Secretariat Pictures - Secretariat Art Prints

When deciding on decorations for a home, owners often want to convey their interests to guests in a stylish and meaningful way. When an owner is a sports fan, for example, they may want to find decorations that express their dedication to favorite teams or players. Such decorations can serve as both great conversation pieces and expressions of deeply held beliefs and values of fairness and good sportsmanship.

Finding a good quality art print related to a favorite sport is just one way to achieve this sense of personal expression in a home, and few sports have captured the attention of people from all walks of life and from such disparate times in history as much as horse racing. From the most aristocratic circles to everyday families, horse racing has captivated scores of generations of minds for both its high stakes competition and its long traditions. To many people, indeed, Thoroughbred racing is to this day known as "the Sport of Kings."

Among the most famous of Thoroughbred racehorses, Secretariat stands alone as a unique example of horse racing at its best and most competitive. With wins as a Triple Crown champion and a demonstration of American ingenuity and competitive might, Secretariat is a symbol of all that is best and most exciting about the sport. Secretariat's wins were not just surprising to followers of Thoroughbred racing (America had been lagging in Thoroughbred competition for decades when Secretariat began his streak of wins) but to all fans watching a major upset of dominance over the sport by countries such as the United Kingdom.

As the legend of Secretariat grows, a fine print of the racehorse's image has become a collector's item in recent decades. Prints of Secretariat can be placed anywhere in the home as both an elegant decoration and a showing of good taste and respect for the sport of horse racing. Secretariat pictures - Secretariat art prints included - can come in many different forms. Painters have often used Secretariat as a subject matter for their work, while photographers have captured many of Secretariat's images even as he crossed the finish line. Such prints can give a historical and fun feel to a home and serve as the perfect addition to a fan's collection of memorabilia and art.

David Stoecklein Art Prints of Horses

If you have ever admired the captivating images of horses used in Marlboro cigarette advertisements, you may already be familiar with the work of equestrian and Western-life photographer, David R. Stoecklein. Although he was born 'back East' in the city of Pittsburgh, Stoecklein has a unique and compelling talent for capturing Western imagery, modern and traditional, that sets him apart in his generation of American photographers.

Some of his best work features moments of interaction between people and horses, providing moving and vivid glimpses into the special relationship that humans have forged with horses, through thousands of years of nurturing delicate bonds and taming spirits vastly different from those of mankind. David Stoecklein Art Prints of Horses celebrate those bonds and that special spirit that has endeared the horse to us even in the more modern era.

Among his works are Running in the Gold and Running in the Dunes, which portray herds of horses in different light and landscapes. These images provide viewers with a sense of horses' might and majesty in the open and field and dunes of the West, surrounded by beautiful, yet earthy tones and shades. They represent just a small portion of what Stoecklein is capable of accomplishing in his artistic field, which is truly broad in scope.

Stoecklein is also the author of several books, including Dude Ranches of the American West and Don't Fence Me In: Images of the West, among many published titles, the majority of which feature Western and cowboy life, as well as exceptional photographs. He is also the creator of many thematic calenders on these topics, including those for the current year, all of which feature his stunning photography.

At the time of this article, Stoecklein lives in the scenic Wood River Valley of south-central Idaho, along with his family. 

Cowgirl in Heaven

David Stoecklein's "Cowgirl in Heaven" Horse Print captures a golden moment in the life of a modern cowgirl. She relaxes in a tub of sun-warmed water while her beloved mount shares her relaxing time. David Stoecklein, a renowned photographer of the American west, has created another in his series of unforgettable scenes in the mountain country of the American west. The cowgirl has shed her hot and dusty clothing. The scuffed boots are placed neatly beside the water tub, and her travel-worn jeans and shirt hang on a convenient pole. But like true cowboys – and girls – who never take their hats off (well, almost never) she wears her wide-brimmed Stetson as she revels in the mountain spring water of the pasture’s horse trough. Her horse is a sturdy pinto, resembling the wild mustangs that still roam the American west in herds. Many modern Westerners have captured and tamed these wild creatures, finding them lively and reliable mounts. This one seems to be eyeing its happy rider with interest, relaxed and waiting to see what happens next.

Stoecklein started his photographic career creating Western outdoors views for major advertisers in national magazines. But while completing these work assignments, he realized the spirit of the west could and should be documented. As a result, his photographs of cowboys, cowgirls, horses and ranch scenes have filled galleries and private homes with the magic of the American West.

David Stoecklein - Cowgirl In Heaven - Horse Print is available in a 36” x 24” art print. Like all Stoeklein’s photographic art works, “Cowgirl” is as vivid as the day it depicts. The view is printed on medium weight paper. It is coated with a special finish that blocks the fading which at times dims the colors of lifelike prints. The result not only captures the colors of nature, but represents the meeting-place of unforgettably fine art with down-to-earth affordability.

If you want to see your "cowgirl in heaven", give her this print in a nice frame for Christmas this year. She'll love it for sure!

June Dudley - Boss Lady

Artist June Dudley is a visual artist whose style of incorporating color, light, and detail is completely unique to her. Dudley is from Iola, Texas and many of her paintings are of her nearest and dearest family and friends on her ranch.

Boss Lady is no exception. This is a painting of her granddaughter. With her hands on her hips and dressed in traditional jeans, chaps, and a cowboy hat, this little girl shows everyone that she is indeed the Boss Lady. Included in this realistic painting is a cute puppy and a western background that Dudley has become famous for.

The combination of the beautiful yellow and white flowers and bright green grass in the background with the sweet disposition of the little puppy in the foreground make the picture a sweet print.

Even though you can not see the face of the little girl, her stance says that she is all business. Her hands are on her hips and her feet are shoulder width apart. With that posture, you can just imagine that she is surveying the land or watching over a heard.

One of Dudley's unique features is her ability to make her paintings look like pictures. You can see this in the crisp white shirt of the little girl and the way it falls on her body. That combined with the details of the blue jeans and brown chaps are sure to make anyone who looks at the scene wonder if it is a picture or a painting.

Dudley's work often conveys a feeling of peace to the viewer. This picture is full of spunk and attitude, but also does convey that calm feeling. Through the details of the painting, you can almost feel the warmth of the summer sun on the ranch.

June Dudley - Boss Lady is a great portrait for any home. If there is a little girl in your life, this cowgirl and her dog will definitely stir something within her.

Tony Stromberg - Fierce Grace - Wild Horse Print

As with many forms of contemporary art, photography can often take on the beauty of classical paintings. They are perceived through the clarity and newness of an artist’s viewpoint. In many ways photography can be more like classical sculpture than a conventional painting, inviting the viewer to consider depth and texture while taking on an element of dimension that would have been difficult to achieve on an ordinary canvas.

By this standard, Tony Stromberg's photograph "Fierce Grace" meets the criteria of both traditional art forms. He employs objectively new techniques and applies both methods in equal measure. The picture is as much a study of the formal qualities of its subject as it is a demonstration of the capacity for black and white photography. He shows us the contrasts and depth of emotional content that are possible in newer forms of art.

The title tells the viewer much about the print itself, as it demonstrates the paradox inherent in the subject matter. Stromberg has chosen to examine the strength of the horse, which is shown in the musculature and movement of its powerful head, and also the elegance of its body's lines. He brings them out in close focus, as a line in a charcoal drawing also might. Note how the artist concentrates the camera on what is in his immediate view, with the landscape behind the subject blurring into an almost abstract picture. Here, 20th and 21st Century art meets classical proportion and line.

Like the work of Impressionists of the 19th and early 20th Centuries, talented photographers like Stromberg can reinvent the world in a familiar but slightly jarring way. In other words, a good photograph should not only document the world around us but express the emotion of the artist through the subject matter. Stromberg clearly links the past with the present in his work, reaching a formal style that stretches back centuries, while drawing on the mechanical representation of a new age.

Owning such a piece will surely warm the heart of any viewer’s eye. Why not warm your heart today?