Black Beauty

I just love this painting for its simplicity and beauty. It was inspired by all the films about black stallions that I grew up watching as a child. That proud, dark horse has stayed with me ever since, and the title is a nod to those childhood favourites.

A single black horse stands in shallow water under a sky full of rolling white clouds, and its reflection stretches down towards the viewer in broken ripples. I kept the palette deliberately limited, using greys, soft blues, white and the deep blue-black of the horse, so that nothing distracts from the silhouette. The horizon sits low and flat, just a thin dark line of distant trees, which gives the whole scene a calm, almost dreamlike stillness.

This was a one-day painting. I usually spend a lot longer on a piece, going back to adjust and add detail, but this one came together quickly and I was very impressed with the end result. Sometimes the simplest paintings are the ones that say the most.