After Dawn at the Track, 2015, oil on linen, 46 x 61.5 cm
My last exhibition had horse racing as its theme and I've continued with this subject matter from time to time. This painting was done on the spot in the early morning at the Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne when the sun had just arisen. As I've mentioned on previous posts, I love outdoor paintings, and the work of artists from the latter half of the 19th Century is one of my favourite periods of Art History.
The horses were based on some quick oil sketches and observation during track work, so they're a mixture of looking and invention, as all my work is. The horses on the right were based on the left-hand horse in the sketches, reflected in a mirror to reverse their positions. I rarely work from sketches because when an artist paints or draws from life, what is before one's eyes is a readymade sketchbook, and it's up to the artist to change and edit the subject matter as the work unfolds.
Oil Sketches during track work, oil on MDF, 18.25 x 36.75 cm
