ophelia keys: equine and other art

horses bring us down to earth

2012-01-25T03:10:00.000-08:00

They say that princes learn no art truly, but the art of horsemanship. The reason is, the brave beast is no flatterer. He will throw a prince as soon as his groom. Ben Jonson

Prince Harry

children and those sad sad horse stories

2011-12-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

I put up a post on my other site and realised it was maybe more appropriate for this one:
http://opheliasfiction.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/children-and-those-sad-sad-horse-stories/

cafe exhibit

2011-12-14T03:24:00.000-08:00

Have taken some horses out for a breath of fresh air. They're hanging at Piccolo Meccanico, Diamond Creek. I think they're much happier there. Only one of them was out at home (the chestnut). And I think it was lucky I took him off our wall when I did - the nail had been steadily working free and would no doubt have fallen in the early hours and woken the baby. Nothing like a horse falling off the wall to wake a baby...

cat drawing

2011-11-06T17:08:00.000-08:00

My little one is sleeping next to me, so I grabbed the opportunity for a drawing. Just need to keep the Blue Lake watercolour paper within arms reach at all times!

new drawings

2011-11-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

I've been enjoying watching the Melbourne Cup, but haven't quite got around to doing any racehorse sketches. Here are some non race related ones from today. Click to see them closer. The second one is on lovely hand-pressed watercolour paper.

Australian Horses Series no. 2: Brumby

2011-10-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

The brumby is Australia’s wild (or, more properly, feral) horse. Brumbies exist throughout the Australian mainland, from the harsh terrain of the outback to the magnificent high country of south eastern Australia. They have any number of influences from thoroughbred, stockhorse and Arabian to Percheron and Clydestale – depending on which horses have either escaped or been deliberately released into the wild in their area. We met a brumby undergoing retraining with natural horseman Eric Godward. It was the most alert and watchful horse I have ever seen. No wonder – it had a clean bullet hole straight through one ear!

I have wonderful memories of reading The Silver Brumby, by Elyne Mitchell, first published in the 1950s. The Man From Snowy River (based on the Banjo Patterson poem) was a favourite childhood film, not so much for the storyline, but for the beautiful shots of horses and riders moving through the high country. The involvement of the Lovick family in the horse sequences added an authenticity to the depiction of the high country and ensured some incredible riding scenes. I always got a bit of a tear in my eye when all the riders pull up after the brumbies plunge down a steep slope, and well … you’ll just have to watch it. It still remains absolutely spectacular and I’ve included a link below – including the descent of the slope and some lovely shots of horses moving through snow. The Lovicks selected some great riders as extras and it shows.

The high country is a stunning area extending from Victoria to New South Wales. I’ve had the pleasure of riding there with Watsons trail rides, but the Lovicks also offer Man From Snowy River themed rides. If you ever have the chance I urge you to explore this area on horseback – absolutely magical.

Of course, the real experience of the brumbies is somewhat less romantic than novel and film would suggest (though Mitchell’s horses are constantly on the run from humankind). Debate ranges over protection of the Alpine regions and whether culling is required to control brumby numbers in the high country and elsewhere. There have been some disastrous helicopter culls, resulting in the slow deaths of individual horses. There have also been attempts to train and rehome some horses. Like the American Mustang, the brumby has a difficult future ahead of it.

Some of the most beautiful footage of the Australian high country in The Man From Snowy River, not to mention a legendary cinematic moment – the alarming descent (from around 3:50 if you’re impatient, and lovely snow shots at 5:40): http://youtu.be/2oMnGRec-nA

Some organizations attempting to help the brumby:

http://www.australianbrumbyalliance.org.au/

http://www.victorianbrumbyassociation.org/welcome

Gratitude for what we have!

2011-09-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

so much joy from horses over the years!

Horse riding (or just being around horses – which I love just as much!) has been put on the shelf for a time. Usually this would be a cause for unhappiness or brow-beating (why don’t you just get out there, girl!?). At the moment it’s because I’ve just had a lovely baby boy. I’m up with him quite a lot at night and he’s also feeding often during the day. I just don’t have much extra energy or time. It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself when you can’t do one of the things that gives you the most joy – a thing that is just for you. But when this feeling starts to creep in I have the perfect antidote.

Will was born in only five hours. One of the possible downsides of such a quick delivery was that he wasn’t quite in the right position. But who knows – he might have come out that way anyway! He emerged with a huge bruise on his head, which led to early jaundice followed by low heart rate and episodes of apnea. He stayed in the Neonatal Unit for a week, and we stayed with him – wondering at times if he was going to make it through. He’s home now and growing at a record rate. But I keep remembering a little bouquet of flowers on the desk at the unit. It thanked the doctors and nurses for all their care and listed the dates of their little baby – a period of life of only a few weeks.

It might sound extreme, but when I am up at three feeding Will and feeling exhausted, or when I think how much I would love to run away and just be with the horses (oh, lie on my back and hear them tearing up the grass!), I simply remember how it felt when we thought we might lose him. It’s suddenly a blessing to be able to hold him and feed him through the night and to care for him when he’s fussing and doesn’t want to go back to sleep. Yes, sometimes I’m tired and emotional, but it’s so worth it. And I’m more than happy to wait to get back to the world of horses. They’ve been around for centuries and they’re not going anywhere soon.

In the last two of my short walks down our street (feeling a huge sense of achievement for just leaving the house), I’ve seen a horse go by in a float. It’s like a little reminder that they are waiting for me. (Though if the ‘Secret’ really worked, I’m pretty sure there’d be a herd of them in my backyard, trampling the garden beds). I’m lucky to have a wonderful husband who I know will help me get back in to riding, and I’m already feeling more ambitious about it and making mental plans to do more jumping and to challenge myself a bit more.

I’ve always known there are times in our lives when we have to step back from our passions, but now I realise that sometimes we can be hugely grateful for that. Having no extra time or energy is a tiny price to pay for bringing a beautiful little child into the world. I can always draw some imaginary horses in the mean time. Yes, my sketch book and pencil are nearby, I just can’t seem to pick them up yet!

Australian Horses Series no. 2: Colonial Arabian

2011-09-12T20:38:00.001-07:00

I did mean to write this post a little earlier, but was interrupted by the arrival of our beautiful little boy, Will. He decided to give us a scare and stayed in the hospital in intensive care for a week, but is now very well. My first question for the physio - how long can you ride after an episiotomy? They looked a bit surprised that I would even be daydreaming about something so uncomfortable ...

‘Colonial Arabian’ describes those Arabians (mostly Crabbet bloodlines) sent to the colonies. Some of these bloodlines are still bred today. The Australian colonial Arabian is very tough and well-suited to endurance. They should have good solid bone and their beauty is on the elegant and tough side rather than the hyper-pretty (in my opinion!). To use an Americanism, they are very far from being all hat and no cattle. The first Arabians arrived in Australia very early, along with the first European settlers and are beautifully suited to the hot Australian conditions and our love of riding out in the bush. I always love to be handed the reins of an Arabian type on a long trail ride – you are pretty much guaranteed a smooth, responsive, untiring ride, and they might like to go googly-eyed at things from time to time – but that just adds to the spirit!

I always loved seeing photos of the stallion Fenwick Phantom as a teenager and he’s what I picture when I think of an Australian Arabian type. Check out those clean, powerful legs!

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Australian-Colonial-Arabian-Horse-and-Endurance-Riding&id=2078251

Australian Horses Series no. 1: The Waler

2011-09-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

For a long time I’ve been meaning to do a series of paintings honouring Australian horses (both ‘types’ and breeds).

Thanks to the Morpurgo book War Horse and the stage adaptation and now film adaptation, the war horse is taking centre stage at the moment. Although many types of horse fitting cavalry specifications for height and colouration were sent over from Australia during the First World War (and to also to India), the dominant type became known as the ‘Waler’ (the original stock came from New South Wales).

'Waler' permanent artist's ink on watercolour paper

Much like the Australian Stockhorse (which it had a large influence on) the Waler was a mixture of Thoroughbred, Arab and draught breeds, resulting in a very tough and reliable horse, much as the stock horse is described in Patterson’s Man from Snowy River:

And one was there, a stripling on a small and weedy beast / He was something like a racehorse undersized / With a touch of Timor pony - three parts thoroughbred at least - And such as are by mountain horsemen prized. / He was hard and tough and wiry - just the sort that won't say die / There was courage in his quick impatient tread / And he bore the badge of gameness in his bright and fiery eye/ And the proud and lofty carriage of his head.

An English cavalry officer described the Australian horses’ suitability for harsh conditions:

“… The majority of horses in the Corps were Walers and there is no doubt that these hardy Australian horses make the finest cavalry mounts in the world…. They have got types of compact, well-built, saddle and harness horses that no other part of the world can show. Rather on the light side according to our ideas, but hard as nails and with beautiful clean legs and feet ... Their records in this war place them far above the Cavalry horse of any other nation.”

Lt Col RMP Preston DSO, The Desert Mounted Corps

The Charge of the Light Horse at Beersheba, George Lambert

Beersheba (1917) was probably one of the most famous moments for the Australian cavalry. After going for days without water through the Sinai Desert, the Australian Light Horse charged the Turkish guns at a lengthy gallop and successfully took Beersheba (and its essential water supplies). It was one of the last great cavalry charges as increasingly mechanised forms of warfare saw the increasing (fortunate) removal of horses from the front line of battle.

Sadly, despite their impressive service, no adequate provision was made for the return of the Australian or British horses to their country of origin. Many heartbroken soldiers were forced to abandon their horses, or to shoot them (amidst fears they would be mistreated).

Australian troop horse, full marching order 1918, George Lambert

In 1931, Dorothy Brooke (the wife of an English cavalry officer) wrote an appeal to the Morning Post regarding British cavalry mounts:

“There have been several references lately in the columns of The Morning Post as to the possibility of raising a memorial to horses killed in the War. May I make a suggestion?

Out here, in Egypt, there are still many hundreds of old Army Horses sold of necessity at the cessation of the War. They are all over twenty years of age by now, and to say that the majority of them have fallen on hard times is to express it very mildly … If those who truly love horses – who realise what it can mean to be very old, very hungry and thirsty, and very tired, in a country where hard, ceaseless work has to be done in great heat – will send contributions to help in giving a merciful end to our poor old war heroes, we shall be extremely grateful; and we venture to think that, in many ways, this may be as fitting (though unspectacular) part of a War Memorial as any other that could be devised.”

Her appeal soon raised enough funds to rescue five thousand horses and gave rise to The Brooke, a charity still providing welfare support for working donkeys, horses and mules whose owners often cannot afford to treat them.

Given that Australian cavalry mounts did not return to their country, the breeding of Waler horses has relied on the use of the original stock that remained in Australia. Waler horse breeders seek to preserve the tough and reliable characteristics of those famous Australian cavalry horses.

Speaking of tough, next week (my imminent baby allowing) will be no. 2 in the Australian Horses Series – the Colonial Arabian.

Read about The Brooke:

http://www.thebrooke.org/news/press-centre/past-press-releases-2011/warhorse

The Desert Mounted Corps quote accessed at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waler_horse

Waler Horse Society of Australia: http://www.walerhorse.com/whsa/

The Waler Horse Owners & Breeders Association Australia: http://walerhorses.com/

rearranging my drawings and going off on tangents ...

2011-07-25T04:39:00.000-07:00

Well, now the Tour de France is over (go Cadel!) I can turn my mind to other things - like rearranging the house! It's a never ending struggle to find space for artwork - especially when your husband is an artist too. I guess the solution is a 'retrospective', or at least a large ebay art shop. It's better to think of your work being enjoyed than hidden. But the fact is that most drawings and paintings in the world are stowed away out of sight. I like to think of it as my imaginary stable of horses ... except you can fit at least fifty in the one drawer. They'll eventually find homes. Until that time - it's intensive stabling and very occasional turnout.

It's funny the things you find and the trains of thought that are set off when you're moving house - or rearranging in a big way. I was thinking of writing and illustrating a children's story on pegasus. I forgot until I went through all my drawings. So there's another project to do.

The Bellerophon and Pegasus story is pretty intriguing. Pegasus was born from the blood that fell from the severed head of the snake-haired Medusa. Funny that something so lovely was imagined being born from a monster. But they do say that Medusa was the most beautiful girl in the world before she was changed by a jealous goddess. That's another story! And that's just one of the many tangents that tidying up has created in my brain ...

greyhound sketches

2011-07-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

Orientalism and horses

2011-06-09T03:08:00.000-07:00

'Orientalism was ultimately a political vision of reality whose structure promoted the difference between the familiar (Europe, West, "us") and the strange (the Orient, the East, "them").' Edward Said (Orientalism)

The imagined excesses of the east ... Delacroix.

Following Napoleon’s incursions into the east, the orientalist movement in art really took off. 'The East' became a canvas on which could be projected fantasies of savagery, lustfulness and luxury. Horses played a part in this - being luxury items themselves, extremely beautiful (there was no exaggeration here - the eastern horses had a massive impact on the breeds of the West) and offering artists the possibility to flaunt their realist ability to depict detailed and gorgeous saddlery! Okay, I'm over-simplifying ...

Napoleon's eastern-bred horse, Marengo. A study by Gros.

To over-simplify even more, aside from its complicated historical and political contexts, orientalist art is a rich treasure trove of imaginary horses for us to fill our imaginary stables with! (I'll take one dapple grey, that chestnut and this bay with the white star ...)

A bay horse by Gericault

Ancient sculpture of a boy jockey and horse

2011-05-31T02:43:00.000-07:00

My husband, James Stratford's, photo of the amazing hellenistic sculture often referred to as Boy Jockey and Horse. It was discovered in a shipwreck. He posted it as an image embodying power in his post: http://beyondthecall.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/stop-giving-your-power-away/

I remember being very jealous of him when he sent back this photo (he was conducting research for his thesis in Athens at the time). It's a sculpture I've always been in awe of. Classical and Hellenistic Greek sculptors really were amazing!

My other favourite (yes, I've posted it before) is the very dramatic Horse of Selene from the Parthenon. Selene was the moon goddess - this fragment remains of one of the horses that pulled her chariot. Now there are some sculptors who clearly spent ALOT of time looking at horses.

Bill Roycroft dies aged 96

2011-05-30T02:26:00.000-07:00

Legendary Australian equestrian Bill Roycroft has passed away.

Bill competed in five consecutive Olympic Games, his first at age 45 and the final one at age 61. His 1960s ride became famous after he suffered a bad fall in the cross country (his horse fell on him) yet still completed the course. He signed himself out of hospital the next day, against doctor's advice, to complete the show jumping course. This successful round secured the gold medal for Australia.

The Roycrofts have had a huge impact on the Australian equestrian scene, and Bill will long be remembered for his courageous ride.

Learn more about Bill Roycroft: http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2011/05/235.shtml

thank you!

2011-05-04T16:27:00.000-07:00

just a quick thank you for the big response to my blog on overcoming anxiety at http://www.beyondthecallcoaching.com/ - and thank you to Beyond the Call for posting it. It's a wonderful feeling to have so many people read it, and to contact us personally to tell us how useful it was. We really appreciate it!

overcoming anxiety

2011-04-28T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've just done a guest post at my husband, James Stratford's, site. I thought I would share it with you. It's about my experiences in overcoming anxiety and panic attacks. Riding is one of the things that helped, but I also know that for many, riding can become a source of fear in itself, especially if you have had an accident or a near fall. It can be a little confronting talking about these things, but I think it's worth it to spread more knowledge about 'panic disorders' and to hopefully provide an optimistic outlook for those who are facing these challenges, or have family or friends in this situation.

http://beyondthecall.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/overcoming-anxiety/

the art of loving each other

2011-04-25T19:43:00.000-07:00

My husband just did a very sweet post on the art of loving each other, partly inspired by this photo I took of our good friends Maggie and Shan (mother and daughter), mutual grooming. We all need mutual grooming sometimes!

http://beyondthecall.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/more-thoughts-on-the-art-of-loving/

the movement of horses

2011-04-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

Bolting horse. I just wanted to give a feeling of speed, and the sound you get when a horse gallops - at once very light and very hard. They appear to move so lightly, you forget the amount of force that is going through their legs into the ground.

Hindquarters. I just wanted a feeling of strength in this sketch. In a way it's quite still, despite the whispy tail.

Playful horse. Sometimes horses express a lot of contained tension when they play - they pinch their lips and their nostrils together and flatten back their ears. Their movements become very grounded. It's as if they're winding up to let loose. And they soon do, with a big buck or a gallop!

You’re so talented!

2011-04-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

I don’t mean this in a conceited way, but sometimes people say this to me. I always enjoy that. I’m only human. But I know deep down, it’s not true.

Firstly, they don’t mean in relation to Da Vinci. They mean in relation to their own drawing ability. They believe that I sprang from the womb with a natural talent for drawing noticeably better than them.

Perhaps a number of artists will agree with me when I say it is much more like a stubborn determination to draw.

Many people have a bit of a go at it. They look at their drawings and think, ‘gosh, that’s bad. I’ve got no aptitude for drawing’. I was always driven to draw and I always looked at my pictures and thought, ‘gosh, that’s bad. How can I make it better?’ It was always the (sometimes slightly obsessive compulsive) drive to draw for hours and hours and hours that improved my work.

There are a large number of artists both past and contemporary that make me feel that I’ll never meet the standard of their work. There are also those that do appear to spring from the womb with amazing technical ability (probably more to do with amazing visual learning skills). But the stubbornness remains. And instead of saying – I’m just not good enough, I continue to soldier on. Because I know from experience that the more I practice the better I’ll be. (Keeping in mind always that it is possible to practice the wrong things – and if you refuse to learn from people or be critical of your work, you can put in many, many hours with no improvement whatsoever).

What the inspiration to draw actually is, how it comes to us and what it means is a different question. But basic drawing is a skill that can truly be acquired by just about anyone with stubborn determination and some time.

And if you say, ‘I’d love to be able to draw’ expect me to be a little dubious, because true love takes time, determination and never-ending flexibility as well as a kind of joyful commitment.

It’s a little like me saying to a dressage rider ‘I’d love to be able to ride at your level.’ I might love the idea, but the reality of the hours of work put in are a little different! Similarly, I’d love to be able to play the guitar like Billy Corgan, but do recall reading that he practiced 4 hours most days for about four years and that was before becoming professional. Most people that you see with ‘talent’ are actually just extremely driven (some to the point where they become a bit miserable and have to take a step back in order to find balance in their lives). I know this is also true for the amazing visual artists I put on a pedestal.

So don’t say, ‘I’m terrible at drawing’, just say, ‘I haven’t put the time I need in to improve my drawing skills!’

NB: artists love to be told they’re talented, despite what they may know. So feel free to keep saying this to them as often as you like!

How to Draw Horses - basic shapes

2011-04-11T19:09:00.000-07:00

When I was still in primary school I was given a book called How to Draw Horses and Ponies by Frank Smith. I was already drawing horses obsessively, but I took a jump forward after reading this. The book had a number of horse sketches, beginning with very simple geometric shapes. Basically it showed an ‘armature’ of the horse’s form.

Armature generally refers to the underlying support structure of a sculpture. However it is also sometimes used in describing the way artists sketch out the basic geometric structural shapes of a figure (horse, human – anything!) in drawing. This is how I’m using it in this post. (See my super simplified armature drawing above).

If your horses are coming out looking like goats, tables or … just not horses, using armature may be a simple way to get a clearer idea of the horse’s natural proportions and to see what the difference is between what you think you see and what is actually there. It’s amazing how many assumptions we bring to the way things look. Even when they’re right in front of us.

Some people have an aptitude for starting at a detailed corner of the picture and working through. But most will benefit from blocking in the main shapes before proceeding to detail (I won’t really be talking about detail here – but much of it is to do where light and shade fall on your subject).

Another interesting approach is to get a cheap horse magazine and draw geometric shapes over the pictures. Your hand will remember the feel of these shapes once you begin to draw free hand. You’ll also get closer to seeing what’s actually there. Plus you may start to move away from the hard-edged shapes of basic armature and incorporate the horse’s natural curves into your first sketch – giving a more natural, gestural feeling overall (see the dog).

When you are drawing or painting, always step back regularly to look at the whole picture. You'll be surprised by how often the picture starts to look out of proportion if you forget to do this.

An example of horse drawing where you can see some of the geometric shapes I've used to flesh out the horse and its musculature. This is a little different from the concept of armature - which is a more stripped-down, skeletal version. (This horse was my model for finding some acupressure points!)

Once you know the rules, you can enjoy breaking them … Using geometry to build shapes is a great start, but it’s just as important to draw with free expression. You will also find that you work out your own shortcuts to build the anatomy of the horse.

Happy drawing!

Here’s a human subject sketched out using an armature style technique.

http://drawsketch.about.com/od/figuredrawing/ss/figurestructure_2.htm

Ideally, as an artist creating a flat image, you will simply draw armature using your eye, but here is an in depth breakdown of the armature of the horse by sculptor, David Lemon. The precise shape he creates for his sculpture is wonderful to watch – you can see how the simple lines relate to the underlining skeletal structure of the horse. This video takes time to watch, but is very worthwhile!

http://youtu.be/PlcqlICt9o4

being around horses when you're pregnant

2011-04-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

I’ve noticed a few changes in my feelings being around horses during my (early) pregnancy.

The first thing I noticed was how huge they seemed. Not just the plus 16 hands mare, but the 15hh ones too. The second (related) thing was that they were crowding into my space outrageously. It was because I was suddenly aware of my own vulnerability, so I was backing away as they came into my space – like a beginner horse person – instead of calmly asserting my boundaries and pushing them out if they got too close (e.g. bumping against me). So, silly as it sounds, it took a few visits to the paddock before I noticed this was happening. I just wondered why they were being so unusually pushy! Once I figured it out (der) it was easy to reassert my space again. Let’s face it, these are sweet elderly ladies, not unruly four-year-olds.

The other change is that I’m not riding. I rode once before I realised I was pregnant, but on finding out I decided to stop. This was partly because I don’t have a horse of my own. I ride a friend’s horses, or take lessons. I didn’t want to put another person in the position of feeling even slightly responsible for my safety while riding. I’m also aware that falling off is a risk you say ‘yes, it’s worth it’ to, every time you get on a horse (much as you prefer it doesn’t occur!). I wasn’t sure that it was a risk I wanted to say yes to with an unborn baby.

I should add that I admire women who ride through their pregnancies and I think it is probably very good for you both physically and mentally. Let’s face it, you take a risk whenever you cross a road or get into a car. I love the idea of riding as long as possible, then leaping back on heroically, a few weeks after birth. Love the idea, but it’s just not for me – let’s face it, I’m getting a ligament ‘stitch’ just doing my usual walk. And my balance, even in second trimester, is just a bit … off. One thing I do mean to do is keep visiting them while I’m pregnant. Because even the smell of them does me so much good!

Here's a pretty balanced view:

http://www.horse-canada.com/?p=889

(my computer is turning all the superscript on this site into symbols etc)

five amazing horse artists

2011-04-02T03:55:00.000-07:00

Some of my favourite horse artists.

Alfred Munnings

(Horse of Semele - Parthenon)

Rosa Bonheur

George Stubbs

Toulouse Lautrec

watercolour horse

2011-03-19T02:43:00.000-07:00

what does 'wastage' refer to in relation to the horse racing industry?

2011-03-13T01:34:00.000-08:00

“Once the horses, rather than the profits, are put first, the flow-on effect will be felt by trainers, owners, riders, breeders and punters; in other words, the entire racing community. It always has to be horse first, people later.”

Bart Cummings: My life, 2009

'Wastage' refers to the large number of horses that are lost from the racing industry each year due to injury, poor performance or behavioural problems. Some are rehomed in the equestrian/pleasure riding industry, but an alarming number of young (often healthy) thoroughbreds and standardbreds are sent to the slaughterhouse on a yearly basis. It is estimated that for every 1000 foals born to the racing industry, only 300 will race.* And of those who race, their racing career may make up only a third or a quarter of their life time.

If you'd like to find out more about 'wastage' and some ideas on how to combat the problem, you may find Jane Duckworth's article of interest:

"What responsibility does the racing industry take for the horses that are excess to requirements? Leith Babian, a well known former jockey (rider of Lord Penn) and horse welfare advocate says: ‘[The industry] mass-produce thoroughbreds and we injure them physically and mentally.
It follows that we are responsible for giving them a fair go at living a full life where they can be retrained’. Leith agrees that the vast majority of the hands-on racing participants in the industry like the horses, and most love them. He says that there are a lot of people who get very attached to them and spend most of their time nurturing, cleaning and feeding thoroughbreds. Their world revolves around horses ..." but how does this fit with the potentially ruthless requirements of business profits? (see link below for Jane's article).

The dangers involved when inexperienced riders are paired with inexperienced horses were recently highlighted in a very sad story by the 7.30 Report, after a young rider was paired with a very young racehorse (I think I heard four years??), recently off the track. The horse bolted and, tragically, the girl fell and was killed. The story focused on the concept of tracking horses' histories, but I thought it would have better spent even more time on questioning why a young racehorse was used in a basic riding/training course. It's natural for a racehorse to gallop (often unexpectedly) but many racehorses can be successfully retrained for pleasure riding with time and patience (and preferably years spent with experienced riders before they are paired with beginner or intermediate riders). I should say that one of the quietest and most reliable beginner horses I have ridden was a thoroughbred. The horse in this tragic story was not necessarily a dangerous horse, simply an inexperienced one that required much more training.

The question is, how many people are willing to take the time and expense to retrain these horses? And is the industry responsible for what happens to these horses once they go to the saleyards?

Read more of Jane Duckworth's article from Horses and People Magazine

See what steps the racing industry is taking to address this serious problem.

*See RSPCA site

horse in burnt sienna watercolour

2011-03-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

step by step horse drawing in pastel

2011-02-26T21:23:00.000-08:00

Step by step horse in pastel (Art Spectrum soft pastels on Colourfix paper)

I think there is another step ... I'll post it soon.

New sketch book

2011-02-08T01:54:00.000-08:00

I was given a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright sketchbook after house/horse/dog minding for friends. I'm starting to fill it ...

beautiful 'kinetic art'

2011-01-02T17:47:00.000-08:00

for videos of these amazing moving pieces go to the following links:

pegasus automaton

dragon automaton

You can see more of Keith Newstead's beautiful creations at:

http://www.keithnewsteadautomata.com/

sketch book: Arabian foal

2010-12-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

Arabian foal - pencil sketch

arabian head study in ink

2010-12-18T23:14:00.000-08:00

An ink painting of an Arabian horse. Art Spectrum Ink on watercolour paper. Through my detailed drawing practice I have improved my quick and gestural paintings. I love using rich, dark ink.

horse skeleton

2010-12-06T01:47:00.000-08:00

Here is something I drew while studying equine anatomy. It's an excellent example of what happens when you confidently draw an entire hind limb without considering the space required for the rest of the horse ...

Truth be told, I wasn't too worried, as my aim was to become more familiar with the names of various bones. It's very odd to consider that the horse's knee is equivalent to our wrist - meaning that they are actually delicately poised on one finger. No wonder they are so prone to tendon strain when we work them hard.

So here's my very creatively compressed horse

need holiday reading?

2010-11-21T18:22:00.000-08:00

I highly recommend the fascinating late nineteenth century journal of Lady Anne Blunt (including her sweet watercolour sketches). The journal details her (often adventurous) travels amongst the Bedouin tribes and elsewhere in search of Arabian horses for the Crabbet Stud (many of whom were to become wonderfully influential dams and sires of the breed). Among the many lovely horses she imported to England were Skowronek (Poland) and Mesaoud (Egypt). Her journal entries are always entertaining and include tales of woe relating to over-exuberant camels and some lovely descriptions of horses.

There is a lovely blog (at Clouddragon) on Lady Anne Blunt here, by the happy owner of a Crabbet descendant (note that the story also continues at the bottom of her page).

horse poem - in progress

2010-11-08T01:23:00.000-08:00

For my next exhibition I'm going to combine words and images. Here's a work in progress. Not sure what the final format will be. I've posted it on my fiction page:

http://opheliasfiction.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/horse-poem/

anatomical horse

2010-10-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

Well, sometimes my gothic fiction interest creeps into my horse drawings (not so often the other way around). This was intended as a response to Stubbs, but it does come across quite ... unsettling. It was something I was considering putting in a reasonably conservative equine art competition / exhibition some time ago. Think they would have gone for it?

By the way - it's Liquid Spectrum ink (permanent) on watercolour paper.

music, art, words ...

2010-09-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

I didn't realise how much I had missed playing the guitar until I started again. It all happened because someone loaned me Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins and I remembered I didn't mind guitar solos one bit. Not at all actually.

Operation save-up-for-electric guitar begins. Strangely (in the meantime) I'm working on Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring - but it's just because I never learnt the end when I used to play. And I'm determined to fill in all the gaps and do the things I left undone - through sheer laziness and lack of belief. Plus - it is well known that Bach is excellent and leads to happy ears.

Sometimes I wonder what I would do if I had my right hand chopped off. Yes, odd I know - I suppose it's like wondering what you would do if your beloved partner left you. It's a worst case scenario survival plan. Well you can ride a horse one-handed (or no hands), learn to draw and write with your left hand and ... well, I guess - some sort of device for rhythm guitar? Music, words and visual art - just different ways to express the same thing. What is that thing? Not sure yet. But I know there's about million of us working on it.

Meg Wade of Castlebar Arabians

2010-07-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

champion endurance rider Meg Wade is recovering from a fall she had while competing:

While her husband is nervous, she has no fears.

"I'm not scared at all about getting on a horse. I'm not scared of horses not one little bit, I'm looking forward to it," she said.

"I definitely want to ride again, and as long as I can ride I definitely want to compete. I am still competitive. It will happen I am sure."

Full story at:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/30/2969427.htm

Ancient Cats

2010-07-29T17:00:00.000-07:00

We met this cat at the Louvre and it looked so much like our beloved Betty (she now resides permanently in the garden, non-mummified but peaceful). They really had cats down, those Egyptians. So poised and compact!

wild horses

2010-07-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

Many years ago I was lucky enough to get a book ($2!) called Wild Horses. It was written by Hope Ryden. She'd spent a lot of time out in the field, documenting the stories and behaviour of mustangs. She took some beautiful photographs and I thought I'd share some sketches of mine - inspired by Hope's images.

bartabas - equestrian art

2010-06-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Bartabas in rehearsal at Versailles - showing art can exist between man and horse.

some australian birds

2010-05-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Tasmanian Native Hen, Cradle Mountain

Magpie, Eltham

Liquid Spectrum ink on Blue Lake Watercolour paper.

colour in poetry

2010-05-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

Keats remarkable description of a woman transformed into a snake

'She was a gordian shape of dazzling hue,
Vermilion-spotted, golden, green, and blue;
Striped like a zebra, freckled like a pard,
Eyed like a peacock, and all crimson barr’d;
And full of silver moons, that, as she breathed,
Dissolv’d, or brighter shone, or interwreathed
Their lustres with the gloomier tapestries— '

Keats - Lamia

minding Charlie

2010-04-25T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, this long weekend has been a bit of a fail as far as drawing or writing. We're minding Charlie (my parents'/sister's very young dog). He is part poodle and much too smart to be left unattended for long periods in a non dog-proof house. He seems to think my habit of staring at nothing for long spells and twitching my fingers with little tappy noises is the boringest thing ever (I call it writing a novel). I'm pretty sure drawing will be viewed in much the same way. There's nothing like a dog to help you get your priorities straight (throwing spit-covered tennis ball, now number one).

Charlie saw some horses close up on our walk yesterday. First time. He did not like them. Not one bit. He was very courageous though and wuffed at them at least three times before running away (innocent surprise of horses, who've meandered up in a friendly way to see us and couldn't understand why we were heading off so soon). I'm sure, given time, he would grow to love them. But I thought we might have given him horse nightmares, considering all the horsey items in the house (and now he can put a terrifying picture to the smell). What an exciting stay he's had!

life drawing

2010-04-18T16:59:00.001-07:00

We had a very ambitious model in life drawing. She had trouble holding some of her poses - but you had to admire her determination!

boldini - romantic horse

2010-03-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Giovanni Boldini, more known for his romantic images of women here gives us a romantic image of a horse. It's frothing at the bit to show its romantic spirit can't be long contained!

rollkur petition

2010-02-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

the following is a message from Philippe Karl:

'On 9 February 2010, more than 20 experts will attend an FEI meeting in Switzerland to discuss once again whether the so-called hyperflexion (“Rollkur”) is an adequate method of training a horse. In order to support the opponents of this method and offer them further arguments, a petition has been initiated at www.no-rollkur.com. We’d like to invite you to support this action against hyperflexion – time is short!'

horses in paris

2010-01-22T08:42:00.001-08:00

horses of st mark

2010-01-06T09:32:00.000-08:00

James and I had a beautiful time sketching the horses of St Mark in Venice. They give a remarkable feeling of serenity in person. The real horses are inside the Basilica - we had the joy of listening to the singing below at mass while we drew.

there are horses in Venice!

2010-01-02T00:35:00.000-08:00

photo by James Stratford

the horses of Achilles

2009-12-13T19:21:00.000-08:00

Then from beneath the yoke the gleam-footed horse answered him, Xanthos, and as he spoke he bowed his head, so that all the mane fell away from the pad and swept the ground by the cross-yoke; the goddess of the white arms, Hera, had put a voice in him:

'We shall still keep you safe for this time, o hard Akhilleus. And yet the day of your death is near, but it is not we who are to blame, but a great god and powerful Destiny. For it was not because we were slow, because we were careless, but it was that high god, the child of lovely-haired Leto, who killed him among the champions and gave the glory to Hektor. But for us, we two could run with the blast of the West Wind (Zephryos) who they say is the lightest of all things; yet still for you there is destiny to be killed in force by a god and a mortal.’

When he had spoken so the Erinyes stopped the voice in him, but deeply disturbed, Akhilleus of the swift feet answered him : `Xanthos, why do you prophesy my death? This is not for you. I myself know well it is destined for me to die here far from my beloved father and mother.'
Homer, Iliad 19. 392 ff :

head study in carbon pencil and brush

2009-12-03T19:01:00.000-08:00

three drawings

2009-11-29T14:51:00.000-08:00

portrait

2009-11-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

white: aubrey beardsley

2009-11-16T16:24:00.000-08:00

Speaking of black and white, I always thought Aubrey Beardsley used white in amazing ways. Lots of big, flat space amongst the decorative black. It's the silence between the words.

light and dark: film

2009-11-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

Light and dark are so important in artworks. If you want to see an amazing use of black and white watch Murnau's Nosferatu. And, yes, I know it seems unrelated but it's even had an impact on my horse drawings. Beautiful.

a thing of beauty

2009-11-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:

Its loveliness increases; it will never

Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

- Keats

photo - horse's eye

2009-10-26T17:37:00.001-07:00

Gunsynd - oil on canvas

2009-10-12T17:45:00.000-07:00

Apologies if I've posted this before. It's a sketch for a portrait of Gunsynd - a legendary Australian thoroughbred. I really should finish it! He was the most beautiful grey, with a very light face.

lifedrawing

2009-10-08T17:26:00.000-07:00

eeeek! Haven't drawn a human in a while! Lifedrawing classes are lovely though - such a hushed air - very meditative, and we had a wonderful model - 'desiree'.

(Art Spectrum black pastel on canaletto paper.)

ink painting

2009-09-20T17:23:00.001-07:00

online exhibition 1

2009-08-10T17:09:00.001-07:00

Here is a 'wall' from my 'Balios' exhibition, for those who couldn't make it. You may have seen some of them before on this blog. I will also put up some of my coloured ink paintings this week. Wish I could offer some nibblies and a glass of champagne online too, but you will just have to imagine.

Horse Skull, ink on acid-free paper. [sold]

Cat Skull, ink on acid-free paper. [sold]

Half-Pass (dressage), pencil on acid-free paper.

Arabian Headstudy, pencil on acid-free paper. [sold]

winged victory

2009-07-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

chestnut arabian - oil sketch

2009-07-08T19:55:00.001-07:00

A sketch of an Arabian horse on Colourfix paper.

The joy of red spots

2009-07-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Red spots are an artist's favourite thing! Actually, maybe second favourite. The favourite is having family and friends together and sharing your work. The photograph shows me and my grandfather, David Keys. We're discussing the merits of Liquid Spectrum Ink!

exhibition at the Yarra Valley in July

2009-06-24T22:28:00.001-07:00

Exhibition: 'Balios'

July 2 - 31

I'm having an exhibition of horse paintings in July. I'm still finalising which pieces to include, but there should be a range of ink paintings, oil paintings and possibly pencil or pastel drawings.

The exhibition is called 'Balios' after the divine horse of the hero Achilles (yes, I've worked in a link to James' thesis!). It's also the title of one of the artworks.

Please join us for complementary wine and nibblies on Thurs July 2, 5-7pm

Or drop by any time throughout July to view the exhibition and enjoy some delicious food and wine!

Evelyn County Estate (Ph: 9437 2155)
55 Eltham - Yarra Glen Road, Kangaroo Ground. www.evelyncountyestate.com.au

nothing forced can be beautiful

2009-06-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

(Above is an image (not mine) showing a horse in natural, relaxed collection and also on the forehand, as a horse might move without a rider. For the opposite of relaxed, see the 'rollkur' image below.)

Debate has been raging for some time in the (beautiful) sport of dressage. Many dressage riders and trainers (not to mention judges and spectators) are concerned that unethical training practices are being rewarded by some dressage judges. Personally I think we should never forget Xenophon's statement on horse training (from over two thousand years ago) that nothing forced can ever be beautiful.

Following is a link to a petition by rider and trainer, Philippe-Karl. Although not everyone will agree with all the points on the list, it's a great way to keep the dialogue going about modern dressage judging.

Philippe-Karl has made some suggestions for radical changes in the judging of dressage, including:
5. Overflexion (nose behind the vertical) in any movement to be punished with a mark of at most 3.
6. Blocked jaws, tongues pulled up or hanging out and grinding of the teeth in any exercise to be punished with a mark of at most 4.

To read more, and to sign the petition if you wish, go to:
http://philippe-karl.com/703

No idea what this is about? To read about a study into how horses experience 'rollkur', an extreme form of hyperflexion of the horse's neck, go to:
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2009/01/107.shtml

This might be comfortable for a few seconds. Standing still. Free to move when you wish. But running and for extended lengths of time? To read an article on rollkur by Classical Dressage trainer Uwe Spenlen, go to:
http://www.cyberhorse.net.au/cgi-bin/tve/displaynewsitem.pl?20060403uwespenlen030406.txt

some random thoughts on the colour red ...

2009-06-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

The last colour I looked at was violet, made up of the shortest wavelengths of light discernible to the human eye. So now it’s red, made up of the longest wavelengths the human eye can see.
If the wavelengths got any longer they’d be infra-red, ‘visible’ to (some) snakes, the military and art restorers ... (Although the military and art restorers do need some extra help, the snakes are just naturally gifted). Above is an infra-red image of a Zebra showing hotter areas (red) and cooler areas (blue). I'm a bit concerned about its off-fore (or right foreleg, for the non-horsey reader).

The symbolism of the colour red? Red has a complicated symbolism that switches between war / retribution / violence, and marriage / fertility / cyclic decline and renewal. Rosetti’s famous image of Proserpine with her pomegranate suggests the more carnal elements of the colour red, while Kuzma’s image ‘Bathing the Red Horse’ (1912) suggests revolutionary change.

Of course, there's probably as many meanings of the colour red as there are artists!

see more of Steve Lowe's infra-red images at the London Zoo site

see my post on (red) poppies at my fiction site

wikipedia has quite a good entry on red

horse photography @ national geographic

2009-06-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

In this video Mark Harvey talks about photographing horses for National Geographic's Your Shot (a beautiful site where photographers upload their images):

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/video/player#/?titleID=mark-harvey

widening our circle of compassion

2009-06-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

"Our task must be to free ourselves— by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty."

—Albert Einstein

Some random thoughts on the colour violet ...

2009-06-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

We are blind to many wavelengths of light. Violet is the shortest wavelength colour still visible to us. But beneath violet lies ultraviolet. We cannot see ultraviolet, but it is visible to some animals, including bees, butterflies and birds.

The first truly violet pigment used by artists was the poisonous and rather weak Cobalt Violet (the name Kobold reputedly coming from German for the goblins or evil spirits that interrupted miners in their search for precious substances).

The complex symbolism of violet seems to reflect its position on the edge of sight. The artist, Kandinsky, writes:

‘Just as orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow, so violet is red withdrawn from humanity by blue. But the red in violet must be cold, for the spiritual need does not allow of a mixture of warm red with cold blue. Violet is therefore both in the physical and spiritual sense a cooled red. It is consequently rather sad and ailing.’

Others believe that violet is a colour of spiritual ascension. Wearing violet symbolises transformation or retreat.

This post has now led me on a synchronous leap to my namesake, as violets (the flowers) can symbolise faithfulness or early death. Ophelia wears a ring of violets about her neck in Millais' Ophelia.

See my fiction blog for more on botanical symbolism.

image of the sun in extreme ultraviolet: http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/sunearthday/media_viewer/flash.html

Kandinsky quote found at this interesting colour site:

http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/color/purples.html

For the image shown above and for flower symbolism in Millais' 'Ophelia':

http://www.tate.org.uk/ophelia/subject_symbolism.htm

humanity

2009-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

The worst sin towards our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That's the essence of inhumanity.
George Bernard Shaw

sketchbook: three horses

2009-06-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

Another page from the sketchbook ... (you can just make out the dogs on the next page!)

hindquarters study - sketchbook

2009-05-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

Learning from other artists ... There's nothing like looking closely at the work of 'old masters'. I've learnt so much roaming museums too - places like the Metropolitan in NY, the Louvre and D'Orsay - and so many others! It's always inspiring and deeply humbling.

sketchbooks

2009-05-23T23:09:00.001-07:00

Sketchbooks are places to let your imagination wander but also places in which to work things out. Above are some dog drawings I did after looking at Durer and some other artists. I felt myself getting a little tight and rigid, so I focused on shapes instead, and brought back the feeling of flow.

Below are some sketches by my husband, James. Here it's pretty clear what he's working out - what's going on beneath the surface?

blue and red - ink horse

2009-05-13T19:09:00.001-07:00

Horse in Liquid Spectrum ink on Colourfix paper. Using heaps of luscious ink and creating the suggestion of detail without actually having much detail at all! Putting ink onto ink requires that you let go of the outcome to a certain degree. Great practice for perfectionists ...

interview with the equinest

2009-05-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the equinest for the thoughtful interview. There are a number of interesting horse artists to look at on the site - not to mention general horsiness all round.
http://www.theequinest.com/ophelia-keys/

equine acupressure course

2009-05-05T01:25:00.000-07:00

I just spent a wonderful weekend doing an introductory equine acupressure course, run by Tallgrass Animal Acupressure Institute. Here's a quick sketch I did to try to get some of the points down (I think it will take a while for me to get them right!). The horses' responses were really amazing. Once they worked out what we were doing, they seemed to go out of their way to sidle up to us for some acupressure. Alot of the basic theory was familiar from my Tai Chi classes, but there's so much else to learn! It also helped to have done some anatomy, although it certainly wasn't required for the introductory course. Our teacher was Robyn Grice. She did a great job of introducing us to the pretty complicated world of meridians, without overwhelming us. What a fascinating weekend!

drawing horses in pastel

2009-04-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

There's something about drawing horses in pastel. I'm not sure how to express it, really, except that the pastel requires it be laid down on the paper in a certain way. I find myself thinking in terms of blue shadows and luminous highlights. The pure quality of the pigment is very moving. I feel that immediately I am required to express something of the spirit of the horse. I feel pushed out of my comfort zone. I love it!

horse painting video

2009-04-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Here's a sped up horse painting video

- it's always amazing to see the differences in artists' technique.

Here's just one technique demonstrated in a really striking realist pastel by Mary Herbet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRAYRw-msbk

Mary's site is at:

http://www.portra.co.uk/

inspiration - Alan Lee

2009-04-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

I've always found the drawings and paintings of Alan Lee so magical and atmospheric. It was really wonderful to find that he and John Howe had been invited to work on the films of the Lord of The Rings. His use of light is particularly good.

And lovely to get the published Alan Lee sketchbook as a present from my husband!

moonlit horse

2009-04-13T03:52:00.000-07:00

The moonlight was so bright over Easter, I braved the cold with the camera to photograph the horses. The ground was absolutely glowing with blue light. There was a bit of surprised snorting at the camera noises, but the horses soon decided it was acceptable.

inspiration - toulouse-lautrec

2009-04-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

He may be better known for his scenes of seedy Parisian night life, but Toulouse-Lautrec had a remarkable eye for painting horses. It's always worth doing a google image search to find these wonderful pictures. (Or see the real things - even better!)

horse shadow

2009-03-31T03:12:00.000-07:00

for horse owners - worms and chemicals

2009-03-29T20:34:00.000-07:00

A friend has just completed some interesting research into horse parasites and chemical treatments. If you're in the mood to read about integrated pest management, dung beetles and chemical resistance the report can be downloaded free at:

https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/07-090

You can also read an article I wrote on the research at an earlier stage:
horsepoint article

sunset silhouette

2009-03-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

Photo taken at sunset, Arthur's Creek.

thoroughbred in ink

2009-03-25T18:04:00.001-07:00

In response to a question by Grey Horse Matters, I thought I should share some info on how often I sketch. While I have seen artist blogs where the artists produce a painting a day (and for those who actually do that - wow!), I find that the practicalities of a day job and fitting in horseriding, writing and friends requires me to paint in bursts.

'Works in progress' are always current works, and as soon as I do a little drawing/painting burst I will post these recent images in preference to older ones. Sometimes I look through my sketchbooks and pick out images that I want to share. This one is an older image, when I was first getting really into ink. There are things I would like to change about it, conformation-wise, but the beauty and challenge of ink is that you have to stand by what you do!

eucalyptus leaves

2009-03-23T17:06:00.000-07:00

dog portrait in pencil

2009-03-22T20:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a drawing of my husband's beloved dog 'Helen'. Unfortunately she needed to be re-homed, but I got to meet her for a day. Very lean, sleek and full of love and mischief!

thoroughbred detail

2009-03-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

horsey memories

2009-03-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Grey Horse Matters for sharing these horse questions. Here are my answers where they should be (e.g. not clogging up her comments page! - Just a reflection of my enthusiasm). If you would like to answer the questions, visit Grey Horse Matters to copy them as she's kindly listed them without the answers. So here's a quick history of my horsey life ...

1. How old were you when you first started riding? A few times on my grandmother’s horses when I was 2 or 3(?), then a break until I was seven
2. First horse ridden: A quiet thoroughbred
3. First horse trotted on: a lovely, portly pony, Phantom
4. First horse cantered on: Phantom
5. First Horse fallen off of: Windsor, a feisty Standardbred. I was chatting to someone and he gave a big kick to a horse behind him. Found myself on the ground in front of him (he looked even more astonished than me).
6. Most recent horse fallen off of Windsor. I must have learnt my lesson …
7. Most terrifying fall: surprised and winded rather than terrified.
8. First horse jumped with: Star. Wicked black pony.
9. First horse who ran away with you: Clive. A trail horse. No brakes whatsoever.
10. First horse that scared the crap out of you: Clive. Thought all horses had some sort of brakes!
11. First horse shown :!) Never shown.
12. First horse to win a class with: Never competed. Won best presented pony at a rainy day pony club comp in the barn!
13. Do you/have you taken lessons: Yes, as often as I can afford.
14. First horse you ever rode bareback: Tina – lovely palomino pony with anxiety issues. Got so using a saddle seemed uncomfortable.
15. First horse trail ridden with: Lost in the mists of time …
16. Current Barn name: _
17. Do you ride English or western?: English
18. First Horse to place at a show with: Never shown
19. Ever been to horse camp?: Yes, lots of fun.
20. Ever been to a riding clinic? Only to watch – seen Nadine Capelman, Anky etc.
21. Ridden sidesaddle? Only jokingly.
22. First horse leased: Never leased
23. Last Horse Leased:
24. Highest ribbon in a show: Never shown
25. Ever been to an 'A' rated show?: no
26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?: at horse camp
27. Ever fallen off at a show 28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?: no
29. Have you ever barrel raced? At horse camp. Unsuccessful.
30. Ever done pole bending?: Yes, very successful due to the fact I was on a tiny pony and everyone else had horses.
31. Favorite gait: canter
32. Ever cantered bareback?: As much as possible, as my pony’s jolting trot was out of the question.
33. Have you ever done dressage?: Take lessons.
34. Have you ever evented?: No. Too scary.
35. Have you ever mucked a stall?: Yes!
36. Ever been bucked off?: No. Oh, but there was a donkey that gave me a good run for my money (much to the amusement of everyone watching – I think they started to lay bets). Luckily he was small enough that I was able to elegantly step off (from my position, half- wrapped around his neck). He was called Joker.
37. Ever been on a horse that reared? Yes, a few, but only with good reasons. (The sudden appearance of an emu, for example)
38. Horses or ponies. Horses are easier. But I think those cunning ponies are great fun.
39. Do you wear a helmet?: Always
40. What's the highest you've jumped: Don’t know. Had my eyes shut. Not really. My teacher kept putting the jump higher and higher, but I was focused well past the jump and tried to avoid looking at it as much as humanly possible.
41. Have you ever ridden at night?: Yes, it’s lovely (unless you’re on the road)
42. Do you watch horsey television shows?: Whenever they’re on
43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?: No
44. Most falls in one lesson: Never fallen in a lesson. Though have ended up on the horse’s neck a few times with jumping refusals.
45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?: Yes, as well as road and trails
46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?: No, thank goodness!
47. Have you ever been bitten?: Yes. By a wicked Shetland pony, among others.
48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?: Yes. Ow!
49: Favorite riding moment: Riding in the manege in the light of a full moon – beautiful!
50. Most fun horse you've ridden: A riding school pony - Tina. I used to always ride her bareback. She had the silliest, fast trot and the smoothest canter of any pony or horse I’ve ever ridden. She was very nervous and I felt like I built a very close, trusting relationship with her. We had great fun!

free jump - ink

2009-03-17T16:37:00.001-07:00

Ink drawing from my sketchbook of a warmblood 'free jumping'. The initial drawing used Wolff's carbon pencils, which are lovely to use for dark, fine lines, rough texture or softened with water. I then used artists' pigmented ink over the top. This was quite a quick sketch.

Rembrandt's lion

2009-03-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite painters of animals - Rembrandt! Very inspiring. This lion has so much character.

not a horse - a rhino!

2009-03-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

My first and only rhino!

sitting horse

2009-03-11T17:53:00.000-07:00

greek horse statuette

2009-03-10T03:19:00.001-07:00

byerley turk II

2009-03-08T21:11:00.001-07:00

byerley turk I

2009-03-06T16:38:00.000-08:00

First phase of a pastel drawing of the Byerley Turk, one of the three legendary foundation sires of the modern Thoroughbred.

garden - magpie

2009-03-03T15:37:00.000-08:00

A magpie visiting our garden and demanding crumbs.

work in progress - rearing horse II

2009-03-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

See Feb 25 post for the first phase. I have began working in more light/shade contrast and adding some detail. I like to put the eye in at an early phase, because then I really feel that the image has began to develop its own presence - its own spirit!

unicorn - metal sculpture

2009-03-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

The striking metal sculpture of Patrice Mesnier. To view more go to:
http://www.art-metal-sculpture.eu/

equus - photography

2009-02-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

I recommend the stunningly beautiful Tim Flack book Equus. You can read an interview (and see some amazing photos from the book and elsewhere) at photoshelter.com or visit his homesite at http://www.timflach.com/