Commissions for horse portraits do not come along too often, compared with commissions for dog and cat portraits. So when the opportunity arises to paint this noble animal, I jump at the chance.

With our modern cars, planes and trains, it is sometimes hard to realize that until a few short decades ago, the horse reigned supreme as far as transportation was concerned. For milleniums man used the horse for hauling and plowing, communication and travel, and as a weapon of war. As someone once remarked, "While the dog may be man's best friend, it was the horse that wrote history."

I find that painting the horse is in some respects like painting the human form, more so than other animals. The hair on most animals is relatively long and textured, while the horse's coat is short and glossy, except for the mane and tail areas. Muscles, lines and bone structure are very important in depicting realistically the human form and figure. Similarly, the muscles, tendons and sinews that show so prominently through the shiny coat largely determine the horse's form. Careful understanding of and attention to the underlying structure is important in all portrait work, but even more so when painting horses than when painting long-coated animals.

As always, I strive for realism and accuracy in my portraits, and my horse portraits are no exception. I have received many favorable reactions from my clients because of the life-like attention to detail in my work.