Project has one sculpture stabled in Brookswood
Horsing Around Langley has a painted sculpture on display
Artist Marilyn Dyer (left) accompanied the horse to Brookswood where protective wraps were taken off and people got a first look at the completed sculpture. Ella Little (right) was thrilled to see the horse now in the South Langley community.
Photograph by: Heather Colpitts , Langley Advance
Despite being smack dab in the middle of horse country, the Brookswood Shoppers Drug Mart doesn't typically have horses coming through the aisles or grazing by the front cashiers.
So to have a blue, green, and silver life-size horse in the store is catching many an eye of passersby.
The store will be the temporary home for the Langley Arts Council public art sculpture that is part of its Horsing Around Langley campaign.
Once the horse gets a protective clearcoat to stand up to the outdoor elements and construction is done on refurbishments at Brookswood Park, the horse will be installed here, by the children's water park.
That site was the inspiration for artist Marilyn Dyer when she came up with the swirling and lush design.
Since the fibreglass horse is three dimensional, Dyer has to create art that would look good in three dimensions.
That included the 79-year-old artist painting the underside of the horse.
She had particular reason for that.
The horse will be installed in a children's play area and she had to make sure to check out the work from a child's point of view, looking up.
"Painting it was difficult because of the ridges," she said sliding her hand over the realistic form of the horse's body.
Dyer, who lives in South Surrey, took her inspiration from the West Coast, using blue to represent water, green to represent the lush environment and silver for the sky.
The swirls bring movement to the work. On the horses hindquarters feature small silver rings, meant to invoke snow, ice and raindrops.
The Brookswood horse was sponsored by the Brookswood Business Association and business owners Ella Little, of Ella's Boutique, and Dale Ball of Brookswood Homes. Langley Township provided a grant as well.
"I actually had seen the cows in New York years ago," said Little about what inspired her to take part in the public art project. "I walked all over New York looking for cows," she chuckled.
There have been seven horses commissioned so far and they will all be displayed in Willowbrook Shopping Centre in January.
The horses are a nod to Langley as the Horse Capital of B.C. and the community's agricultural heritage.
They also serve as a fundraiser for the Langley Arts Council and are modeled on other famous monumental art projects such as the Lions Club bears, Eagles in the City, the decorated orcas and the painted Terra Cotta warriers. The projects often serve as a way to raise money for a group or cause.
Artist Marilyn Dyer (left) accompanied the horse to Brookswood where protective wraps were taken off and people got a first look at the completed sculpture. Ella Little (right) was thrilled to see the horse now in the South Langley community.
Photograph by: Heather Colpitts , Langley Advance
