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April Morning, Warren Hill,
acrylic on canvas board,
46 x 61 cm (18 x 24")
Newmarket is an
important centre for
horseracing in the U.K.
Many trainers have
yards there and strings
of horses are exercised
daily on the gallops at
Warren Hill. Rain or shine,
it’s always a wonderful
spectacle to observe. In
this painting, the morning
mists were just lifting at
the top of the hill as this
string appeared, jockeys
chatting amiably.

I may trace and rework several times on dry for a particular purpose is an art in itself. I’d read about Del n, an ex-bull ghting

fresh sheets of tracing paper before I have I nd I hardly ever need hard lines and there’s horse rescued as a 6-year-old by the well-

the image I’m satis ed with, then I’ll scale a trick to keeping the edges soft—I keep paint known horse trainer Jenny Rolfe. In a
it up on to another, larger, sheet of tracing wet and blend out toward the edges with a remarkable partnership, her emotional
paper to the working size of the artwork. clean, damp brush. You need to practice this! intelligence was a match for the stallion’s
Finally, I transfer the outline image to my I use a lot of paper towels for dabbing my sensitivity, and Jenny credits him with

drawing paper, canvas or other support. e brush to make sure I have the right “wetness” teaching her the natural breath-energy
drawing can take me a long time and have for my purpose, and I always have a spare language of horses. rough her books and

many corrections. I never work directly onto piece of the same paper taped at the side of clinics, Jenny devotes her life to teaching
the support because my workings would my painting to test what I have on my brush these gentle methods of training and
compromise its surface. before I apply it to the painting. communication to horse lovers everywhere.

When I’m doing a watercolour, after the I build up my image with many glazes, I wasn’t prepared for the e ect that Del n

drawing has been transferred I wet my paper light to dark, but in order to give myself a would have on me when I met him. He
by spraying the back of it thoroughly in the value to judge the work by, I like to create had immense presence, and looking at that
shower, and I use gummed paper tape on a dark area somewhere in the composition exquisite face, noble features made delicate
all sides to stretch it onto a drawing board. very early on. I establish anatomical with age, there was an aura of profound

When it has dried thoroughly the paper will features lightly at rst so I can easily make wisdom. Standing close enough to feel his

remain at and tight after each application corrections with darker tones. I don’t mix breath, I knew instinctively that he was
of paint—no matter how many washes I put large amounts of paint at any one time as attuned to all my thoughts. In awe,
on to it. My preferred paper is a heavyweight I think the varying degrees of colour and I watched and photographed the beauty of
(at least 300-gsm) Saunders Waterford 100 tone give vitality to the painting. When Del n dancing at liberty with Jenny, his

percent cotton rag—it can take a lot of I bring in darker values as I nish the kindred spirit of many years, mirroring her
punishment and still look good! painting, the image springs to life. every move.

Control of the watercolour medium is an e painting in my demonstration is a He died two months later, leaving a legacy
essential skill, especially when working in such watercolour portrait created in tribute to that will continue to improve the lives of

a tight style as I’m using here. Catching the the iconic Spanish stallion Del n, who is horses and riders everywhere through Jenny’s
paint at the exact right consistency, paint to certainly an emotive subject for many of his teaching. It was a long time before I could
water, and the exact point between wet and followers around the world. paint him.
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