HORSING AROUND Artist Liesl Long Chaintreuil’s paintings creatively capture the air and fashion of Thoroughbred racing in Kentucky. Written by Bridget Williams
Huntsmen from the Long Run Woodford Hounds joined Liesl and Andre on their wedding day. Photo by Tomas Flint Photography
Liesl in her studio.
For as long as she can remember, Liesl Long Chaintreuil has been a doodler. As a young child, she recalls bike rides through her St. Matthews neighborhood with her mother and sister, after which she'd rush inside to sketch homes and their occupants. Her dalliance with drawing persisted into elementary school. Liesl credits supportive teachers, who, rather than being annoyed by her scribbles on every surface, encouraged her budding talent. As a fourth-grader, presented an original artwork to the owners of Derby winner Silver Charm after winning a Presidential Art Award for the Churchill Downs "Horsin' Around with Art" competition. She won the award again in high school, and her creation was gifted to the owners of Funny Cide. While her career as an artist would go on to flourish outside the world of equestrian art, these early experiences with the world's most famous horserace would continue to fuel her creative fire. As a student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Liesl discovered that her penchant and perspective for drawing figures was conducive to fashion illustration, where the human form is elongated and
"Old Fashioned". Painting photographed by Ron Perrin.
stylized to showcase the clothing. Once again, she cites the influence of encouraging teachers. In this case it was Nancy Riegelman, who literally wrote the book on fashion illustration. Liesl went on to obtain a degree in textile design, which she parlayed into work designing textiles for notable brands in the worlds of fashion and interior design. Proving the six-degrees of separation theory, a Louisville connection led to her next big career break during her tenure in California. The hunt for a place to store her stuff between moves led to a meeting with Colleen Karis, whose company licenses artwork to big-box retailers, including HomeGoods and Marshalls. Impressed with Liesl's work, she was contracted to create a character for a series of children's art, which included having the globetrotting girl visit Paris. "I haven't been out of the United States, but creating these paintings makes me feel like I have," said Liesl. Citing Audrey Hepburn's "classic look" as her benchmark, Liesl credits her ongoing affiliation with Colleen Karis Designs for keeping her up-to-date on what's au courant in home and fashion design. slmag.net
27
