The artistic inspiration for a Painted Pony often comes at unexpected times. This artist was enjoying a meal at a favorite restaurant in Maui when she noticed a picture on the wall of a woman wearing a beautiful flower lei around her neck. Her look was both calming and relaxing, a feeling the artist wanted to recreate by imagining a beautiful lei-draped horse walking along the beaches of Maui, taking in the soothing sounds of the ocean waves.