As a former pony-trekking guide and stable groom I spent many 'idle' hours sitting in stables and fields drawing horses; fetlocks, hocks, manes and tails, muzzles, noses, whiskers and hooves, they all came under my eye and pencil. I've sketched Connemara ponies, Icelandic horses and Italian Showjumpers. This is why I say I specialise in equines, as if sleeping in stables and years of drawing ponies in the margins of school textbooks has earned me some honorary title in Equine Doodling! Even though I draw from photographs when doing the pet portraits, my years of experience sitting on haybales, woodshavings or handily placed boulders, have combined to give me an in-depth knowledge of equine anatomy, behaviour and character which I put to good use when I paint. Across is one example of some of my sketching with Conté crayon from 1991, I am sure that under the beds in my parents' house you'd find many more!