The Story of Starjac - Part Two in the Studio

I had a lot of images of Starjac to work with but none of him running a race. Jenny had sent me a link to the syndicate’s website, managed by Peter, so I had images of him training, my own photos of the visit to the yard, and a few of him standing with syndicate members.

At the beginning of September, Starjac came third in his race at Uttoxeter racecourse. There was a wonderful image of him racing to the finish with another horse. I did a sketch and sent it to Jenny but after much deliberation, we both agreed that although the composition had a lot of movement, it wasn’t a very flattering picture of Starjac. It would work as a painting or a print but not really for a commission.

I soon realised I would have to do a mock up of Starjac jumping at Uttoxeter to get the composition I needed. I had a fairly good photograph of a training jockey riding him over a jump which I was able to superimpose onto a jump at Uttoxeter, adding his racing silks. I did a very detailed sketch in pencil, sent it to Jenny, and we decided to go ahead.

It was until I had transferred the drawing onto a gessoed board, that I realised the jockey was sitting in the saddle and the stirrups were longer than they would have been during a race. I had to then look for a jockey in the correct position, cut him out and stick him onto the drawing in the correct position, elevated above the saddle.

The weeks passed and the painting progressed. Peter’s birthday was nearing and I needed the painting to be dry enough for it to be wrapped and for him to be able to handle it.

I finished the painting about a week before Peter’s birthday, and asked Jenny to come round and see it. This is always a nerve-wracking moment. No matter how well you think you’ve done, no matter how convinced you are that the painting works, nothing really means anything until the person who’s commissioned you, the person who knows the animal so well (be it a cat, a dog or a horse) confirms that it’s exactly right. Jenny was absolutely thrilled, she confessed that she too had been nervous, as from her point of view, she’d thought about what her reaction should be if I hadn’t quite captured him, and we were out of time. We both breathed a huge sigh of relief. She was convinced Peter would love it.

Sketch of Starjac coming third at Uttoxeter Racecourse

Original drawing based on trainer riding Starjac over a jump.

Pencil drawing with jockey mock up riding Starjac to improve position in the saddle.

Final Painting - Oil on board.

The Story of Starjac - Part one

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During my Artweeks show in May 2018, I was asked by Jenny in my village if I would do a commission of Starjac, a racehorse belonging to a syndicate she and her husband Peter were part of. The painting would be a big birthday surprise for Peter, and would be due at the beginning of December. It was all to be kept quiet and I wasn’t allowed to discuss it with anyone. I met Jenny at home to decide what size and medium she had in mind, and to show her examples of some of my equine paintings. We then organised to meet at her home when Peter was out, to see where the painting would hang, once done and framed. Jenny decided the painting should be done in oil.

Starjac was young (a four year old), and at the time, had only run one race so I was slightly apprehensive about having enough pictures of him to create a decent composition, but nonetheless I was keen to give it a go.

Jenny and I met Starjac one very sunny September morning at Cropredy Lawn, a beautiful racing yard just outside Banbury in Oxfordshire run by Paul Webber and his wife Ku. Starjac was stunning, a lovely warm face, very leggy and obviously aware of his own beauty! His colouring was grey, rose grey, dapple grey with a hint of chestnut pushing through depending on the light, and he had lovely dark mane to match his glossy hooves.

Paul gave us a grand tour in his Land Rover of the yard and it’s beautiful surroundings with views over Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. We saw the horses being trained on the gallops and being schooled untacked over jumps in the loose jumping lane. Gail, Starjac’s groom, paraded him on the grass outside the stables, so that I could watch him move, and try and get as many photographs of him as possible, especially of his grey coat against the green grass.

The commission would be of Starjac racing, preferably jumping so I needed as many images of him as possible, as racing photographs are often quite difficult to decipher due to the speed and the other horses present in the frame.

Suzanne in the office went to fetch the jockey’s racing silks so that I could take pictures of the star and the colours outside, in the same light. I had as much information as I needed to take back to the studio; now all I needed were pictures of Starjac racing. He was due to run in his first hurdle race at Uttoxeter at the beginning of October when hopefully he would do well, and I would get sent some decent photos to start working from.

In the next post, I will show how the sketches and painting develop as Starjac takes part in more and more races.

Portrait of Starjac.

Standing tall - Starjac with his groom, Gail.

Starjac and Gail outside the stables.

Starjac’s silks.

Practicing in the loose jumping lane.

Cool down on the gallops.

Abigail features in the Oxford Times WEEKEND and Oxford Mail

“The county blossoms with art as the Artweeks bursts into life. Almost 500 venues invite art-lovers in to enjoy paintings, photography, textiles, pottery, jewellery, sculpture and practically every other form of art and craft.

 The feast of creativity starts on Saturday with artists in North and West Oxfordshire opening up their studios until May 13, followed by Oxford city from May 12-20 and concluding with South Oxfordshire from May 19-28.

Start, perhaps, with bold and colourful equine paintings by Abigail Boisot. From polo in Kirtlington to horse-racing and dressage, Abigail captures the movement and energy of the horses she depicts.

“In my equine paintings, I use a combination of photographs and sketches of polo and racing to produce pictures dominated by movement and colour,” she says. “I use abstract shapes, gesture painting and a bold application of brush strokes to capture the passion and dynamism of these sports,” she explains.

Although most well-known for her equine pictures, Abigail is also captivated by the landscape she sees every day while walking her dogs in Steeple Aston, and, in particular, a local folly.

“It’s a sham ruin from the 18th century with three arches, buttresses and rubble pinnacles which dominates the skyline” she says. “I find it quite fascinating seeing it in different lights and seasons. It seems to be an organic thing which has a semi elliptical quality to it. It is a striking and inspiring structure.”

Abigail’s work depicts the building’s shape on the horizon in both paint and print, using various print techniques and a wide range of colour – from light sunny days to brooding moody fields, satsuma orange and brilliant blues alongside monochrome etching.

“Wherever I am, I see an intensity in the colours in the landscape that other people perhaps don’t see and I’m always trying to recreate that strength of colour in my paintings,’ she explains. ‘I start with four or five strong colours, usually two organic colours and then add a couple more wild choices, perhaps bold blues or greens, rather than using many different shades.’”

Art Weeks Exhibition 5th-13th May 2018

Please come to my show at Stansfield & Hoole cafe lounge in Bicester’s Market Square (34 Market Square, OX26 6AG). Venue 9. Will be open every day (times below) from 5th - 13th of May. They serve great coffee, teas and cakes. I will be showing new equine paintings and watercolours as well as prints of local landscapes.

Saturday 5th May, 9am - 5pm
Sunday 6th May, 10am - 3pm
Bank Holiday Monday (7th May), 10am - 3pm
Tuesday 8th - Saturday 12th May, 7.30am - 6pm
Sunday 13th May, 10am - 3pm

“Harmony and Piaffe” - Watercolour over Drypoint