C.'s next illustration project was "The Magic Violin," written by the award-winning author, Mayra Calvani. The book has now been published and is available through the same sources. She is now illustrating a new series of books by Mary Jean Kelso about a special albino horse named 'Spirit' and a special boy named 'Andy'. This series of books started in April 2008 with "Andy and the Albino Horse." 'One Family's Christmas' is the sequel to 'The Christmas Angel' and has now been published along with the second book in the Andy series which is titled, "Andy and Spirit Go to the Fair."
A recent publication is "Does Heaven Get Mail?" written by Merilee Crowe. This is a sweet story about a little girl that has lost a necklace given to her grandmother who has passed away. A real tear jerker! All of the books that K.C. has iilustrated are available through Guardian Angel Publishing, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. While K.C. works on her illustrations, she has several other works in various stages of completion.
She just completed a montage of American Paint Horses for a poster design that she submitted to the American Paint Horse Association for their annual poster contest.
K.C.’s artwork has won many awards during her long career. Her rainbow collection of prize ribbons from all over the Northwest is as colorful as her work. K.C. has won awards from the 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 Western Art Roundup at Winnemucca, Nevada. She has won prizes in several categories, as well as the prestigious Snaffle Bit Award and the coveted Pioneer Award for her authentic Western Art.