New project : A horse of a different color

I am a sucker for good causes and when you combine a good cause with an artistic challenge, well I pretty much have no choice but to participate. We have a wonderful program here in northern Illinois that essentially involves horse therapy. The program works with disadvantaged and disabled kids or adults to help them relate in a positive and caring way to their world through the use of horse. Main Stay Therapeutic Riding Program http://www.mstrp.org/ is funded primarily by donations. So the organization is sponsoring a new fund raiser called a Horse of A different color. It is sort of like the Cows on Parade that was done in Chicago or the Trail of Painted Ponies that was done in Santa Fe New Mexico. Some beautiful resin like carousel horses are being painted by select artists. Then there are the stick horses. This is the one that I decided to get involved in. I paid for a stick horse and now I can decorate it. As I usually do, I am going to record the process. These are wooden stick horses. As you can see by my first step here, I have given a couple layers of paint and have begun to build up an ocean floor complete with a sea plant or is it see weed? Anyway. Both sides of the head will be decorated pretty close to the same. I have a lot of ideas in my head and I am really enjoying this process.

When the stick horse is finished, it will go on display in a store window that faces the historic Woodstock, IL. square. Then on June 10th there will be this huge celebration on the square. My children and their class will dance in it along with other performers. The stick horses (a select few) will be auctioned and others will be sold outright. I think the same is true of the carousel horses. It will be a magnificent site to see these painted horses all around the square. Do visit the Main Stay site just to read about the program. I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful cause

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More to follow!