Ash and Bolt
Introducing an animal as a symbol in the portrait is as old as painting is. Eventually I will put up another gallery in a page with portraits of people with animals whether pets or working companions. I painted this after a walk past a nearby horse yard and watching a man wash down the gallopers from the local pony club—a study in strength and gentleness. Captivated by the subject, I have painted each subject quickly, often again and again. In this way I am able to develop different visual ideas, to create balances between the simple and fussy, oddity and the expected—spontaneity is the goal.