So, finally we are caught up and I can report the day as it happened.

This morning I got up determined to actually paint (the last three days have been filled with all sorts of fun things, but not as much painting as I SHOULD be doing.) Because my horse paintings just weren’t going right, I decided to concentrate on landscapes and see if I could insert a horse at some later stage. This turned out to be a great plan because I felt like Cindi, my instructor, and I were finally able to get on the same page and I understood what she was trying to impart. I think you’ll see the improvement in my paintings.

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At noon we took a break to go see the Cross Gate Gallery’s Sporting Art Auction, currently hung at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion until auction day. It was incredible! Think of going to a museum hung only with your favorite subject of art (mine is… horses). All my equine artist heroes were there, and we met an incredible gal named Chelsea Dickson who toured us around and let us examine the back of a few of the more valuable pieces. The most expensive piece is a work by N.C. Wyeth entitled “Horse Race.” Seeing it in person, you don’t realize that the top is very prism-like. Chelsea explained that he was influenced by a Russian modernist movement celebrating prisms (wish I could remember the name). It was a cool tour.

For the rest of the afternoon I worked on another piece, before getting distracted by a turf race and then following the horses back into the barns and getting a series of bath shots.

When I got back to the paddock, class had ended and everyone had cleared out to return to their normal lives. I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye, but I did get some photos of the group today to remember them by.

Other notables included..

I watched the last race, then headed back to my base.

One more day before I get on the plane. Tomorrow I will tour a couple of breeding farms (Darley and Three Chimneys) and try to find the Thoroughbred Center (they have a sculpture there I really want to see.) Then Saturday I’ll pack up and visit Old Friends before getting on that plane and coming home.

Home seems like a good place to be.