About The Artist
Chris Nandell


"My entire lifetime has been a never ending love affair with horses!    I have spent it as an avid student, learning every detail of their anatomy and the subtle expressions that makes each one unique"




 "Beau Cheveaux" means "beautiful horses", and since 1967, Artist Chris Nandell has been creating some of the most beautiful hand-painted, original horse sculptures in the business.   With skillful and exacting detail, she hand crafts each sculpture.   Her clients are world-wide and include several celebrities and professionals within the horse industry.    In addition, her work is owned by collectors all over the United States as well as many other countries around the world.   Her work has also been commissioned for use as breed association awards and her donations of pieces for various fund-raising auctions have been extremely successful money-earners.



A Harness Pony was used as the trophy for the 1997 Hackney/Harness Pony Medallion (youth) winner.   Sponsored by the American Hackney Horse Society, this award was presented at the American Royal Horse Show - Kansas City, MO - the winner was Miss Tabitha Ireland.

Chris presenting a portrait model of the horse: "Neighbor Lady" to her owner at the 1983 Missourri Paint Horse Club's year-end awards banquet

Presenting the High-Point horse of the 1983 Missourri Paint-O'Rama show in KC, MO.

 Always interested in sharing her interest and knowledge of horses, Chris wrote and published the book, Trade Secrets, (updated in 1985, 1990, & 1999).   In it, Chris takes the reader step-by-step through the painstaking process of creating beautiful horse sculptures.   In 2007, Chris celebrated 40 years on involvement by writing and publishing TRADE SECRETS AND METHODS OF A MODEL HORSE ARTIST - "What I've learned in my first 40 Years".   This book features full-color photos! Chris also enjoys teaching others in private lessons and seminars throughout the country, and sponsors an on-line group list for her students for continuing education.



For information on TRADE SECRETS AND METHODS OF A MODEL HORSE ARTIST - "What I've learned in my first 40 Years", Click here:   TRADE SECRETS AND METHODS



Originally from the Kansas City area, Chris and her Husband Pete, live on a small acreage in central Oklahoma.   Chris works in her studio surrounded by horse art and reference material with a view of her living models, her small herd of ponies.    Chris is also an accomplished leather crafter and makes miniature tack and award-winning, intricately hand-tooled western saddles for her sculptures as well as magnificent dimensional paintings. To see more examples of her Leatherwork, Click here:   LEATHERCRAFT






In 2007, Chris attended the North American Nationals show. "I showed 51 models in 28 classes and ended up with
26 National Top 10's
6 National Champions
3 Res. National Champions!
It was an incredible experience!!! And numerous other National Awards were won by my customers showing pieces of my work as well."



To see some of the Many Champion models Chris has created, click here for   the BEAU CHEVEAUX HALL OF FAME.


In October of 2008, Chris donated one of her painted sculptures to the PINTO Hertiage Museum at the American Pinto Horse Association in Bethany, Oklahoma.



Below are photos of the presentation with Chris, APHA Club President Darryl Bilke and Office/Museum Manager, Dorothy Fread.









Contact Chris
©2007 Chris Nandell
Site construction ©1998, Rio Rondo