The Art Before The Horse

Wayne Frank

When does fine art end and fine craft begin? That was one of the questions the sponsor, Allan Homes, and the artist, Wayne Frank, had when they began "The Art Before the Horse". The conclusion was a merging of the two. Fine art and the fine craft of the home builder can be the same. It involved research into what horse would be most appropriate for the design. What materials would hold up best on the fiberglass horse and in the conditions where the horse would eventually be kept? What style stall would best reflect the builders abilities? The horse is painted with a harlequin blanket and a Mardi-Gras style mask. He resides in a Victorian style stall in front of the Golden Lynx Gallery in Mendon. He has a basecoat of opalescent auto paint. The decorative paint was airbrushed on with auto paint. The topcoat is an iridescent auto clear coat. When completed it was baked to harden the paint. "Now that the horses are in place, the public enjoyment of them has been the greatest reward. They are not only wonderful advertisements but pieces of art and have brought many people into our gallery."