Fleeting glimpse, oil on linen

I am trying to capture the silence one feels when with a horse, especially during grooming. Grooming is a tactile act of compassion. It's an excellent time to reflect on one's thoughts, and the sweeping act of grooming a horse's body is meditative and soothing for both horse and groomer. Owning a horse can be a solitary activity filled with love and a deep bond. Horses can open your heart and sense if a person is happy or sad.

Fleeting glimpse, oil on linen, 120x 100cm

My intention is to invite viewers to truly 'sit' with my paintings, lingering in their quietude. I seek to gently remove the racehorse from its glamorous, fast-paced associations and place it within a tranquil, timeless space. I hope to inspire reflection and encourage viewers to perceive something new with each encounter. My work is deeply influenced by meditation, by the insights that emerge from silence, and by the inner illumination that appears when we close our eyes.

Fleeting glimpse, oil on linen, 120x100cm

I place my horses within a glowing, ephemeral atmosphere—one that feels just slightly out of place compared to the familiar green fields or the classic, formal palettes of portraiture masters like Stubbs. I often wonder: what colours does the horse perceive? We all carry auras, and animals possess a keen intuition, sensing kindness, love, or unease in ways that go beyond human understanding. Is this awareness born from feeling, from seeing, or perhaps from a blend of both? The meanings we assign to colours are layered with history: purple with spirituality and royalty, red with danger and warning. Yet animals exist outside these human associations, experiencing colour and energy in their own mysterious ways.

I want my horses to exist as both presence and absence—visible, yet ethereal, as if they might drift beyond the bounds of the canvas at any moment. The palettes I choose are meant to evoke relaxation, harmony, and an invitation to dwell in the present. I seek, above all, for simple being to be enough: to allow my work to transcend the everyday, resonating with purity and quiet magnificence. In a world that rushes forward, where time slips by too quickly, we have forgotten how to wait for things to unfold naturally. Rather than striving to control every outcome, we can find peace in surrender, trusting that the universe moves in its own perfect rhythm.

I hope my horse paintings become an invitation to silence—a gateway to deeper presence and resonance with the moment. Animals, and horses in particular, have a unique ability to draw us toward compassion, reminding us of the gentleness and kindness always available within ourselves.