Draft Horse Art Cards

Art Prints
Note Cards
Photography




	Watercolor Collection The artcards in this Watercolor Collection feature this year's work by Chris Rankin. "Colonnade": 2010 California State Fair Award of Merit The name, Colonnade, refers as much to the line of horses and people as it does to the trees. These figures form an abstract artistic arrangement of vertical lines that echoes the trunks of the pine forest in the background. Symbolically, I would like to propose that because motorized vehicles have supplanted the draft horse as a support of modern society, these horses and teamsters can be admired and appreciated much like a Grecian column. Watercolor by Chris Rankin Item Number: 1801-C 8 artcards for $25.00 Single artcard for $3.50 “Point and Counterpoint”: The beautiful Gypsy Vanners seem defined by harmonious contradictions. Physically, they are heavier, bigger boned with feathered legs, traits typically found among “workhorses”. Their showy coat color (spots, Black and White), refined head, and overabundance of mane and tail are traits that move this breed from a working classification to that of a show horse. I was attracted to this composition because of the manner in which the horse and rider are both defined and, at the same time, obscured. I wanted to capture the duality of the breed by the use of color, found and lost edges, the actual depiction of a heavier breed performing dressage, and how the background elements echo and enhance the opposites of light and dark that are at play in the horse’s coat. Shire stallion. Watercolor by Chris Rankin Item Number: 1802-C 8 artcards for $25.00 Single artcard for $3.50 “Soft Touch”: Watercolor by Chris Rankin A horse is defined by grace, strength, and speed - all different ways to describe movement. The farrier’s role is maintaining the hooves for a horse to express the movement we admire about them. In Soft Touch, I used Burnt Sienna, a warm intimate color, to capture the affection that defines the work of a farrier. I kept the edges of light soft and glowing, allowing the detail of the figures to play a supporting role to the overall mood of the moment. The horse reciprocates the theme of affection with the soft touch of his nose, allowing the light glowing from the farrier’s back to mingle with the white blaze on the horse’s face. Item Number: 1803-C 8 artcards for $25.00 Single artcard for $3.50 “Happy Hour”: Watercolor by Chris Rankin Although the horses stand calmly, the expanded palette used to paint Happy Hour gives it a festive feeling. These Percherons from different fields have gathered by the fence for some social time. The horse closest to us bends his neck to look directly at the viewer, inviting us to join in the conversation. I enjoy the way the shapes of the white horses combine to stand out as an abstract horizon against the dark background of trees. Item Number: 1804-C 8 artcards for $25.00 Single artcard for $3.50 Watercolor Card Collection Two 5" x 7" cards of each painting with matching envelopes. Blank inside ©' Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. Website by: Holland Design Team