POSTED ON Aug 15, 2013
Racing History
When I visit a racetrack with a long and rich history, like the oval at the Indiana State Fair track, I can almost hear the hoofbeats of racing ...
POSTED ON Jun 1, 2012
Mr. Bee & Frien...
I didn’t know these kids, but as soon as they saw my camera, they started mugging for it. That happens a lot. Kids these days love being in front...
POSTED ON Apr 21, 2011
Jersey Girl
Found this pretty lady in the dairy barn at the Indiana State Fair. The barn has huge frosted windows along the western exposure, which let in a...
POSTED ON Apr 12, 2011
Portrait of the Chic...
This dashing young fellow looked like he was posing for a formal portrait, so I ignored his striking tail feathers and zoomed in on his ...
POSTED ON Sep 1, 2010
Sideshow
“She has no arms, no legs, no bones in her body, yet she will talk to you and answer all of your questions.” That nightmarish refrain has...
POSTED ON Aug 18, 2010
Bronc Rider
The State Fair allows us to travel to other times, other places, offering glimpses of worlds we don’t often see. In the rodeo we see what life...
POSTED ON Aug 7, 2010
Scrambled
Oh, dude, I feel your misery. There you sit, eyes shut and praying for your world to stop spinning so you can devote your full concentration to...
POSTED ON Jul 26, 2010
Clockwise
Know how to find state fairgrounds on a satellite image? Look for the racetrack. Almost every state fairground featured horse racing in its past....
POSTED ON Jul 23, 2010
When Ducks Gossip
When Gabby heard the news, she fainted dead away, her bill pointing skyward… The Duck Pond on the Midway is the place where rubber duckies...
featured news
Prev NextRECENT FROM Midway
Mobile Manners
“Mobile Manners” by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on cradled Ampersand Gessobord, 11″ x 14″....
RECENT FROM Fair Food
Lemon Shake-Up
Combine fresh lemons, sugar, and water with ice in a cup and shake it, and you have the Lemon Shake-Up, a...
RECENT FROM News
Painting at the Indiana S...
Today I had the pleasure of painting outdoors at the Speed Barns (racing barns) Open House at the Indiana...
Racing History
When I visit a racetrack with a long and rich history, like the oval at the Indiana State Fair track, I can almost...
Mobile Manners
“Mobile Manners” by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on cradled Ampersand Gessobord, 11″ x 14″. Copyright...
Stars, Stripes, & Cowboys Foreve...
The rodeo arena was decorated with several huge American flags, which dwarfed the cowboys sitting below them. I’m...
Mr. Bee & Friends Go For A Spin
I didn’t know these kids, but as soon as they saw my camera, they started mugging for it. That happens a lot. Kids...
Mr. Bee Takes Some Friends For A Ride
posted on: May 30, 2012 | author: Lesley Spanos
These two little friends are enjoying the Bumble Bee Bop, my favorite carnival ride. Available on...
Mr. Bee Poses For His Portrait
posted on: May 20, 2012 | author: Lesley Spanos
I don’t know why I love the Bumble Bee Bop so much. I guess part of the reason is because these guys are always cheerful, and just so darn...
Blind Side
posted on: Apr 16, 2012 | author: Lesley Spanos
He’s not really blind, just blinded by blinders. Trainers put all sorts of interesting contraptions on these harness race horses so they won’t...
Stanley Steamer
posted on: Sep 15, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
I’d never seen a steam-powered car fired up until I saw this one. It was in the daily parade at the Indiana State Fair, its shiny red paint...
Flare
posted on: Sep 13, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
A harness racing horse I photographed at the State Fair a couple of years ago. It’s painted in M. Graham gouache. I love gouache! The matte...
Redear Sunfish
posted on: Sep 9, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
“Redear Sunfish” by Lesley Spanos. Acrylic painting on Ampersand Aquabord, 7″ x 5″. Copyright ©2011 Lesley Spanos, all...
Goatee
posted on: Sep 2, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
I never really thought about the source of the word “goatee,’ until I saw this guy. He had quite a nice beard, long, silky, and clean. Here are...
Stare Down
posted on: Aug 28, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
Chickens scare me a little. I’m glad this one was locked safely behind bars at the State Fair. Though, if looks could kill… Any chicken experts...
Twenty Lashes
posted on: Aug 25, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
This pig had amazing eyelashes, hence the title. This is another ink drawing done live at the fair, with color added in the...
Feed Me
posted on: Aug 24, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
The sign actually said, “Please hold hand flat when feeding,” but the goat’s eyes said, “Please feed me.” The key to photographing...
Bronc
posted on: May 29, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
This bronc in a holding pen at the State Fair rodeo caught my eye. He stood with his head held high, watching the action in the arena. His long mane...
Shades
posted on: May 28, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
After a week of painting pets, we’re back to the State Fair. This bronc rider had the rodeo in his eyes, or at least in his mirrored...
Jersey Girl
posted on: Apr 21, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
Found this pretty lady in the dairy barn at the Indiana State Fair. The barn has huge frosted windows along the western exposure, which let in a...
Portrait of the Chicken as a Young Cockerel
posted on: Apr 12, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
This dashing young fellow looked like he was posing for a formal portrait, so I ignored his striking tail feathers and zoomed in on his ...
Krembo
posted on: Mar 29, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
The Blue Monkey Sideshow set wouldn’t be complete without the Master of Cermonies, Krembo, a dashing figure in Wild Bill Hickok beard and...
Snoozin’
posted on: Mar 25, 2011 | author: Lesley Spanos
It was a hot and humid August day at the Indiana State Fair. This pig raised a lazy eyelid when he heard my camera, then went back to sleep. I guess...
Sideshow
posted on: Sep 1, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
“She has no arms, no legs, no bones in her body, yet she will talk to you and answer all of your questions.” That nightmarish refrain has...
Bronc Rider
posted on: Aug 18, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
The State Fair allows us to travel to other times, other places, offering glimpses of worlds we don’t often see. In the rodeo we see what life...
Scrambled
posted on: Aug 7, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
Oh, dude, I feel your misery. There you sit, eyes shut and praying for your world to stop spinning so you can devote your full concentration to...
Boys
posted on: Aug 6, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
Boys, like all young animals, go through an awkward, gawky stage. Here a young Holstein observes his human...
Lemon Shake-Up
posted on: Aug 4, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
Combine fresh lemons, sugar, and water with ice in a cup and shake it, and you have the Lemon Shake-Up, a popular thirst quencher in some parts of...
Thunderstorm Warning
posted on: Aug 2, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
Does he hear tornado sirens in the distance? Summer storms are a common occurrence during State Fairs in the Midwest. They appear on hot, humid...
Sunset Grill
posted on: Jul 31, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
Named not for the landmark eatery in Hollywood, but for the last rays of the setting sun illuminating the faces of these young women as they served...
Farmall Tractors
posted on: Jul 30, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
Restored antique Farmall tractors on display at the...
Clockwise
posted on: Jul 26, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
Know how to find state fairgrounds on a satellite image? Look for the racetrack. Almost every state fairground featured horse racing in its past....
When Ducks Gossip
posted on: Jul 23, 2010 | author: Lesley Spanos
When Gabby heard the news, she fainted dead away, her bill pointing skyward… The Duck Pond on the Midway is the place where rubber duckies...
Painting the State Fair
State Fair, USA is artist Lesley Spanos' tribute to the American agricultural fair. "Just about anything I would want to paint can be found at the Fair."
The series is the culmination of years of research. Spanos has photographed and sketched her local fair - the Indiana State Fair - extensively for the past four summers, amassing a large collection of reference material for working in-studio. Ultimately the collection is destined for a book and fine art reproductions. (Read about the project in more depth here.)
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