Painting Horses: An interview with Charlotte Hannaford

Painting Horses: An interview with Charlotte Hannaford

By Gina McKnight

Archived from the April 2020 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete magazine.

No duplication without permission.

Currently attending Middlesex University, London, England, Charlotte Hannaford loves horses. Pursuing her BA in fine art, Charlotte has a “strong passion for curating equine art where she is able to show the true beauty of the animal, capturing it in one moment.”   

Growing up, surrounded by many horses and other wildlife, Charlotte would sit for hours drawing with her mother. Now, running her own Prestige Artwork, Charlotte paints horses using a plain background “so the viewer’s eyes are drawn to focusing on the horse, allowing you to forget about all of your surroundings and just focusing on what is there.”

GM: Welcome, Charlotte! I love your art. You grew up in England, with horses. Tell us about your horse history and when you met your first horse...

CH: I have grown up around horses all my life I was always surrounded by a field of them. I loved to photograph and sketch them.

GM: Your art is gorgeous. You capture the essence of the horse beautifully. What mediums do you use?

CH: I use oils on stretched canvas.

GM: At what age did you realize you wanted to become an artist?  

CH:  Ever since I was a child I’ve loved to draw, but I decided to take on commissions and start doing my own work and selling it when I was 14 years old.

GM: Where do you find subjects to paint? Do you accept commissions from photographs, or would you rather be up front and personal?

CH:  I find some photographers on Instagram who specialize in equine photography, but I also use some subjects closer to home. I do like taking my own photos as I know exactly what I want and how I want to portray the emotions of the horse. Sometimes I can’t find that with other photographers.

GM: Describe your studio...

CH: It’s in my bedroom - so quite a small place, but perfect for me at the moment. 

GM: When you graduate from Middlesex University, what are your plans?

CH:  My plans are to become a full-time self-employed artist where I’ll then have my own studio space where I can create larger oil paintings. Making me push myself as well as my boundaries. 

GM: I love your 2020 calendar! Are you selling it in the USA?  

CH: Yes, I am! The calendar is a LIMITED EDITION so it won’t be available much longer, but not to worry, I’ll bring out a 2021 and you can just buy through my Facebook page. 

GM: Besides painting and horses, what else do you like to do in your spare time?

CH: I mostly paint. I don’t really have much time for myself. I’m either travelling every day to London, commissions, marketing or doing my own artwork, so if I have a spare moment, I love a gin in front of a movie. 

GM: Of all the horses in the world, which is your favorite breed?

CH:  My favorite is a dappled gray hunter. They are beautiful and elegant but very powerful and sometimes unpredictable. 

Connect with Charlotte…

Prestige Artwork