Painting racehorse becomes best-selling artist

Updated
Painting Racehorse Becomes Best-Selling Artist
Painting Racehorse Becomes Best-Selling Artist


By FOX43

From the race track to the art gallery; Metro Meteor can now add best-selling artist to his resume.

"When I'm setting up his studio, he's inside his stall throwing his head up and down, excited to come out. He can't wait to get let out to put a brush in his mouth," said Ron Krajewski.

Metro was once considered one of the fastest sprinters on the east coast, winning eight races and more than $300,000 at Belmont and Saratoga; that is until knee crippling injuries ended his racing career and almost ended his life.

When Ron Krajewski adopted Metro off the track back in 2009, veterinarians only gave the former racehorse two years to live.

"I didn't want to give up on him, put him in the pasture and forget about him," Krajewski said. "So I thought if I can't ride him maybe I can teach him to do what I do."

That's when Krajewski, an artist in Gettysburg, first gave Metro a paintbrush.

"I put a paintbrush in his mouth, he picked it up pretty quick and started painting on canvas."

Soon, the two were painting together every day.

"We do collaborative pieces where I will use Metro's brushstrokes, kind of work around his brushstrokes and incorporate his brushstrokes and we'll do paintings of horses; we do paintings of landscapes," Krajewski added.

What started as a hobby, quickly turned into a business.

Metro's paintings are now sold, with 50% of proceeds going to a cause that hits close to home.

"Half of it we donate to New Vocational Racehorse Adoption Program. They are an organization that retrains and finds new homes for retired racehorses, just like Metro."

The other half of sales go to Metro's care and his expensive medical treatments for his knees.

"Painting pretty much saved his life," Krajewski said. "It's actually real therapeutic for both of us. I mean the bond has gotten stronger with me and Metro because instead of riding him, I'm standing side-by-side working with him."

Metro is now the best-selling artist at Gallery 30 in Gettysburg.

You can also buy Metro's artwork off the website, Painted By Metro.

So far, his paintings have raised over $80,000 for the New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program.

Metro also has a wine named after him at Adams County Winery.

It's called Metrose' and for every bottle sold, the winery donates $1 to New Vocations.

Advertisement