Equine Etchings

Our daughter Anna, had been having riding lessons since the age of 7 and loved horses. As she remained enthusiastic about riding, she finally acquired her first pony. We were all involved by then driving her to pony club, competitions and inevitable riding lessons or practices. I spent hours each day watching and waiting for her at arenas in the Adelaide Hills. Sketch book in hand I began to draw the horses in nearby paddocks. The interest for me was their rugs and how they covered the horses from neck to knee in canvas shrouds in interesting shapes of beasts.

The methods I had been experimenting with on the stones became a vehicle to articulate these rugs and shapes. Returning to my first love of etching, I made a suite of large etchings in small editions exploring the mysterious forms. They were easy to read as horses in rugs with precise details of fabric folds and tonal variations. I used mainly hard grounds, needling the images directly onto the plate before etching and tones were added with acquaint. I also tried white ground and often added small areas of water colour to the finished prints. 

Winter Rugs 1995 Etching 76 x 56cm
1. Winter Rugs 1995 Etching 76 x 56cm
Clive 1995 AP Etching Blue Ink 76 x 56cm
Clive 1995 AP Etching Blue Ink 76 x 56cm
Fenced Horse 1995 Etching Sepia 56 x 76cm
Fenced Horse 1995 Etching Sepia 56 x 76cm
Grazing Horse 1st State 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Grazing Horse 1st State 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Hood 1st State 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Hood 1st State 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Hooded Horse 1995 Unique State Etching & Charcoal 56 x 76cm
Hooded Horse 1995 Unique State Etching & Charcoal 56 x 76cm
Hooded Horse 1st State 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Hooded Horse 1st State 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Hooded Horse 2nd state 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Hooded Horse 2nd state 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Horse on a Hillside AP 1995 Etching Blue Ink 56 x 76cm
Horse on a Hillside AP 1995 Etching Blue Ink 56 x 76cm
Jay AP 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Jay AP 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Sliced Horse 1994 Etching 56 x 76cm
Sliced Horse 1994 Etching 56 x 76cm
The Blue Rug 1995 Etching & Watercolour 56 x 76cm
The Blue Rug 1995 Etching & Watercolour 56 x 76cm
The Blue Shadow 1995 Etching Blue Ink & Sepia 56 x 76cm
The Blue Shadow 1995 Etching Blue Ink & Sepia 56 x 76cm
The Dark Horse II 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm (2)
The Dark Horse II 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm (2)
The Dark Horse US Hand Painted 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
The Dark Horse US Hand Painted 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
The Summer Rug 1995 Lino Cut 56 x 6cm
The Summer Rug 1995 Lino Cut 56 x 6cm
Walking Horse Stage I 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Walking Horse Stage I 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Walking Horse Stage II 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm
Walking Horse Stage II 1995 Etching 56 x 76cm