Canvas of Auroras Encore commissioned

Grand National winner Auroras Encore is to be immortalised in a 6x8ft painting.

Artist Liz Armstrong is to paint the giant canvas — which is the biggest she’s done —for Douglas Pryde, one of the horse’s three owners.

“Douglas said he wanted the canvas for the entrance hall of his new house,” she said. “He wants it in a ‘Picasso-like’ way, all black and white texture, with just the silks in his blue and yellow colours,” she said.

“I’m most looking forward to creating the feeling of speed, movement and emotion. I’ll be using horse hair, rubber and pure pigment paint.”

Liz visited trainers Sue and Harvey Smith’s Yorkshire yard to meet Auroras Encore.

“He had just finished his summer holiday so he was relaxed and very friendly,” she said.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound magazine (15 August 2013)

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