The art of Michele Warner of Unicoi, Tenn. was chosen by the 2009 U.S. Equestrian Federation Pony Finals promotional materials.
Michele Warner of Unicoi, Tenn., has been chosen as the signature artist of the 2009 U.S. Equestrian Federation Pony Finals. The five-day event draws young riders from across the country competing for four championship titles. It will take place Aug. 5-9, 2009, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.
The artwork Warner created will be used on promotional materials such as the event poster, t-shirt and advertising. According to Warner, "I chose the young girl on the horse from professional photographers' photos from last year's event."
Warner says, "I usually shoot my own reference photos for my paintings, and I didn't like the face of the girl in the original photo, but I did like her form, the pony and the light on them, so I photographed another little girl whose face was more like the image I wanted to create. I put her head on the original figure and kept the pony and all the other things. I also changed the background to show the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington where the event takes place."
She continues, "Patching images together is typical of my work, I take the best parts of many photos that I shoot to get the images I want. I might take a hand from one shot, a head from another, or background from another. I even enlarge and shorten where I think the camera has distorted the figure or animal."
Warner adds, "Since most of my subjects include horses, dogs, and people, sitting for a portrait is not do-able."
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Warner is most interested in creating paintings that portray the subject's interests and passions. Having owned horses and other animals all of her life, the human-animal connection painting is the subject she is naturally drawn to and enjoys working with clients to create.
Warner is a graduate of the Kendall College of Art & Design and studied classical figure painting at the Slade College of Art at the University of London, England. Her work hangs in both private and corporate collections as well as many private homes.
Warner lives with her artist husband, James Noel Smith, on a farm in the mountains of Northeast Tennessee, along with three horses and many dogs and cats.
For more information, visit www.michelewarner.com.
