Mindy Z. Colton

Award winning Orlando, FL artist, Mindy Z. Colton, originally from New York City, was classically trained in all the traditional arts. She pursued a career in Graphic Design & illustration while still finding time for her fine art. Mindy eventually chose to leave behind her successful design career to follow her true passion as a full time fine artist. Her love of sculpture is where she has found her greatest artistic satisfaction, recognition and success. Involved with horses her entire life, she chose to combine her passion for both art and horses in her unique sculptural works.

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Mindy’s journey in sculpture began with Bronze, which held a fascination for her. She was always intrigued with the process and solidity of the medium. But the limitations of the process and size led her to begin an exploration of other mediums. She has created monumental sculptures in marine grade aluminum and copper. She has mastered a number of natural materials and combinations to create her very unique sculptural mixed media horses. Her larger horses have carved tree limbs that she finds either on her property , o forest walks, or that have been cut for storm clearing. She carves off the bark and shapes each leg. She uses various fiber clays, metal rods, copper and aluminum wires, dried grape vines, shells, oriental papers, old maps, vintage postcards, paint, and many other materials in her mixed media works.

Mindy graduated with honors from the prestigious High School of Music & Art in New York City, and attended Parson’s School of Design, pursuing her passion in three-dimensional design. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Washington University School of Fine Art in St. Louis, and an M.A. with Honors from the University of Central Florida. She spent an extended semester abroad in San Miguel de Allende ́. Colton’s award-winning fine art has been exhibited in numerous solo and two-person shows and more than 200 juried and group shows winning numerous awards including many Best in Shows.

 

Mindy is a three-time State of Florida Grantee and three-time United Arts of Central Florida Grant recipient. Two of these grants were to create large-scale, outdoor sculptures. “Renewal,” a monumental sculpture exhibited at Epcot Invitational Flower & Garden Invitational Sculpture Exhibit, and at other outdoor sculpture competitions received a Best of Show, three People’s Choice Awards, and was purchased by the City of Casselberry, FL., Lake Concord Sculpture Park. “Wind Dancer,” a life-size Pegasus exhibited at Epcot Sculpture Invitational also, was purchased by the University of Central Florida Honors College. She is very proud that she was awarded three Purchase Awards at the Equine Art Exhibits in the Washington State Thoroughbred Foundation Equine Art Shows, and has two sculptures in the permanent collection of Emerald Downs Racetrack. Mindy’s sculptures have been exhibited in The Boca Raton Museum of Art, The Appleton Museum, Ocala, The Mennello Museum of American Art, Winter Park, FL, The American Association of Equine Art, Georgetown, KY, The Leepa-Rattner Museum, The Elliott Museum, Stuart, The International Museum of Art, EL Paso, TX, The Museum of Art, Deland, FL, The Pace Performing Arts Center, Parker, CO., The Westchester Arts Center, New York, The Polk Museum of Art Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit and more. Her monumental sculptures have been exhibited in juried Outdoor Sculpture exhibits all over Florida and Arts in Public Places programs.

 

Mindy lives on a small horse farm in Orlando. Her work is in museums, galleries, public and private collections across the United States, Canada, England, Russia, the Caribbean and Europe.

 

Artist’s Statement

“My life-long love of and involvement with horses drives my passion to create equine themed art. I create one-of-a-kind and limited edition sculptures in mixed media, bronze, aluminum, wood and other permanent media. I use the horse and other images to elicit a feeling or mood or to create a story. With my unique mixed-media sculptures, I can indulge my artistic passion to work in three dimensions, and create larger sculptures. The long striding legs of my larger horse sculptures are carved tree limbs, mane and tail copper jewelers wires, and the textured body sculpted from various permanent media. I strive for my works to intrigue the viewer, invite a closer look, and exhibit strength, determination and vulnerability.”