Horse Portrait

Reference Photograph

client photo for a horse portrait

Portrait Information

Painting size: 30 x 60 cm (12" x 24")
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Year of Completion: 2017
Country: Ireland

About the Commission

This painting was commissioned by a returning client from county Limerick. She is a horse trainer and sees her horses come and go. She wanted to remember Woodenfarm Milly by having her portrait painted. I worked in acrylics as usual at a long portrait size of 30 x 60cm. The reference photos were excellent and provided me with a lot of information to use in the painting. For the background I used some simple shading to create a backdrop to the horse.
Linda, the client, described Milly to me before I started painted and that helped a lot when trying to convey that glint in her eyes. This is what she said: "She was happy, loved her food and always tried her best for you in a competition. But Milly was also a very determined lady! If asked a task in training and she was not in the mood for doing it she´d quite angrily stamp her front hoof in the ground. You could never tell Milly what to do...you´d ask...gently! But as we got to know each other better and better with time there were few things in the training that she´d object to. She was also unbelievably good with the children, almost like she was minding them whenever they were around."

Client Feedback

"Hi Ivana! Just wanted to send a photo of your wonderful painting of Milly, framed and up on the wall! The framemakers were even admiring it today when I picked it up!
Thank you so much, could not have a better memory of Milly!
Regards, Linda"
Linda, Limerick, Ireland

The Completed Framed Portrait

framed painting

If you would like to order your own pet or family portrait or you would like to discuss your portrait commission, please do not hesitate to contact me by filling out my contact form or simply emailing your photographs or ideas.