HF20/20
OCALA’S MARION CULTURAL ALLIANCE (MCA) INTRODUCED A NEW HERD OF PAINTED HORSES in 2021 TO CELEBRATE THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR HORSE FEVER PUBLIC ART PROJECT. I'M VERY GRATEFUL MY HORSE CONCEPT WAS CHOSEN BY A WONDERFUL SPONSOR, SHOWCASE PROPERTIES OF CENTRAL FLORIDA.
Around the time the Call for Artist Entries was announced for this herd in 2020 I’d been noticing the patina forming on our tarnished copper fountain. My eyes are always drawn to textures, shadows and especially drawn by the light striking a surface. Like rust on steel, the pretty patina is really a disease for the metal and that’s the connection to the primary inspiration for the design. I had recently learned a family member was diagnosed with cancer. Sadly not the first family member or dear friend. Thankfully it’s treatable.
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Add to that lots of artistic license to imagine a wild patina, many hours, many cups of coffee, many more hours, pretty sure a bottle of Jack Black helped balance the caffeine, more coffee, very little sleep at the end... and we end up with this copper and turquoise beastie named HOPE.
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Add to that lots of artistic license to imagine a wild patina, many hours, many cups of coffee, many more hours, pretty sure a bottle of Jack Black helped balance the caffeine, more coffee, very little sleep at the end... and we end up with this copper and turquoise beastie named HOPE.
photos and video ©2021 Paul Ware
HOPE and the new HF20/20 herd meeting the public on an overcast Spring day.
Below are some work in progress shots starting with pickup of the fiberglass horse, after priming the horse, under painting done in Burnt Sienna followed by layers of shiny iridescent copper, then grays and a turquoise to create the illusions of an aged patina on copper. I love the abstract quality of those areas and they gained even more depth after clear coating. These shots are prior to the automotive clear coat. For more stories behind some of the imagery on the horse visit me on instagram. @drawnbythelightinc
A bit of the under painting process. Would have been cool to paint the entire horse this fast!
So where is HOPE after the HF20/20 herd's tour? Because of Covid-19, all but 3 of the horses were pre-sold instead of the wild auctions of past herds after touring the community with MCA. The other 3 were raffled June 4, 2021. HOPE now resides here in Ocala at the offices of it's sponsor, Showcase Realty of Central Florida. You gotta see HOPE in person at their office. Photos don't do the shiny copper justice. Showcase Realty has a blog post with lots of information about Horse Fever's incredible history & MCA's community support, plus more photos of HOPE.
https://www.showcaseocala.com/horse-fever-2020/
I hope everyone finds something beautiful in HOPE ...a wish to honor those touched by cancer. - Paul
