Today is day 16 of the 12 Days Of Equine Artists! I have so many favorites that I have to include a few more then 12, and Leland is one of my favorite oil painters! The way the light glistens off the coat and soft expression on the horse’s face, especially in the painting of Rachel Alexandra above/to the side, echos the defined and powerful skill Leland has acquired through years of practice.

To read the about the previous artists, go here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, Day 12, Day 13, Day 14 and Day 15.

Leland Neff’s journey into the world of art started as a top tier photographer in the high fashion world. Jet-setting across the world to five countries and photographing countless super models and gauchos from Argentina, Leland’s photographs have been in  the best magazines  Vogue, GQ, L’Uomo, Vogue, Vanity, Elle and others. Since 2004, Leland has lived on his 140 acre farm in New York state with his menagerie of horses, dogs and wildlife as his muse and inspiration for his classical oil paintings and is a graduate of Pratt Institute.

Currently, Leland is training his thoroughbreds at his home and creating his glorious paintings of horses, wildlife and landscapes, as well as having his own gallery of his work at his farm and hosts a painting retreat for four days in the summer. For more information, go here.