10/08/10 - Artists Presenting at the World Equestrian Games

A big part of the World Equestrian Games are all the exhibitors set up there on the grounds of the horse park. A number of these are involved in equine art and I came across two that caught my eye.

Debbie Sampson describes herself as a Sports Artist, and her website will certainly attest to that. I met her the first week of the WEG while she was painting at a booth near the Equine Village.

She has as a special fondness for equine sports and was working on a close up of a horse in oils with a pallet knife as we talked. She also works with many professional sports franchises which can be somewhat involved because of licensing issues.

The work that I saw that day was colorful, visceral and a bit abstract - it was, for me, very reminiscent of LeRoy Neiman. After vising her website I saw a versatility in her rendering  (as this striking dressage study demonstrates). She resides in Florida but will often travel to Kentucky for our numerous racing and equine events. I look forward to her next visit and hope that we can chat more then.

A nearby booth promoting a horse registry was hosting a drawing to have your horse immortalized in an oil painting portrait. There was a sample image (shown at right) that was quite striking, which drew me in to learn more - I later discovered the artist was none other than Richard Hescox.

This name sounded very familiar and after talking with the gentlemen from the registry I realized this was a well known science fiction cover artist. I believe he even did a cover or two for Marvel Comics - for their magazine line: Savage Sword of Conan or maybe Kull, The Conqueror. He also has a fine art website where he promotes his equine and portrait art. I was disappointed when I realized Richard was not actually in attendance there at the WEG since I was hoping to meet him in person  - but it was a fun connection to make.

Although I did not visit or see the American Academy of Equine Art during my two recent visits I would be remiss not to mention them and their full time presence at the Kentucky Horse Park while discussing equine art.  I hope learn more about this organization and it's members in the near future.  This non-profit group describes themselves (from their website):

The American Academy of Equine Art, Inc. was established in 1980 by a group of ten distinguished artists, individually famed for their work on equine subjects. Their aim was to maintain a degree of excellence within the genre, and to promote the academic representation of the equine form in drawing, painting and sculpture. Loosely based on the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the AAEA serves to educate and encourage a broad awareness and appreciation of contemporary equine art as a specific and distinctively worthy segment of fine art in America.