I've been thinking about this piece, and especially about that white horse ethereally floating between earth and sky in front of that bushy tree, since the moment I saw it (at the Wellesley, MA estate sale of artist Lois Gross Smiley). I am doubtful this is a piece she made, though I don't know for sure--but I'd say she had a pretty terrific eye in choosing it and keeping it near! Whoever its maker, I think they elevated the kitschy medium of colored gravel to new heights, creating a dream-like piece that makes me think of Kandinsky's horses as well as some of my favorite outsider art. The forms in the painting are delineated with twine, as are the branches on the trees, and then a rope border was glued around the perimeter as a final touch. Just so good.

The piece measures 6" tall x 12" long x 3/8" deep. The rope (which is more yarn-like than jute) is loose in a couple of spots but could easily be glued back, and the painting itself is in great condition, with no apparent loss of gravel at all.