A winged lion and a pony tale

Here's a glimpse of the first big painting, not quite finished.

And here is the second, completed. There is a rather shameful story to tell with this second painting, but I feel I need to own up here. A couple of years ago I was approached about a commission to paint a  winged lion. At the time, I was very busy, and said I'd have a think about it, and let the person know when I had a bit more time. A few months passed, and when I had a gap in my painting schedule, I found I had lost the email, and couldn't even remember the name of the person who had contacted me. So that was that. However, the idea rattled around in the back of my head all the while, becoming this, and finally I realised that I had to 'give birth ' to it, and get it down on paper. So here it is, a tricky one to paint - there were some wobbly moments when I thought it was never going to come out as I had envisaged, but finally, I think, it came together. 

And if I have painted your winged lion, please accept my sincerest apologies for losing your email :(

I have taken the plunge this week, and started work with my baby pony, Sandpiper. Not so much of a baby now - 5 years old, and overdue to be started under saddle. I bought her at weaning, a rather wild little foal, bred by Wendy Bridges, of Holmedown Stud. (she is Dartmoor x Highland pony)

She got hairier and hairier

 

 

and then she got leggier and leggier.......

Until she became the bossiest 2 year old ever!

However, a new baby brother and the job of permanent babysitter at 3 years old mellowed her a great deal!

And last summer, at 4 years we backed her briefly, but I had no time to do more, and as Highland ponies are slow to mature, and she hadn't quite made the height I hoped for, I left it at that.

A week ago, I re-backed her, and began teaching her to long rein. And this weekend she had her first solo ride out.  She took to it like a pro :)