My story
I have been an artist and maker since 1984 and a successful horse artist for the past 14 years. I loved to draw horses as a child, and this spontaneous creativity re-emerged in a series of charcoal sketches, inspired by my relationship with a special horse. I draw from feeling and imagination and enjoy the tactile experience of materials such as paper, ink and charcoal. I do believe that horses speak directly to us as humans in spiritual terms, and I want to convey that sense of mystery, as well the incredible power and movement of the horse.
I now use paint as well as charcoal to build works on stretched canvas. Charcoal lends itself to spontaneity and movement, but for me painting is a more reflective and prolonged process, involving experimentation and awareness of abstract properties such as colour, texture, shape and tone. I think these elements when combined effectively in whatever form have a strong impact. My subject matter for painting tends to be the stillness of horses resting or communicating in their natural environment.
I studied classical drawing at the Ruskin School of Art in Oxford and I am a graduate of Glasgow School of Art (2001). I am a Friend of the Society of Equestrian Artists and exhibit in their annual show, “The Horse in Art”.
Gallery of paintings
My on line gallery is regularly updated as I develop new ideas and approaches.
Workshops and courses
I run regular workshops on The Art of Drawing Horses, and have written two e-courses.
Exhibitions and projects
In 2014 I was invited to exhibit at the prestigious Glasgow Art Club, and asked by Ilex Press, London, to write and illustrate a book “Draw Horses in 15 Minutes” which has been distributed world-wide and translated into different languages. I have also won an award for Best Drawing with the Society of Equestrian Artists, and I had a solo exhibition, “The Horse in the Heart” in Edinburgh in 2016. The Jockey Club purchased the rights to one of my drawings for use in a new development at Sandown Park racecourse.
My 2023 exhibition, “The Nature of the Horse” focused on the intimate and private communication between horses that exists quite separately from the human world.
Please get in touch via this website on info@dianahand.com, and watch out for future updates
