Every equine artist should have a good working knowledge of what makes the horse tick. This two-day workshop is designed to give the student a solid knowledge of how the horse is put together and how it moves. Starting with the skeletal structure we will move outward to the muscles, skin and even hair. Working with handouts, an equine skeleton and live models, we will study how the bones and muscles work and how movement effects their appearance. There will also be some drawing exercises and some basic equine measurements.

This is an anatomy class for artists, not a medical anatomy class, so don't worry, you will not have to memorize all the Latin names.

A graduate of Michigan State University, Shelley Hunter had a long career in commercial advertising. Although she has a fine arts degree, her sculpture career began with an AAEA workshop. She has won numerous awards at national exhibitions. Her sculptures are notable for their portrayal of the equine form in action. She is a Full Member of the AAEA and is currently serving as its Executive Director.

To learn more see her website at: www.hunterequinearts.com

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This class will focus on the horse in motion, rather than the horse at rest. Using the horses at the Kentucky Horse Park and elsewhere as models, the class will incorporate photographing the moving horse to get images that are inspiring and useful as reference material, with the exploration of design concepts, texture and color, using the soft pastel medium. The instructor will demonstrate her approach to taking photographs, sketching from photographs to generate exciting compositions, and using various surfaces to achieve different textural qualities, using soft pastel, wet and dry. Students will be encouraged to push themselves by generating many thumbnail sketches, and to experiment with various surfaces, using the soft pastel medium.

The horse is one of Dawn Emerson's main inspirations for depicting movement and emotional energy. She is known for her bold designs, and use of calligraphic marks and color, that push the boundaries of pastels. Dawn has won many awards for her paintings of horses, animals and people, and is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and the Pastel Society of the West Coast. Dawn has boundless energy for teaching, and seeks in her workshops to create an organized and supportive atmosphere, where risk-taking and sharing happen naturally.

To learn more visit: www.dawnemerson.com

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This workshop will guide students in building a small equine figure through a systematic approach based on anatomical principles. Informal talks on anatomy will offer an understanding of basic skeletal and muscular structure as it relates to form and movement. The class will progress from the building of an appropriate armature to the development of a complete sculpture in clay with students receiving individual attention.

Kathleen Friedenberg began her professional career as a veterinarian in England. A Thouron Fellowship brought her to the University of Pennsylvania to study human and equine orthopedics. She spent ten years as a freelance medical illustrator, during which time she began to study sculpture. Her reputation as an equine sculptor is particularly strong in regard to correct anatomy, lively action and, often, humor. She is a Full Member of the AAEA and holds memberships in the Society of Animal Artists, the National Sculpture Society and the American Artists Professional League. Her work has won numerous awards at national exhibitions, including Knickerbocker Artists and Allied Artists of America.

To learn more visit her website at: www.bronzealive.com

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This workshop will serve as an introduction to painting heavy horses, and as a means of further development to those already experienced in painting them. Emphasis will be given to the unique status of the draft horse, their conformation, proportions, their gear, their literal status as working animals. A fine selection of draft breeds will be available for reference and we will utilize them as subjects for drawing and photography. Participants may bring their own reference pictures: pictures will be available to those who do not already have them. Media will be oil and acrylic. Students should be experienced in one or the other. Above all, it will be a week given to the appreciation and the enjoyment of this great tradition.

Michael Nevin, AAEA, AWS is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art. He has participated in numerous national juried exhibitions and has been the recipient of more than a dozen prizes. His work has been featured in a succession of articles, most recently in "Horses in Art" (Fall, 2006) He has been a horseman for many years and became interested in draft horses as a result of time spent in various Amish communities in the Midwest.

Mackinac Island: Located in the straights of Mackinac, almost in the shadow of the famous Mackinac bridge, Mackinac Island is a idyllic vacation destination with a unique twist. Since 1898 the island has banned all motorized vehicles with the exception of emergency and construction vehicles. Horse and pedal power are the only means of transportation available. What a perfect place to hold a workshop on heavy horses!

The island is steeped in history and overflowing with events and entertainment. It was the site of the romantic film "Somewhere in Time" staring Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour.

For more information on Mackinac Island visit the following websites:

• www.mackinacisland.org
• www.mackinacisland.com
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackinak_Island

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Explore a fresh approach to painting. Learn a simple, direct and effective mastery of oils. Emphasis on mixing color, form, composition and eliminating those mental demons! We will work on many paintings this week, exploring horses & the landscape in oils. Working directly from photos and life. If you’re feeling ‘too tight’ this workshop is for you. I will help you develop a personally expressive style, and keep ‘all that anatomy’.

Ellen A. Gavin a BFA Cum Laude graduate of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. Ellen began painting full-time in 2001 after 25-year design career in New York City. Painting horses had been a life long pursuit, and riding showing for 10 years fuelled many of her painting ideas. Enjoying an energetic painterly style, Ellen’s plein air landscape & equestrian paintings have been exhibited, awarded & collected throughout the US & Europe. She’s a Full Member of the (AAEA) American Academy of Equine Art. An Assoc. Member of (OPA) Oil Painters of America, (SSA) Society of Animal Artists, and (MAPAPA) Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters. She has continued study at The Scottsdale Artist School in AZ, The Art Students League, & Museum of Natural History in NY.

To learn more see her website at: www.greenbootstudio.com

The Gloucester County Dream Park is an Equine show and event facility in Southwestern New Jersey. The class will be held in a large well ventilated facility with easy access to horses and to the show venues.

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Drawing is both a foundation for painting and a complete art form in itself. This class will encourage the student's growth through instruction that focuses on a traditional and representational treatment of the horse. Emphasis will be on anatomy and the fundamentals of creating a balanced composition using volume and values. This will be accomplished by concentrating on the student's skills of observation for both their subjects and their own artistic progress. This course explores drawing as an end in it's own right and as a foundation for better paintings. We'll be working in the classroom and also spending time outside using some of the Kentucky Horse Park's beautiful horses for models.

"The strength of any finished work of art lies in the drawing that preceded it. This summarizes Elizabeth Lewis Scott's philosophy for all the media she works in (oil, watercolor, pencil, and pen and ink). Her insistence on underlying detail, coupled with the warmth that accompanies years of experience with her subjects, is her trademark. Having specialized in equine subjects for a number of years, including wild horses, she has branched out into western and wildlife art.

Liz has been drawing and painting animals since her childhood. She earned a B.A. degree in Studio Arts from Principia College in Elsah, IL. She is a full member of the American Academy of Equine Art, and has show with prominent equine, wildlife and western artists. Her work has been featured in Western Horseman, Horse & Horsemen, Equine Images, Wildlife Art and Southwest Art.

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Sculpting the Human Figure – A Class for Equine Sculptors

In this fast-paced five day class, equine sculptors will be challenged to sculpt the human figure – especially in the various ways the rider interacts with the horse. Class elements include:

• Building an armature and sculpting a seated figure using a live model.
• Sculpting faces and capturing a portrait likeness
• Sculpting hands with an emphasis on gestures, and holding reins and other objects
• Clothing the nude figure, with an emphasis on fabric textures, folds, creases, and drapery.
• Overall sculpture composition, horse and rider interaction, the use of details in telling the story

A Houston Texas native and lifelong student of art, Ken Sullivan earned his degree in Economics at Texas A&M University in 1986. He continued to study art on his own during a fifteen-year career in the oil business and taught himself to sculpt, intuitively developing his clean, powerful style.

Ken combines universal themes with his passion for anatomy, accuracy, action and attention to detail. The result is a fresh approach to classical realism that celebrates the beauty of the human and equine form. His powerful and distinctive equine figures in particular have captured the attention of critics and collectors alike.

Ken is a Full Member of the American Academy of Equine Art and an Associate Member of the Society of Animal Artists. He's also a member of the American Plains Artists and a colleague member of the National Sculpture Society.

To learn more see his website at: www.kensullivanfineart.com.

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This class will guide the student through the sculpture process from the construction of an armature to a finished clay figure. Through lectures and demonstrations the student will be provided with information on all phases of the process with an emphasis on sculptural composition, correct anatomy and movement. There will also be instruction given on placing a human figure on the horse and tips for "tacking up" the sculpted horse. Each student will receive individual attention and the class will take advantage of the Horse Park location to study the equine form "up close and personal".

A graduate of Michigan State University, Shelley Hunter had a long career in commercial advertising. Although she has a fine arts degree, her sculpture career began with an AAEA workshop. She has won numerous awards at national exhibitions. Her sculptures are notable for their portrayal of the equine form in action. She is a Full Member of the AAEA and is currently serving as its Executive Director

To learn more see her website at: www.hunterequinearts.com

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This workshop provides instruction in techniques and style that provides a professional look to your painting. There will be discussions on brushwork, materials and paint application, and a few simple "tricks".

Booth Malone is one of the premier equestrian and sporting artists in America. He has exhibited internationally, is widely published, and has been Official Artist for many of the major equestrian events nationwide, including the 2006 Breeder' Cup at Churchill Downs. He has also received a number of prestigious awards

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Whether you are starting, evolving or re-launching your career as a professional artist, this one-day course is designed to benefit you by expanding your knowledge and confidence as an exhibitor and marketer of your work.

The course will cover the do's and don'ts when approaching a museum, a gallery and alternative art venues. We will discuss how to identify venues for exhibition and finding the right "fit" for your work. You will learn how best to write an artist press release, prepare and artist statement and communicate your biography. We will delve into business practices in the areas of pricing, marketing, contracts, inventory control, websites, show record and portfolio preparation.

This course will help practicing artists and new artists complete the creative circle.

Lloyd Kelly is known for his gestural drawings, and as a colorist. Louisvillians are familiar with his sixty-eight foot mural in the new wing of Churchill Downs and numerous original works on paper on the 4th and 5th floor Jockey Club Suites. Mr. Kelly has exhibited internationally in museums and galleries in Japan, Hong Kong, France, Italy and Russia. His recent one-person shows include National Arts Club in New York City, Christina Gallery on Martha's Vineyard, The Kentucky Derby Museum in Louisville, KY and the Bongiovanni Gallery in Bologna, Italy. He has a BA from LSU, a BFA in drawing from Nebraska, an MFA in printmaking from Mexico, and an MFA in creative writing from Spalding University in Louisville.

For more information see his web site at: www.lloydkelly.com

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In this workshop we will strive to train the artist's eye to observe the differences in conformation from one breed to the other and from one horse to the other in order to capture a sculptural likeness. Using a variety of models from the Horse Park, the students will work to recognize the individual characteristics that distinguish one horse from the other and which are essential to capturing the essence of a specific horse. There will be lots of individual attention and opportunities to observe many breeds and types of horses.

Cynthia Rigden was raised on, and now manages a central Arizona ranch that has been in her family for over one hundred years. She majored in art at Arizona State University and studied graphic art and art history in Florence, Italy.

Cynthia has been featured in many magazines including Southwest Art (cover), Art of the West, Arizona Highways, and Horses in Art (cover). She has shown for fifteen years in the Prix du West Invitational Exhibition at the Cowboy and Western heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. She has had numerous other shows in the United States and has traveled extensively to horse events and art exhibits in Europe and the United States. She does many commissions and is represented in numerous equine art collections.

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If you love the look of traditional realism, this is the workshop for you! Daily demonstrations will illustrate the process of building a painting, from developing a concept through completion, stressing correct equine anatomy, composition, light, form and color. You will sketch from live models and also learn to master your photo references without allowing them to master you! This “back to basics” approach, as applied to equine painting, will give you the foundation from which to develop your own individual style with confidence.

Xochitl (Sheila) Barnes has been drawing and painting all her life – both parents were artists –but began doing commissioned portraits of horses in 1971. A Full member of the AAEA, she has been a student of the Academy since classes began at the Horse Park in ’92. Ms. Barnes is the Founder/Director of the New Jersey Equine Artists’ Association.

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In this workshop we will focus on providing solutions to the most common roadblocks to successful landscape painting, including:

• How to get "the look" of sunlight
• Composition: THE most common pitfall
• Composition: the foundation--boiling it down to the most important essentials
• How to get emotional content through painterly edges
• How to avoid THE MOST COMMON COLOR ERRORS
• How to create "the look" of realism
• How to improve your drawing

We'll use presentations, demos, exercises, group critiques, and lots of time for painting both in the studio and outdoors (en plein air) to develop and advance your command of the essential foundations for successful landscape painting.

Bill Fletcher is a Kentucky artist gaining a national reputation for his landscapes and still lifes. His workshops are a constant sell-out and he has been persuaded to share his talents with the AAEA. He has great love for the land and enjoys helping others pursue their personal excellence through art.

His work can bee seen at www.billfletcherstudio.com.

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In this workshop, the value of sound drawing as a basis for successful painting will be explored, with an emphasis on light and shade. Ms. Welch will work on a "on-to-one" basis with each student to maintain individuality of artistic expression. The "importance of light" will be the theme for each student's choice of subject, composition, atmosphere, etc.

Respected artist, Rosemary Sarah Welch, was born in Wiltshire, England and developed a love of horses while living in the U.S. At age 15 she returned to her homeland and studied portraiture and figure painting under Leonard Fuller, R.A., R.O.I. at the St. Ives School of Painting. As a rider and owner, equestrian subjects, especially the heavy breeds, have dominated her work. She has had many successful one-man exhibitions at home and abroad. Ms. Welch's career as a popular instructor has spanned three decades.

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