And photographs, if you have any.
Horseytalk.net Special Interview
Robert Clark
Famous horse painter ready for the OFF.
Every year he paints the winner of classic race
When the thunder of hooves signals the start of the Kentucky
Derby, Robert Clark will be there. It is business as usual for the Indian
Harbour Beach artist who will help immortalize Union Rags, Gemologist,
Hansen or whichever horse in 2012’s large field crosses the finish
line first.
For years, Clark has been commissioned by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association to create an oil painting of the Derby winner to be presented to the winning horse’s trainer.
In Brevard, Clark lives anonymity, but in the privileged circles of the thoroughbred racing world, he is known by his first name, for his paintings have a well-deserved reputation for conveying the hair-raising electricity and spine-tingling magnificence of champion racehorses.
He has petted Secretariat, touched Riva Ridge and met Seattle Slew, Affirmed and other equine legends. His works run from $20,000 to $50,000. Owners often fly Clark to their stables so he can paint their animals.
How did a Navy brat from Paris, Tenn., end up the go-to artist for well-heeled racehorse owners? Drawing horses from the time he could grab a pencil started him on the right track. Studying art at the University of the South Sewanee also helped, as did the abstract expressionism he learned at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Sewanee had emphasized old-school draftsmanship, while FAU taught him about texture, washes and color theory. At the end, Clark returned to his roots: drawing horses.
A 10-year stint as a stockbroker taught him the nuances of marketing, so sales are now easy.
“Before being a stockbroker, I couldn’t give my art away,” Clark said.
Using a slew of photos provided by track photographers, Clark shapes each new composition, taking a bit from here, another from there. For the painting of the Barbaro, Clark positioned the horse at its finest moment, when it seems to effortlessly glide over the track at Churchill Downs. In the painting of Street Sense racing at Saratoga, the horse’s jockey gives barely a glance to the competition. The romance, heart and drama of horseracing, as well as the sweat and mud, are in Clark’s works.
Like the courageous animals he paints, Clark instinctually pushes himself
to lead the pack. “I work hard to improve with every single painting,” said
Clark.
www.robertclark.us