About the artist

As an artist,  lifelong equestrian and mental health professional, Christine has brought art, horses and people together for over 20 years.  

By combining her education as a ceramic artist, counselor, and animal behaviorist, Bravata's  passion for helping people through art and animal therapy has flourished. While obtaining a Master's degree in counseling psychology, Christine began incorporating horses and art in her work with individuals with Asperger's syndrome, trauma victims and veterans on a 4700 acre, working cattle ranch in Central Florida. The bravery and resilience of those survivors, coupled with the healing powers of working in nature with the Florida Cracker Horses, continue to inspire her functional equine sculpture. 

The artist's connection with animals and nature is evident in her functional equine sculpture. Each one-of-a-kind  equine vessel captures the movement and essence of her subjects, and seems to possess an energy and will all its own. Her intricately textured designs and carvings reflect a unique combination of abstract impressionism, with ancient hand building techniques, creating a fully functioning work of art that can be passed on through generations.

She writes, "I have been fortunate enough to witness the life-changing effects of working with horses. They teach us so much about ourselves and show us a calm and gentle, yet powerful and majestic, beauty and untamed spirit that lives within us all. They live in the present moment, balanced, and in harmony with their environments. As animals of prey, they rely on being acutely in tune with their surroundings in order to survive, which makes them excellent partners in Equine Assisted Therapy. In the quiet space between human and animal, there is a dance; a connectivity that can bring profound inner peace and healing. My hope is to bring people closer to finding that connection through my work."

Originally from New York City, Christine currently lives on a farm in Central Florida with her family and the horses who inspire her work.