Mountain Sun Arts

Draft Side of the Moon is buffeted on all sides by dark swirling clouds but through his gilded windows he keeps shining hope and love and positivity for the benefit of all those around him. His head is held high, his gait is strong and forward, and he is confident that despite the storms, he will emerge with his brightness undimmed. Finished in Pan Pastel, acrylic paint, Pearlex pigments, and Testors lacquer gloss.

Golden Tempo galloping at Keeneland July 13, 2026. It was a dream come true to watch this horse, who is poetry in motion, sweeping around the turn at my favorite track in the world. The perfect end to a wonderful vacation
📷 with RETO Amber D320 AHU 35mm film, scanned digitally and edited manually with a Polaroid frame

The theme of my HorseFest 2026 prep was Nostalgia. I pored over photos from my first two visits in 1997 and 1999, and found that I actually loved the warm, occasionally grainy, sometimes weirdly lit film photographs my mom’s point-and-shoot Olympus produced back then. I bought some old film, some black and white film, and some too-high-speed film for the extra grain and left my digital SLR Nikon at home.

Today I’m following Breyer Model Horses lead and throwing it back to 1999. My second ‘Fest, and the first time I met the Hall of Champions LOML, Cigar. Mom and I knew what to expect that time around re: the heat, humidity, and how many models we could realistically get into our luggage for the trip home. To be honest, I’m still struggling with that last part 🤭

Wishing a happy Father’s Day to my pops, who may not have always understood my model horse fixation but supported it nonetheless. He came to my first model horse show and built me a shelf, and every once in awhile bought one of the horses I circled in Just About Horses. Hope you had a great day Dad!

Okay one last throwback post to Breyerfest 1997 because that’s where it all began for me. At age 12, I’d never been so far from home and yet felt so instantly and intuitively At Home. My grandpa had gifted me a Kentucky Horse Park activity book he’d had lying around since the late 70’s so I felt like I already knew my way around, and how perfect is the KHP for a kid who lives and breathes horses every moment of her life?? My favorite part BY FAR was seeing breeds of horse I’d never encountered in real life before - somewhere there’s a Polaroid of me sitting on that Shire, grinning like mad. I knew then I’d always find home in the shady trees, benches placed perfectly in the breezy spots, and velvety noses of the park residents. 23 days to go. 💙

More from summer 1997! I was firmly in the delirious throes of my Wanna Be A Jockey phase - I had read every book of the Thoroughbred series to date and darn near had the 1995 and 1996 Breeders Cup broadcasts memorized. It was therefore the thrill of a lifetime to visit not only race course but ‘s Ashford Stud. I got sneered at by Storm Bird, gently snuffled by El Gran Señor, and later stared down by John Henry at the Hall of
Champions. It remains one of the best days of my life 💙