By Bill Robinson
Senior News Writer
RICHMOND —
One of the painted horses scattered around Lexington to help celebrate the World Equestrian Games was created by high school student from Richmond.
Clare Koury, a senior at Lexington Catholic High, designed and created the horse that represents her school in the “Horse Mania” exhibit. It is sponsored by Morgan Worldwide Consultants.
The daughter of Dr. Hameed and Larilyn Koury, Clare has been developing her artistic talent since elementary school.
Her Horse Mania creation, “Knight and Day,” can be seen in the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden at the intersection of Midland Avenue and Third Street in Lexington, just a short distance from Main Street. It shares the location with the Horse Mania entry created by Eastern Kentucky University art student Lisa Tyler and art department chair Herb Goodman.
Clare said she “got lucky” and won the competition among her school’s art students to create its contribution to the Horse Mania exhibit.
“I drew (the design) on a whim,” she said, and was surprised as well honored by the opportunity to create art representing her school for an international event.
The “Knight and Day” title is a play on words as well as a description of the design, Clare said. Her school’s athletes are called the Knights, and her Horse Mania exhibit depicts night and day.
On one end of the horse is a blue daytime sky with a swirling sun that spins off red-orange flames as puffy while clouds float by. Night is depicted at the other end with the moon in a dark, starry sky.
Painting the horse took about two weeks, Clare said. She used industrial-grade acrylic paint that will hold up outdoors.
In addition to classes at St. Mark Elementary in Richmond and then St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Middle School and Lexington Catholic, Clare has received instruction from Richard Dean, a retired teacher from Model Laboratory School who has operated his own art school in Richmond for many years.
“Mr. Dean has had the greatest influence” on the development of her talent, Koury said.
In addition to helping develop her painting skills, she said Dean has always encouraged her to use new media and attempt projects she feared were beyond her abilities.
“Mr. Dean has always believed in me,” she said, “and his encouragement has helped me accomplish things I didn’t think I could do.”
Clare’s talent won her acceptance to the 2010 Governor’s School for the Arts, conducted each summer at Transylvania University. She was there in June when her Knight and Day horse was placed on exhibit. To have her work accepted for an exhibition along with many accomplished and widely recognized artists was “really amazing,” she said.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@
richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
