(LEX 18) — All around Churchill Downs is Grayson Reynolds’ artwork. She is this year’s official derby artist.
"I’m very overwhelmed with I think all of the emotions,” said Reynolds. “It's finally starting to set in, even seeing everyone walking around with the glasses, and then roses everywhere I teared up when I walked in the door."
This is the first year they’ve had the same artist design both the posters and the glasses.
Reynolds says she used a pen to create the glasses art and water colors for the Oaks and Derby posters.
For the Oaks poster, she was inspired by the later post time this year.
"I wanted it to be very pink, a pink sunset, then a focus on the fashion and the ladies,” said Reynolds.
The Derby poster art was all about embodying the run for the roses.
"You see the spires as you're on the way here before you even get here, so that's the excitement at the top and then the horses running right at you, and I wanted the roses at the bottom kicking up in the dirt," said Reynolds.
There’s a contest every year for artists to their hat - or maybe fascinated - in the ring for a chance to create art that will be treasured for a lifetime. Reynolds tells other artists to apply.
"Just go for it, it's been the most creative experience of my career so far, coolest thing I've ever done,” said Reynolds.
