Earlier this year I went shopping and came home with a paper bag. It was a good paper bag – sturdy, with a useful paper handle. But what appealed to me was the inside. The rough surface looked to me to be ideal for sketching on.
On my Facebook feed I found an ideal subject. There is a herd of Exmoor ponies who run loose on a big hill called the Law, just outside North Berwick in Scotland. Their job consists entirely of eating – they are employed in environmental management, to control the vegetation on the Law. They were supplied for this “conservation grazing” project by the Moorland Mousie Trust, which co-ordinates about 60 of these projects across the UK. As far as I can see, the job involves chomping their way through gorse, thistles, blackberries and other delicacies.
Anyway, the ponies’ rugged lifestyle seemed a perfect match for the rugged surface of my paper bag, so I had a go. The first image shows Sherlock having a thoughtful moment with the snow-coated Law in the background.
I posted it on Facebook, and sent a copy to the volunteer lady who looks after the ponies. She liked it!
A few months later, I had another go. This time I was inspired by a lovely photo of Dino the pony enjoying a big mouthful of grass.
This one also went up on Facebook – posted on the North Berwick Ponies page and on a page for equine art. To my astonishment, everyone loved it! As of 10 August the image has had over 1,700 likes and some very kind comments. North Berwick Ponies want me to do the rest of the herd now – so watch this space! (And please don’t throw away that carrier bag…)