Whilst working on a current batch of paintings I am always looking ahead for new paintings, opportunities and inspiration. There are moments in the showring when a certain horse is being shown -- it can be any horse of any type, looked out for or not -- and a split second moment will say: here, paint this.
However, it is only a split second generally and gone too quick for any perfect life sketching. My photographs are my secondary source to that primary source witnessed at the ringside. My first look through my photographs from a show is always a quick scroll through; photographs which are inspiring to paint jump out, if I am searching for something to paint then I'm doing it for the sake of it.
For instance since I first saw Ava, I knew I would like to paint her; however for my personal paintings I do not and will not ever paint from other peoples photographs. Nor were any of my photographs of her painting inspiring (what might make a 'good' photograph might not always make a good painting, nor are any of my paintings intended to be a replica of a painting -- there are plenty of photoshop filters which can achieve a happy enough effect).
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| Ava (Vervaldee x Aziza) |
So it was that I saw Ava again at the Wales & West regional show and I knew this would be my chance. A resulting photograph leaped out of my initial go through and is posted above. This is my personal inspiration, with the photograph as a further inspiration and aid.
Another moment at a show which jumped out as a painting opportunity was at the NWAHO show at Aintree. One snapshot of this moment is posted below:
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| Aja Angelo (WH Justice x Aaisha) |
It is not just moments outside with opportune (as much as realistically possible) light and condition which can aid paintings. No moment, horse or situation can ever be a non-consideration:
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| Roe Lateef (Gazal al Shaqab x ZT Ludjbrosiaa) |
This photograph is a launchpad for a painting. It is not my role to reproduce photographs as paintings: there is little point in reproducing the limitations of a camera: as in this photograph -- the location which due to its relatively poor light -- does not show the coat of this horse to its best nor is there a high degree of contrast/tonal values. Also the halter can be "removed" much more effectively and naturally when painting versus removing via Photoshop which generally requires patching the halter over with pixels from around it rather than painting what would actually be under the halter. These are just a few considerations, and I have much more planned for the painting which will be inspired by this photograph.
I look forward to working on these paintings, though for now is the pleasing stage of considering how I will paint them, what composition, what might I change or emphasise and how might the final image look.
