▁was ▁spoken . ▁ ▁Life ▁and ▁career ▁" White hor se ▁was ▁born ▁into ▁a ▁family ▁whose ▁liv elihood ▁dep ended ▁largely ▁on ▁re aring ▁sheep . ▁Through ▁her ding ▁sheep ▁and ▁expl oring ▁nearby ▁ru ins , ▁she ▁developed ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁light ▁affect s ▁our ▁per ception ▁of ▁the ▁environment -- how ▁clouds ▁dark en ▁can y ons , ▁sun light ▁ill umin ates ▁small ▁fl ora ▁and ▁fa una , ▁and ▁the ▁horizon ▁line ▁dissol ves ▁with ▁d usk . ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁struck ▁by ▁the ▁colors ▁that ▁emer ge ▁from ▁we aving ▁and ▁its ▁associated ▁activities ." ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁White hor se ▁earned ▁her ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁painting ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁Mexico ▁in ▁Al bu quer que ▁( UN M ). ▁She ▁earned ▁her ▁master ' s ▁degree ▁in ▁art ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁also ▁from ▁UN M , ▁major ing ▁in ▁print making ▁and ▁min oring ▁in ▁art ▁history . ▁ ▁White hor se ' s ▁paint ings ▁draw ▁upon ▁a ▁personal ▁icon ography , ▁based ▁on ▁her ▁ref lections ▁of ▁her ▁natural ▁surr ound ings . ▁She ▁brings ▁together ▁N ava jo ▁cosm ological ▁pers pect ives ▁with ▁abstra ction ▁in ▁her ▁work . ▁White hor se ' s ▁work ▁is ▁deliber ately ▁ap olit ical . ▁White hor se ▁cred its ▁her ▁grand m other , ▁a ▁we aver , ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁art istic ▁figure ▁in ▁her ▁life .