Horses

Horses are amazing, and they make up a large part of my life. I spent most of my childhood around them, learnt to ride when I was 6 and sat on the pony and cried the whole way through my riding lessons, I was very addament that I would continue with them, and ignored my Mum's suggestions that maybe we should leave riding for a while.

I got there in the end, and that was the beginning of a long love affair with those beautiful creatures. I used to spend all of my spare time at the riding stables, helping to groom, muck out and feed the horses in return for a  free riding lesson a week. I loved every minute of it.

At the age of 15, my dreams came true and my parents bought me my own horse, Clarissa. She was amazing, the very best horse in the world as far as I was concerned, and a great friend. Horses are such gentle, generous creatures. They give and give in return for not too much. Clarrie and I spent many years together and competed a lot to quite a high level. There is nothing like the adrenaline rush of riding around a cross country course against the clock!

Most nights I still dream about horses.

I have always loved to draw horses, when I was little I would get very upset that I couldn't draw them very well, but I practised and practised and now I am not too bad. Nowadays, If you have had a look at my art work, unicorns crop up quite often, and I am working on a pegasus collage too. I am inspired by my love of horses, and also love of magic and fairytales, mostly from films and children's books.

I love 'The Last Unicorn' , haven't seen it for years, but remember loving it. Looking forward to watching it again with my children. I remember being so relieved at the end of 'A Neverending Story' when the horse Artax comes back to life from the swamp of sadness, while watching that film at my cousin's house, completely transfixed! My favourite bit of all of the 'Lord of the Rings' films is when Gandalf meets Shadowfax 'The lord of all the horses, and we have been friends for many years' - amazing. What I wouldn't give to ride a horse across where ever they were in New Zealand. Won't bore yo with all my favourite bits, of all the horse films I have seen in my life, there's quite a few!                                                              
                                                    

                                                         

Horses will always inspire me, and always feature in my art. They are truly amazing and beautiful animals.