His name is Smokey, but maybe they should call him Old Paint

Smokey is not a starving artist.

In fact, the 11-year-old mustang demands a slice of apple or carrot before he'll put brush to canvas.

When the food runs out, so does Smokey's interest in creating art, which he does by holding a paint-laden brush in his mouth and dragging it across the canvas. Each session lasts 20 minutes or less.

"He'll use the same canvas about three times. Then we take a vote and decide whether he's finished with it," said Elizabeth Hope, a riding instructor at the Danada Equestrian Center in Wheaton and Smokey's pallet holder.

Trainers at the equestrian center have been teaching a number of horses how to paint, but Smokey showed the greatest acumen and is the barn's resident artiste.

More Coverage Video Smokey paints

His works are "very Jackson Pollock-y, very abstract and artsy," said Julie Stedron-Heliker, the center's assistant supervisor. "We've done some with multi-colors and others with different shades of similar colors. Sometimes there is straw on it, so you have some multimedia works as well."

Smokey's also not the most refined eater, so chunks of apple and carrot sometimes wind up on the canvas.

The mustang will pump out several more pieces of artwork this month. Those works will go up for bid at the center's May 3 "Derby Day at Danada" fundraiser silent auction.

Stedron-Heliker said the event will be family-oriented and feature other activities.

"We're hoping for $20,000," she said. "The money will go toward educational programs here; we'll be able to offer scholarships for kids that might not be able to participate in programs here."

In addition to the already-produced works, equestrian center trainers said they'd also offer up Smokey for commission work where the winning bidder would get to select the colors the horse would use. But buyer beware: Winning bidders can't select what Smokey creates.

"With every painting, people see something different," Hope said. "It's kind of like the ink blot tests."

Smokey took to painting faster than he took to being saddle-ridden.

Six years, ago the shaggy, off-white mustang was living in the wilds of Wyoming. He was adopted by the equestrian center through a Bureau of Land Management program that monitors wild horse populations in western states. The center has adopted several horses through the federal program. None is as artistically inclined as Smokey.

"We have several horses in training," Stedron-Heliker said. "There are a couple mares that are close."

The process works by laying a canvas on a bale of hay. Smokey's brush is attached to a large rubber wedge that he bites.

Once in place, one of the trainer directs Smokey's attention to the canvas, the horse lowers his head and slashes the brush across the canvas.

The trainer makes a clicking sound, which is Smokey's cue to drop the brush and collect a treat.

It's similar to how dolphins are trained to perform, the trainers said.

The idea to teach horses to paint for the fundraiser was hatched after equestrian center supervisor Matt Trynoski watched a video of champion thoroughbreds creating art to raise money for a horse rescue program.

Mary Simons runs the "Moneigh" horse art program for the ReRun Thoroughbred adoption project in Kentucky.

She has paintings created by such champion racers as Smarty Jones, Funny Cide and the only two-time winner of the Arlington Million, John Henry.

"John Henry was known to be ornery," Simons said. "He tolerated us; that's the best way I can describe it."

The paint used to create the horse art is non-toxic and washable.

Because John Henry was known to be a bit of a biter, they didn't want to go anywhere near his mouth with the brush.

Instead, Simons smudged some paint on the end of the champion thoroughbred's nose and got him to nuzzle the canvas. When the horse grew tired of his face being toyed with, they whisked his tail with paint and held the canvas behind him.

"Everyone says they can't believe I went into a stall with him," Simons said. "If we could get him to do it, we'd use his hoof print for an autograph."

Simons said she is excited to hear about her project catching on with other equestrian programs.

"As long as we can help horses, we're grateful," she said.

Hope said she was intrigued by the idea of getting horses to paint, but she quickly found it required a great deal of tolerance.

"It takes a lot of patience," she said. "You just don't hand him the brush and he goes. This was about three weeks' worth of training."

The trainers said they probably take more pride in the finished product than Smokey, since he's obviously doing all this for the treats.

But Stedron-Heliker said she sometimes notices the horse eyeballing the canvas before taking a swipe at it with his brush.

"He'll sometimes cock his head sideways to take a look before he goes at it," she said. "We're hoping that he'll eventually progress to the point where he'll choose his own colors."

Horse art auction

What:Derby Day at Danada silent horse art auction

When: 1 to 6 p.m. May 3

Where: Infield of the Danada Racetrack next to the DuPage Forest Preserve District administration building at 3S580 Naperville Road in Wheaton

Tickets: $25 for adults, $10 for children

Phone: (630) 668-6012

Web: www.danada.info