I am the product of an artistic family with textile arts, quilting and rug making the primary artistic influence. I developed a passion for water-based paints over 30 years ago and have since developed my unique signature of utilizing Kentucky coal, Kentucky River sand (coastal sand while wintering in the south) and other materials. Photos do not do the work justice as the heavy textures allow light to bring interest, serenity and healing to the landscapes and seascapes, while allowing the dynamic and high energy of equine subjects to move across the space as light changes. Each piece is unique and original with no prints ever produced.

Selected Exhibitions/Collections

Equine Show (solo) Hockensmith Fine Arts - Georgetown 2026

Holiday Group Show-Hockensmith Fine Arts - Georgetown 2025

Collected Works of Darrell Ishmael Hockensmith Fine Arts - Lexington 2025

Lexington Art League-Nude Biennial - 2025

ADC Fine Arts -ArtComes Alive -- 2025

ADC Fine Arts-Radiance Show --  2024

Darrell Ishmael Featured Artist - Wills Gallery- Lexington -- 2023 & 2024

Main Street Beautification Project - Breeders Cup Festival -- 2022

"Unbridled" Breeders Cup Special - Artist's Attic -- 2022

"How to be Beautiful" Lexington Public Library Gallery -- 2022

Vero Beach Museum of Art - Art by the Sea -- 2021 - 2024

Art Center of the Bluegrass Abstract Invitational "Open to Interpretation" -- 2020

MD Rezney Gallery - Arts Connect -- 2019

St. Joseph Hospital Foundation Healing Arts (solo) -- 2019

Vero Beach Art Club - "Art on the Island" -- 2017

Artist's Attic - "Go Figure" Lexington, KY -- 2017

Archival Gallery "Collaborations" - Sacramento, CA -- 2016

St Joseph Foundation Arts in Healing Program - Fayette and Montgomery County Kentucky -- 2015 - 2018

ArtsPlace Gallery - "Of the Earth" - Lexington, KY -- 2015

Kentucky Arts Council - "Music Scenes" - Juried-Norton Center for the Arts (part of statewide tour) Centre College, Danville, KY -- 2015

Danville Community Arts Center - Danville, KY "New Horizons - Contemporary Landscapes" (juried) -- 2014

Artist's Attic, "Organic Perspectives" (solo) -- 2014

The Temp Contemporary Gallery - Sacramento, CA -- 2013

Adamsons Gallery - "Unbridled" Sacramento, CA -- 2013

Art at the Cathedral "Shaped by Water" (juried) -- 2012

Danville Community Arts Center "New Horizons - Contemporary Landscapes" (juried) -- 2012

Gateway Regional Arts Retrospective -- 2012

Milward's Art Gallery "An Art Visitation" (solo) -- 2012

Kentucky Office of the Governor/Capitol Rotunda (solo) -- 2011

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games - Featured Artist Alltech Pavilion -- 2011

Gateway Regional Arts Council  "A Sense of Place" (solo) -- 2011

Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Building Dedication -- 2010

Main Cross Gallery "A Unique Face of Coal" (solo) -- 2010

Main Cross Gallery Lexington, KY "The Earth, The Coast, and One Petrified Fish" (solo) - voted ACE Mag "One of the Best Lexington Visual Art Exhibits of the Year" -- 2008

Selected Representation

Hockensmith Fine Art Georgetown KY,

Gallery Annette-Birmingham, AL

Main Cross Gallery - Lexington, KY

Selected Articles

Kentucky Homes and Gardens -- "The Artistry of Textured Movement" -- Fall 2022 (featured artist)

Lexington Herald Leader -- "Call Ishmael an Artist" -- June 2010

Kentucky Monthly Magazine -- "Natural Artist" -- June 2011

Lexington Herald Leader -- "Lexington-based artist puts the landscape into his paintings" -- April 2012

Six by Sixteen -- "The Temp Contemporary Magazine" -- September 2013

Hartland Living -- Arts and Culture -- Spring 2015

Keeneland Magazine -- (background art for Lexington Arts Scene Article) -- Spring 2015

Organizations/Community Involvement

Past Directorships - Headley - Whitney Museum of Art, Downtown Lexington Corporation, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Commerce Lexington, Rotary Club of Lexington and many others.

Education

BGS, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Kentucky

University of Hawaii