We here in Lexington have been hearing about the
World Equestrian Games or
WEG for years now and I think many of us were tired of what seemed like a lot of hype before it even started! Well, as one those initial negative nellies I have to confess that I am now a convert and have been very impressed with
Spotlight on Lexington (a 16-day festival of cultural performances, mostly musical in downtown Lexington) and the actual games themselves! Spotlight on Lexington performances are all free and open to the public!
This is a great gift to the people of Lexington and I hope many in the area are recognizing the opportunity and taking in as many of these acts as possible. Thank you to the many
sponsors who financed these fine performances!
I have attended the
WEG twice now, both times with only a general admission pass ($25 at the gate). Even without attending the events I was very enthralled with what was available: specifically the numerous demonstrations at the Equine Village. If you are at all interested in the horse these presentations will be quite entertaining and uplifting. It is a joy to watch and be with people who are clearly doing something they love. Speaking of which,
both of these ongoing (until Sunday 10/10/10) events are great opportunities for artists to draw, sketch and learn. Here you will be able to draw a wide spectrum of people and the many breeds and qualities of our equine friends. Two animals have made an immense impact on the development of human civilization: the dog and the horse. I find it quite touching that these noble animals seek our companionship, acceptance and dare I say, love.
The
Kentucky Horse Park may very well be the
premiere equine facility in all the world, something we Kentuckians can all have a little pride in. Don't be put off by fears of crowds or long lines - neither of these were an issue on the days I went (which were Tuesdays - the final weekend may be different).Take the
LexTran shuttle and avoid the $20 parking fee at the park or ride share with a group of friends and split the cost.
Just make sure and visit our state park during this once in a lifetime event! I would attend everyday if work and my fall allergies would allow!
Share your art! I encourage all my fellow artists to post a comment or send a link to online galleries of their sketches and drawings of the
WEG or Spotlight events.
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.
