Equestrian artist’s work is larger than life

Scottish equestrian artist Huw Williams has recently been commissioned to create an imposing 36x9ft painting — and is setting more than a year aside for the task.

The Perthshire artist was asked by a private client to paint a herd of moving horses on a canvas portraying the animals at more than lifesize.

“I was commissioned about six weeks ago, and I have already ordered in three large canvasses to use,” Huw told H&H. “I’m going to have to use a seven and a half tonne lorry to collect them!”

The client is a businessman who already has two pieces of Huw’s work and wants the painting for a property he is purchasing.

“I have composed a few sketches,” Huw continued, “but we are hoping to agree on a final image soon.

“It will be a scene of 10 or 12 horses in a charge — nostrils flared and manes flowing.”

Huw, who spends up to 12 hours a day painting, has produced large works for corporations, including the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB, and a series of hounds for the Quorn, the Meynell and the North Staffordshire hunts, one of which was presented to a retiring Quorn huntsman by Prince Charles.

“My usual paintings are about 5x8ft, but the scale of this particular piece is so huge it will take over a year to complete,” he added.

For more information on Huw’s work, go to www.thehorse painter.co.uk

This article was first published in Horse & Hound (14 January, ’10)

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