Mid Century "Into the Home Stretch" Oil Painting of Horses by Phyllis Barbour- Framed

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Hold your horses! A most brilliant oil painting depicting a horse race around a track in vivid color. This mid … Read more Hold your horses! A most brilliant oil painting depicting a horse race around a track in vivid color. This mid century painting shows an equestrian derby and jockey race in the final moments around a track. It is signed "Barbour in the lower righthand corner by artist Phyllis Barbour of Longwood, Florida. The movement in this painting is sure to brighten up any space. It is encased in a black and gilt wood frame and comes ready to hang. Please do not hesitate to ask any further questions, thanks!


*Phyllis Barbour, of Orlando, Florida died on March 31, 2016. Born in London, England, Phyllis was raised in Sydney, Australia, where she loved to surf and hike. She attended business college at age 12 to14 and after graduation worked with experimental color film at an advertising company. Due shortages of men and gasoline, during WWII she delivered bread from a horse and cart, drove a gas-producer car for Shell Oil in Sydney and then varied vehicles for the U.S. Army in Brisbane during its move North. She came to San Francisco after peace was declared and worked at the Australian Consulate General's Office there as secretary to the Press Attache. She became an American citizen in 1948 and went to Guam for two years as newsletter editor for a large U.S. Navy sponsored construction firm. On her arrival she found she was also recreation director for some 30 exceptionally active trouble-prone youngsters. After several months she married a supervisor from Georgia who professed to being adept at sailing and near the end of their contracts talked persuasively of sailing around the world in a 35' boat available in Houston, Texas. Romance prevailed over reason and they bought the boat by mail. Arriving at the shipyard six months later they found their dreamboat still pulled out of the water with only basic work done and hundreds of prepaid dollars unaccounted for. Plans to leisurely sail around Florida to Jacksonville were abandoned overnight and with only necessary repairs made and basic food supplies on board, they headed slowly out a week later, not to sea with sails pulling in the breeze but via the sheltered Intracoastal Waterway and powered by a small, laboring engine. Phyllis was designated navigator, cook and tie-up specialist at overnight berths while her husband kept the engine running. It was autumn and cold. Disillusionment grew during the long trip when it quickly became apparent her husband actually knew little about sailing but had a fine eye for pretty girls he somehow quickly attracted dockside. Nothing changed much when they finally tied up in Jacksonville and eventually they divorced. Phyllis fortunately found work as editor of a shipyard publication and then as feature writer with the JAX AIR NEWS at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station, home of the VW-4 Hurricane Hunters. While writing about this group she received permission to fly into the eye of a hurricane on a low level penetration mission, becoming the first woman in the U.S. to do so. In the early 60's she worked in Japan for two years as secretary with the American Red Cross and then returned to Washington, D.C. before finally settling in Norfolk, Virginia. There she met and married Cdr. William J. Barbour, Jr. USN and became the step-mother to three pre-teens, who she came to love as her own. Following her husband's retirement, the family moved to Longwood, FL where they built a home and lived for several years. While there she joined and later became president of the Retired Officers' Wives' Club in Orlando. She also exhibited locally as a pastel and watercolor artist and did research for a prominent historical writer until 1990 when she and her husband moved to the Indian River Colony Club in Melbourne. There she played golf, joined the Navy Officers' Wives' Club and served as editor of its monthly publication, was a member of the IRCC art group and local Red Hat Club. See less