Lou Lou - First Race

This is a commissioned portrait of a horse called Lou Lou who raced for the first time at the Abu Dhabi racecourse in December 2010. By all accounts it didn't go that well, but she still came in fifth and earned her owner a small sum. This is just by way of a souvenir of that first race! Pastel on Canson paper 20 x 24 inches

Ruby - latest commission

This little cutie comes with a sad story that has a happy ending. Her owner passed away so she was all alone. My client heard about this and brought her to live with her grandmother, who has also recently suffered the loss of her husband. Now Ruby and my client's grandmother give each other company and solace and lots of love.

another dog in the desert - but not a desert dog!

Desert Dogs

This is a painting that I started a while back. It is of my two dogs, that here in Abu dhabi are commonly refered to as Desert Dogs. Desert Dogs are usually a mix of the traditional Saluki with some other breed. There are a wide variety of Desert dogs, some look more like the Saluki and others less so. The are all very keen sight hounds and run really fast! This painting was inspired by early morning walks with my dogs, and I have tried to capture the light and the feeling of these early morning walks - a moment of quiet and contemplation before the next outburst of energy. My dogs are called Girlie and Purdy - Purdy being the white one. Both are rescued dogs Girlie as abandoned as a 5 month old pup in the city of Abu Dhabi, and Purdy was found half-starved in the desert with a bit of rope around her slender neck. I have had them now for over two years and they have helped me greatly adjusting to life here.

Commission No 4

Meet Tia! This is the fourth of four commissions I have done for the same lady. I hope she will be happy with this one. The markings were particularly challenging, but I didn the best I could. Next commission is a family portrait - people not horses - it will make a change for me. It is a long time since I have done people but I used to prefer doing people to anything else. Have to see if the old skills are still there - lol.

Commission 2 - A dog not a horse!

Meet Otto! This was number 2 commission for the lady with the three horses - 2 of which are now done. Starting work on the final horse tomorrow - a bit of a challenge as it is an appaloosa pony, so getting the markings right won't be easy!

commission 3

Meet Kizzy, this is the second of three horses I am doing for a lady who is offering the paintings to her mother as a gift.