For me it's horse racing.
I can't say I am a punter - that always ends in disappointment. But the thrill of the chase pumped up by the gradual crescendo of the commentator as they near the finish line fills me with adrenalin. The horse lover in me is always mindful of what the actual horses are getting out of it, but as my brother (equine surgeon and one time jockey) informs me, if they didn't want to do it they just wouldn't. Having a horse myself I know that if another horse is playing up of galloping around it's field while I am trying to school her, the effort required just to get her to listen is exhausting! It's a pack thing! One goes, they all go!
And so it is with that knowledge that I allow myself to be immersed in the thrill of the chase. Of course for me it is not just about the race itself but the visual spectacle that turns me on. The colours of the silks, the movement of the horse, the partnership of horse and rider. These things and more are what have compelled me to try and capture some of that energy onto canvas.
I have just finished a three part series of paintings - all 30x30cms that will be exhibited at The Bear Steps Gallery in the Spring. They may even get their first outing at the Macclesfield Open at the Town Hall in March.
My aim for this series was to use colour and mark to represent speed and energy, and a continuation of my pursuit of capturing animals in motion and exploring the relationship between animals and humans.