Willa M. Frayser, Equine Artist since 1979
Member of Virginia Equine Artists Association
Former Member of Equine Artists Guild
Former Member of Horse Artists’ AssociationClick here for 2008-09 Portrait & Commission Information
Willa Frayser is a self taught artist, born in Portland, Oregon and raised on the beautiful Oregon coast. She grew up loving the beautiful scenery, sunsets and horses, and enjoyed riding the Oregon beaches and sand dunes with her horse, Star. This became the inspiration for many of her paintings in later years! With only the love of horses and an eye for detail, and no formal art instruction, she has developed a style and technique which is her own and is recognized throughout the world.
Moving to Virginia in 1977, she began exhibiting at various horse and art shows around the East Coast. She was lucky enough to be accepted into the Horse Artists Association and participated in many exhibits with this group from Arizona to Kentucky. In 1992, they held the first ever "Wild Horse Art Exhibit" at the Kentucky Horse Museum at Churchill Downs in Louisville. She was able to exhibit and sell her work in Australia through a good friend in Victoria. Her work has been in major auctions throughout the country for IAHA Arabian Horse Fair, Shoemaker Foundation Art Auction, Daffodil Art Auctions in Washington State and many local auctions and sales.
Mrs. Frayser's portraits are as well known as her prints. She has done commissioned work in pencil, watercolor and oil for lovers and breeders of horses in most of the 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Her work is in collections in Australia, Austria, Tasmania, England, Brazil, Bermuda, Canada and Puerto Rico. Her art has been featured in publications such as EQUINE IMAGES, ARABIAN HORSE WORLD, CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE, AUSTRALIAN ARABIAN HORSE NEWS, THE EQUINE MARKETER, and many others.
Willa is an avid horse person herself, having shown Arabian horses for years in Oregon and Virginia. She owned several wonderful horses after moving to Virginia, and with her daughter, Erica, showed successfully together for many years.
Willa accepts a limited number of commissioned portraits each year due to the time involved in achieving the detail that makes her work in great demand. It is this detail that makes her clients claim upon seeing their portrait, “It looks exactly like my horse! Even better!” She not only portrays horses exceptionally well, but has also included dogs, cats, cattle, donkeys and birds in her portfolio. Her portraits capture the true spirit and detail of each individual as many of her clients will be happy to tell you!
