Jenness Cortez first achieved widespread recognition during the 1980’s with her paintings of racehorses, which she painted from first-hand viewings at Saratoga, New York. From there she moved on to painting landscapes, still lifes and figurative works, which drew the interest of such well-known collectors as Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II.

She is a realist in approach, gaining much of her experience early on as an editorial illustrator. Like Stubbs, Homer and Remington, Cortez is first and foremost a draftsman. With Summer Spirits and Kindred Spirits, she depicts little girls in relationship to their big horses. The size of the horses next to the girls makes us remember times when we were all small and looked up at horses in awe and with delight for their grand size. Cortez’s sense of humor is evident in Board of Directors.

Cortez’s credits are numerous; many private individuals, corporations and public institutions collect her work. Since 1981, Cortez has created an original commemorative print honoring thoroughbred racing’s Horse of the Year annually.