Trail of the Painted Ponies
The Trail of Painted Ponies was a powerful merge of businesses charities and artists for the benefit of the New Mexico community. In the first year of the projects conception, 120 life size horse sculpters were cast in a polyurethane resin. All artists began with the same sculpture as a blank canvas on which to create their art. Artists were allowed to alter the horses and many did. I sculpted and attached 7 eagle feathers to the mane and tail of Horse Feathers. Each artist was sponsored by a business and profit from the auction of the horses benefited New Mexico charities. The life size Give Me Wings was at 1st New Mexico Bank in Las Cruces NM. Old Town Emporium sponsored Horse Feathers to benefit The Women's Community Association, an organization that offers safe haven for women and children who have experienced domestic violence. High Desert State Bank sponsored Give Me Wings to benefit Jardin de Los Ninos in Las Cruces, NM, Jardin educates and cares for young children of homeless and near homeless families while helping to them to recover..
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Good Medicine - LIFE SIZE PONY 6 ' x 8 ' x 30"
$49,500.00 In 2011, I found a life size on Main Street in Las Cruces, NM. She was tied to a light post and had obviously had a hard 10 years. Luckily, I was able to purchase her and began 3 months of extreme restoration. I repaired a broken tail and sanded off 4 layers of paint that had been applied by previous owners. When I first saw the pony, I called it the “Crime Scene Pony”. However this pony reminded me of the story of Black Beauty. I wanted to make her whole again with new art and a bright future. She is now called Good Medicine. She represents the nations of mankind. A Medicine Wheel is painted on the back and the base. The pony’s body is Chestnut for Red-man; the Palomino for Yellow Man; the Black for Black Man; and the White Horse for White Man. Red, yellow, black and white ribbons flow across the back and down the tail. Sculpted Eagle feathers in resin clay adorn the back-sides. Trail of Painted Ponies ,TOPP, is a popular public arts program originating in New Mexico. There were 200 pony forms made by TOPP from 2000- 2003 . 120 standing ponies and 80 running forms were cast in resin. The life size ponies are limited and rare. There are no more castings being made of this form because the molds were destroyed. TOPP matched businesses with artists to benefit non-profit NM charities. When the artists finished painting their art, the pony remained with the Business for 6 months or was place in a public venue such as malls, hotels and airports. At the end of the exhibit the ponies were auctioned to the public and 80% of the auction price went to a non-profit chosen by the Business owners. In 2003, TOPP was approached by Westland Giftware with the idea of reproducing some of the ponies to sell as collectible figurines 6" x 9". The little ponies made Trail of Painted Ponies and its artists a world-wide phenomenon. The collecting of ponies is still very popular to this day. Since the life size pony forms are not available, the artists use smaller pony forms to create their original designs for future figurines. Not all the life size ponies were made into collectible figurines. Some are truly, one of a kind as is the case with Good Medicine. Good Medicine is 6 ft. tall - 8.5 ft long - 30 inches wide and weighs about 200 lbs. including the base. The base has rollers and a low fence is included. Delivery by Kathy Morrow to anywhere in mainland USA is included $49,500. |
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Buffalo Soldier Pony
This original pony design for Trail of Painted Ponies is made of cast resin. I sculpted a McClellan saddle and the tack and equipment that would typically be used by the Buffalo Soldier's of the 1860's. The Buffalo Soldier was given the name by the Indians because their hair and skin color resembled a buffalo and the Indians honored them as brave fighters that fought like a wounded buffalo.
6" x 9 " $3500. includes 10" X 15" glass dome with turntable. There's only one and its an original. |
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Tatanka Brothers Pony
The Buffalo Soldier played an important part in Western
History. Recently freed slaves from the South found work in the West with the US Army. "Buffalo Soldiers" were named by Native Americans when they saw that their skin color and hair texture were like buffalo. The Native Americans said that the soldiers fought like a wounded buffalo and honored their valor in battle. My model, Don Parish, does impressions of a Buffalo Soldier in the 9th Cavalry. The first Buffalo Soldier unit was the 10th Cavalry and the 9th was formed from the 10th. My pony is called Tatanka Brothers and in the Lakota language Tatanka means “buffalo”. In the pony’s design, Don is reclined and smoking a corn cob pipe, one of the few pleasures that a Buffalo Soldier might have had. The smoke curls from the pipe and begins to turn into buffalo as the smoke moves to the other side of the pony; the buffalo become more life-like. Don's pony, a flea-bit Arabian named Ghost Dancing, is his partner in re-enactments and presentations of the Buffalo Soldier’s history. Don rightfully takes great pride in the authenticity of his uniform, tack and equipment. From shackles to glory, Don tells the stories of the Buffalo Soldiers and how they helped settle the Western frontier. |
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Apache Burden Baskets are hand crafted from Cotton Wood bark and Mulberry sticks and are used as utility baskets to gather fruit, berries, herbs or nuts and also to carry items. These baskets are still used in traditional Apache ceremonies today. The dark weave is the outside bark and the light weave is the inside of the bark. Apache women normally carried the basket against their backs with a strap across the forehead for support. The basket is wrapped
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And Illusion Pony - is a play on names. The Andalusian Breed of horse is known for its long, heavy neck and thick mane and tail and large eyes. This breed of horse was named for the Spanish province of Andalusia, where it originated. After removing the tail from the pony, I sculpted a new tail and longer mane with stars and the eyes. And Illusion Pony. You can see from the top image that the checkers are square, however after the placement of Swarovski Crystals on their opposite color patterns the lines of the checkers appear to bend and look
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Accepting Commissions for art on the life size foal Aluminum forms.
$15,000. includes painted base with rolling casters and custom pony blanket.
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Give Me Little Wings
LIFE SIZE FOAL Made of cast Aluminum
4 Ft x 4 F' SOLD - Found a forever home "Deep in the Heart of Texas" Accepting Commissions for art on the life size foal Aluminum forms. Flutter by FoalLIFE SIZE FOAL Made of cast Aluminum
4 Ft x 4 Ft SOLD - Found a forever home "Deep in the Heart of Texas" Accepting Commissions for art on the life size foal Aluminum forms. |
