Mehl Lawson is an artist in two mediums — sculpture and horses. He is an heir to the proud vaquero tradition of Old California: a dedicated disciple of the refined, subtle elegance of the Santa Barbara style that inspired the creative spirits of such men as Ed Borein and Luis Ortega.

There is the same kind of magic in the hands that shape the sculptor’s clay as there is in the hands that hold the reins of a spade-bit horse. Mehl Lawson is accomplished in both venues and brings to each a concentrated focus that produces horseback memories and sculptural images of pure grace and beauty.

Lawson excels at depicting the devotion between man and his horse, and his sculptures capture the spirit of the western buckaroo—the working men of the great California and Nevada ranches. He is happy to combine the world of horses with that of fine art, and it was this skillful combination that got him elected to the CAA in 1982. He lives in Bonita, California.