The Trail Of Painted Ponies Story
By Jeffrey Rolo
The Trail of Painted Ponies is taking the art world by storm, but there are still many horse lovers and art collectors that are not familiar with these unique pieces. What are these Painted Ponies and why are they valued so highly?
To answer those questions we need to go back in time to the year 2000, at which time a major sculptor in the Southwest was commissioned to create a resin life-sized horse sculpture. In conjunction with this assignment a challenge was presented to both established and aspiring artists: submit their own personal artistic rendition for the resin horse.
The response to this challenge was strong, perhaps even unexpectedly so; even corporate sponsors entered the picture and selected their favorite designs. Ultimately what started as a commission for one horse quickly turned into 120 different horses, and upon completion these motley designs were displayed around the New Mexico area where both horse lovers and artists could admire them. And thus, the Trail of Painted Ponies was born.
In 2001 the unique sculptures were auctioned off to earn funds for charity, and the proceeds from this auction was unexpectedly strong… to the tune of over half a million dollars! The horse and art worlds affirmed their love for the Painted Ponies, and thus the legend was reborn again in 2002 as another crop of Ponies came to life.
Although the life-sized sculptures were certainly impressive to behold, they weren't exactly accessible to the ordinary homeowner or collector. To help introduce these eclectic Ponies to the world, new product lines were created consisting of ceramic figurines, sandstone coasters, coffee mugs, fancy ornaments and interesting magnets.
Once you are introduced to the world of the Painted Ponies you will likely agree that these unexpectedly novel offerings are a welcome addition to the horse art world.
Would you like to learn more about this phenomenon? Check out these references:
