‘The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.’ – Henry David Thoreau

‘When man moves away from nature his heart becomes hard’ – Native American (Lakota) Proverb

‘Listen to the voice of nature, for it holds treasures for you’ –  Native American (Huron) Proverb

I love animals of all kinds. Animals are souls. They have their own characters and maybe sense things humans don’t. This is a selection of paintings of animals in the rustic tradition. I love Gericault’s horses and Stubbs’ ‘Whistlejacket’ and the Dutch paintings of dogs.
I try to include animals in my portraits when I can – like Goya, Velasquez and Manet did – They are alternate beings – they are an added channel of expression. These works are affectionate studies.

‘In the postmodern world where technology, ambition, individualism and chaos sometimes leave one to retreat into self-imposed loneliness introspection..’ there is something to be said for the simpler life, taking succour from nature and the simpler creatures from the country life.’ – Cappello