My life-long love for horses was spurred on by seeing a famous Lippizanar performance over 30 years ago. It was amazing to see the discipline and coordination of the horses and riders. But the unforgettable moment from that evening was when announcer reporting that the breed was greatly influenced by another – the Andalusian horse…. And stepping into the arena was the most beautiful horse I’d ever seen. A gorgeous white Andalusian. I was in love!
When I started painting horses, I of course had to find some Andalusians and came across Herradura Andalusians near Denton, Texas. Terri Meador kindly let me visit and she and Velante literally bathed a beautiful stallion, Hereje, and allowed me to photography him at liberty running through their arena. It was heavenly – as was wandering around the ranch snapping dozens of photos.
Karen Brenner
This painting is one of my first pieces.
Tucked away in a back pasture that day at Herradura was Terri’s stallion Remate. His lanky physic and flowing mane inspired some of my favorite early years paintings.
Since then, I’ve gotten to visit Herradura on two other occasions. It is one of my top 10 places in the world! And the home of Kaito who stars in some of my newest 2020 paintings.
Throughout the past 20 years I’ve been privileged to meet Andalusians and Lusitano around the United States – at homes and shows. Yes, I’m an Andalusian groupie! Here are some of my favorite paintings inspired by the breed.
