Njord winning the Balmoral Handicap Stakes Ascot 2020
“It’s amazing. Really happy with it” - Peter Blessing (owner of Njord)
Working from a combination of photos, I captured Tom Marquand on Njord’s final push, under overcast sky on wet ground - even the horses were dark and wet! Njord is an Irish-trained thoroughbred, best known for winning the Balmoral Handicap (Sponsored by QIPCO) at Ascot in 2020, as celebrated by this painting. I made some edits to the background, in consultation with the client, to change some of the hoarding graphics and simplify the backdrop.
On the easel
Flashes of the red ground show through on the final layer, adding an impression of dynamism
Composition sketch (the background was later changed)
Underpainting (red, with a view to making the greens pop in the upper layers)
Early block-in (before changing background)
Some of the mocked-up frame possibilities
Final frame choice