Charismatic, one of Cindy's Gallopalooza creations.
It was a crisp January morning when Cindy Fess arrived at Mellwood Arts and Entertainment Center. She was bundled in three layers of clothing. All you could see were her blue eyes and golden hair peaking from under her hat. The sound of heaters echoing off the bland concrete walls blasted through her ears. The noise did not distract her from finding her horses. Charismatic and Sunday Silence were waiting for her.
Even though Cindy’s horses were only statues, the more she painted them, the more they felt real. Before she began work, she grabbed Charismatic’s face and kissed him on the nose. Charismatic is a strong black horse covered in gemstones of teal, emerald, ruby red, magenta and gold. They glimmered even in the dim light.
Sunday Silence stands peacefully next to Charismatic covered in pale blues, pinks, and yellows. Flowers rise up from his white hooves. The butterflies look like they could fly off at any moment. Both horses stand out from the sea of white, unpainted horses.
Cindy and Michael
Cindy has been artistic since she could hold a crayon. Now she is 49 years old and using her creative abilities to make jewelry, paintings and Gallopalooza horses.
Gallopalooza is an annual event in which artists paint life-sized horses. The idea came from Chicago where they decorated life-sized cows. The proceeds from the sales of the horses benefit Brightside charity. The 223 horses are placed all throughout Louisville, adding a little color to the city. Each Gallopalooza has a theme and in 2004 it was Kentucky Derby winners. Cindy made Charismatic and Sunday Silence. Brightside made $470,000 that year from the horse auction. Next year’s theme is “Possibility City.” They have four new horse poses.
Cindy heard about Gallopalooza after attending a woman’s networking meeting. She knew in her heart she was supposed to make them. Merkley Jewelers and Louisville Antique Mall both teamed up with Cindy to design their horses.
The horses were a huge hit for the city of Louisville. People come from all over to see them and take pictures. Children are mesmerized by the colors and love to play on them.
Brittany Baker, a graphic artist, is a fan of Gallopalooza and Cindy. Brittany drives by a Gallopalooza horse at least once a day. She thinks they are very creative. Her favorite by Cindy is Charismatic because of the gemstones. “She makes the reflections of light all come from one focal point instead of each gem looking like they reflect from different light sources,” she said. This is hard for any artist to achieve but Cindy did her best to make the jewels look real.
Cindy has always wanted to be an artist. When she was young she was also into music like her father. He made wooden musical instruments. She spent a lot of time in his woodworking shop. He taught himself how to play all of his instruments without ever learning to read music. Some of his instruments, such as the dulcitar, are in the Smithsonian museum in Washington, D.C. He died on Dec. 16, 2006, but lives on through his daughter. He was her biggest inspiration. “He was my mentor, my favorite person to brainstorm with, my hero,” said Cindy. He taught her that work and play can be the same when you follow your heart.
Cindy faced a hard time during 1995-1996 when she divorced her first husband. It was also a defining moment. An angel, Harmony, appeared to her and gave her a message. This made her dedicate her life to helping people. In 2002 she wrote a self-help book based on her experience called “Harmony and Me.” It includes prayers, meditations, advice, poems and more. She has been teaching meditation in her home for the past 10 years. She offers spiritual guidance to help people connect with their own Divine. Her new husband, Michael, helps her teach. They both feel it is important for people to connect with their inner wisdom, honor themselves and love themselves unconditionally.
Cindy met Michael during a guided meditation she held. He approached her and said she needed to put her meditations to music. They teamed up to do a project and fell in love. “Working together is like being in the presence of an angel,” said Michael. He has been another great inspiration in her life. He composes music and she listens to it while she paints. One of her favorite songs is “Leighla’s Blue Serenade.” It takes her to a special place and helps her be creative. While listening to “Lemurian Dream” she created “Paradise,” a scene of a rainbow over an ocean.
Michael describes Cindy as a stand-alone artist. He has been an artist his entire life and says all artists hope they stand out. He also says her designs are unique so you can tell she made them. “When she makes something, a part of her soul goes into it,” he said.
Cindy spent two months working on her Gallopalooza horses. She wanted both of them to be uplifting to look at. The gemstone covered Charismatic was a perfect fit for the long-time jewelry maker. She has been making jewelry since 1981. She looked at photographs of jewels to help her make them look real. Each gemstone is a different size, shape and color. Some people thought she glued the jewels on, but they are a painted image. She put a lot of effort in Charismatic. He became her favorite as she worked with him. After awhile he seemed real to her. She kissed him on his nose every morning. Later, she found out the real Charismatic loved to be kissed on his nose.
Sunday Silence
Sunday Silence was created for Louisville Antique Mall. They wanted time to be the theme. As you walk around the horse you can see the different seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter. She also painted phrases on the horse. Each makes the viewer think about slowing down and enjoying the present moment. She liked the idea of Sunday, when someone gets to take a day off to relax.
The horses were a challenge. Cindy has never created anything three-dimensional. The easiest part was drawing the designs. Then she had to paint them onto the horse. The horses are built just like a real one. Painting on a surface like that is difficult. But it meant more to her than just decorating horses. “It’s about beautifying our city, bringing people here to look at the horses, take pictures and talk about them. Then going back to be inspired to do art.”
Everything that Cindy has experienced in her life, including her relationships, artwork and meditations, has made her into who she is today. She overcame her shyness and built a large network of friends. Working with other artists keeps her inspired and her creativity continues to grow. She plans to make two more horses for Gallopalooza next year. Michael helped her come up with the idea of a music theme. She’s making one female horse, Rockaphilly, and one male, Rockafeller. They are both rock singers. She is going to have more fun this time around.
