The work of a true artist is like a secret, with a little bit of the hidden truth revealed in each depiction of both reality and imagination. For artist Cat Davenport, portraying horses means highlighting the beautiful detail of what is present while also drawing the observer’s mind to the hidden possibilities. You can look at her sketches and find yourself drawn into the eyes of the animal, contemplating their thoughts and personality. Her work brings the creation to life, making it apparent that she knows her subject matter inside and out.
A well-rounded horsewoman and acclaimed artist, Davenport has developed a following through her business Battle Born Creations, where she works with a variety of mediums to portray the western lifestyle. The world of art and of rodeo have always been closely linked for her. In fact, both of her parents were artists. Growing up with her father an abstract artist and her mother a portrait artist, Cat swore the artist life was not for her. Furthermore, she did not grow up in a ranching or rodeo family. Both art and rodeo arose as ways to deal with other struggles in life and proved to hold much passion and fulfillment.
As a young child, Cat became involved with riding horses to help develop her verbal skills. She was struggling with dyslexia and not a talker, but quickly gained a sense of empowerment through the guidance of a local California riding instructor. In addition to being a great teacher, this instructor was involved in the rodeo world, and encouraged Cat to try out for the rodeo queen title. As a part of the process, Cat was required to gain sponsorships to fund her journey. Not one to want to ask people for a handout, she began doing some artwork, taking commissions and using the funds to put herself through the rodeo queen activities. This entrepreneurial spirit may well have been passed down from her mother, who paid her way through college as a single mother in the 1970s by painting on the Santa Cruz boardwalk.
Davenport enjoyed great success as a rodeo queen, and purchased her first horse, Turtle, when she was 21 years old. Not only does she maintain a connection with the rodeo queen world through doing western fashion artwork for current contestants, but she also remains an avid rider and horsewoman. These two passions have a symbiotic relationship in her life, and have proved a powerful ongoing support as well. Cat was involved in a bad horse wreck years ago, and it was art that paid the medical bills and helped with the healing process.
Today, her business continues to grow as Cat highlights the beauty in the western world. While graphite sketches remain her favorite medium, she has a diverse array of projects, including painting purses that are sold at the NFR, painting boots, rodeo queen outfits, doing graphite sketches on commission of different horses, and even working on a children’s book.
A woman of many talents, Cat Davenport exemplifies the ways in which following your passions can create a life, and give back to others while doing so. Check out her fabulous work on her Facebook business page, and pre-order her children’s book.
