This is a portrait of Contessa Juliana, cast in bronze, with a contemporary patina mounted to a custom made granite base. She is approximately 1/3 life-size.  Contessa Juliana is a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood who competes primarily in the jumpers but dabbles in eventing.

For this particular portrait, I visited the stables, studying, walking, and getting acquainted with her.  Over a two day visit, I took hundreds of reference photos, as well as, sketches and calculated measurements.  In my mind, I was already sculpting her portrait.  Horses are magnificent creatures, and I have been around them periodically in my life, yet not being a rider, I was looking at her in an artistic and impressionistic way.  This was my first experience seeing a jumper and what I knew of horses had to be subdued.  The jumping and ring work was truly amazing and the training, discipline, and beauty stayed with me, wanting to portray her movement in the sculpture itself.  Each detail is captured to the best of my mind, sight, clay, and tools, using calculated measurements from life.  

Once the clay piece was complete, I took her to Deep in the Heart Art Foundry, to have molded and cast in bronze.  After completion, I decided on a contemporary patina that would exemplify her beauty, grace, athleticism, and burning soul.  To date, this is my favorite sculpture to have created.

Thank you for looking and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

​