Finding My Voice: From Coloured Pencils to Contemporary Equine Painting

If you've followed my work over the years, you may have noticed that my art has changed.

For many years, I worked primarily in coloured pencil. I loved the precision it demanded, the careful layering of colour, the fine details, and the quiet patience required to bring an image to life. It taught me to slow down and truly observe my subjects.

Those years shaped me as an artist, and I'm grateful for everything they taught me.

But over time, I found myself longing for something different.  I wasn't simply interested in creating realistic portraits anymore. I wanted my work to feel more expressive. I wanted each painting to communicate not only what a horse looks like, but what it feels like to stand in its presence. That desire led me to paint.

Working with paint has challenged me in ways I never expected. It asks me to loosen my grip on perfection and trust the process. Instead of focusing on every individual hair, I now think about light, movement, texture, and emotion. It has been both exciting and humbling.

Horses have remained at the heart of my work throughout this journey. Although I never owned horses or grew up riding them, I have always been drawn to their quiet strength, their intelligence, and the remarkable way they communicate without words. The more I paint them, the more I realize they are not simply my subject, they are my inspiration.

Today, my work is moving in a new direction. Rather than creating paintings that simply capture a likeness, I hope each piece invites the viewer to pause, reflect, and discover something beyond the surface. A painting doesn't need to tell you exactly what to feel. Sometimes its greatest purpose is simply to create space for your own thoughts and emotions. Every canvas teaches me something new. Some remind me to be patient.

Some encourage me to take risks, while others surprise me by becoming something I never planned.

That is one of the gifts of painting. The journey is rarely a straight line, and perhaps it shouldn't be.

As I continue exploring this path, I feel grateful for everyone who has supported my work, whether you've been here since my coloured pencil days or you've only recently discovered my paintings. Thank you for following along.

I'm excited to see where this creative journey leads next, and I hope you'll continue walking it with me.

Gwen xo