Dressage stars captured by Martin's Magic

Top para rider Sophie Wells and Totilas the recent inspiration for equestrian artist Sally Martin

Para rider Sophie Wells and dressage sensation Moorlands Totilas are among the dressage stars to feature in the recent work of the award winning equestrian artist Sally Martin.  A study of Totilas was donated for the fundraising auction at the BDSC ball in January and it was here that Sophie met her portrait for the first time.

Sophie commented: “My trainer Angela Weiss has a painting by Sally Martin so I knew of the artist but I had no idea she was painting us until I saw the finished piece. I love it, it’s absolutely stunning, I’ve just got to work out how to save up and buy it now!”

Sally first saw Sophie and Touchdown at Hickstead CDI and describes how the combination stood out for her: “In the lap of honour the horse was fit to burst but Sophie was so serene and calm. I took some reference shots and loved the shapes and energy and the way the light backlit them.”

“It’s the sense of the horse and rider that I remember when I’m painting and I try to get across that connection. Horses like Totilas I find very inspirational; I couldn’t believe his presence and movement and that’s what I’ve tried to capture on the canvas.”

Beyond her usual work which features a range of equestrian subjects from dressage to racing, Sally Martin is also 21 days into the ambitious task of completing 10o paintings in 100 days.  “It’s a challenge that throws me out of my comfort zone” she said “Painting off the cuff can throw up some lovely surprises and help me to experiment with different mediums and styles.”

Each of the 100 paintings will be available for sale online along with selected larger works. Anyone interested in the project can tune in to the daily blog to see how the project is progressing.

http://sallymartinfineart.com/