Buggs the Horse Makes Paintings to Beat Boredom

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - A horse is a horse of course, except of course when that horse is a – painter?

Buggs is a chestnut gelding that has taken brush in teeth to create more than 30 abstract artworks. The 13-year-old equine has a little help from his owner, multimedia artist Carol Jensen.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Jensen taught Buggs to paint two years ago as a way to keep him from getting restless in the winter. The retired barrel racer apparently didn't like being cooped up in his stable and Jensen thought he needed an outlet.

"I'm inspired by paintings I see, color wise, and I think, 'Oh, Buggs could do that,'" Jensen told the Journal Sentinel.

Jensen, who read about people teaching horses to paint, initially trained Buggs to hold a stick in his mouth and place it in a particular spot. From there she advanced to a paintbrush. Now, she mixes the paint, points the handle at Buggs' mouth while offering gentle direction and encouragement. She also moves the canvas for him.

Buggs may not exactly get a thumbs-up from local art critics but that hasn't deterred fans of equine art. His artistic horse sense can fetch anywhere from $75 to $125 per painting.

The 56-year-old Jensen started training Buggs in October 2008 and a month later, his first painting sold at a charity auction.

Animals with a creative bent have been around for a while. Cholla, a mustang quarter horse from Reno, Nev., had his works displayed in Venice, Italy last year. Cholla's abstract creations have been described as having "the fire of [Jackson] Pollock."

Dogs have also unleashed their inner Picasso. A Jack Russell terrier in New York City uses claws, teeth, Vellum paper – and a few two-legged assistants – to produce paintings, sculptures and etchings. Tillamook Cheddar , a k a Tillie, has earned about $100,000 for her work.

In the 1950s, a chimpanzee gained world renown for drawings and paintings that sold for as much as $25,000. Congo the chimp also appeared on British television and created about 400 pieces.