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The Heroic Polo Ponies
Sarah Hope

Barrel Location: McConnell Springs, Fayette County

Artist’s Bio: I go by the name of Sarah Hope, because well that was the one I was given. Luckily I was also given an open mind, which led me to love music, animals, diversity, and especially art.  To put it simply, I am not the greatest artist in the world, but who is? But I have been taught to not be scared to have my own style and go my own way with my art, all thanks to a woman name Mrs. Kitty Dougoud. I've known this amazing woman for many years now, and I casually stroll to her house, and through her back door without knocking. Before I even get a chance to say hello, one day, I am instructed by the lady, wearing that bright lipstick and big smile, that I am to take on this mission to paint a rain barrel. NO ONE disagrees with Mrs. Kitty, so I laugh and say SWEET I'm in.

Artist Interpretation: I received this giant, round, ugly, rain barrel that someone had dropped cinnamon mints in so it smelled of cinnamon. I started on my barrel with grand plans of an almost abstract polo game being played. I painted the field and the sky and sketched the ponies and crowd on. Little did I know that when I set it outside to dry, that snow and freezing rain would be unleashed, as I slept, to ruin what I had begun and put quite a bit of effort into. I woke up all laid back, to finish some more of the barrel, but then found that the paint had been ruined and washed away.  With little time left to finish my barrel, I quickly had to think of a way to take this ugly wash and turn it into something interesting, at least interesting to me. I will not tell you the finished result, for that is for you to see. It most likely won't appeal to your eye or mind in a positive way, but it appeals to me in a way that no one else will ever feel, no matter how simple or hard it may seem to look to you. I will never see that rain barrel again, but hopefully many other people will, and I almost hope they think it’s ugly just so I can smile and at least it has appealed to them in one way or another, at least it made their mind turn and wonder about why people make art the way they do.