Artist Jean Requa Lubin was born in California but grew up in American Samoa and Juneau, Alaska, where she developed a passion for wildlife and the beauty of nature.

Lubin studied at the Scottsdale’s Artists’ School, where she earned awards and honors from plein air festivals and regional and national juried shows.

Her lush western and equine paintings have been exhibited across the country, from the Cattlemen’s Show in California to the Salmagundi Club in New York City. Her work was accepted into the 2008 American Academy of Equine Art Fall Juried Show (Ky.), where she earned the Kimbel E. Oelke Memorial Award for painting.

Lubin, San Diego, Calif., was inspired to paint this week’s cover, Anticipation, a 12″ x 9″ oil, while she watched her friend’s Thoroughbred wait their turn in the dressage ring.