This one is not my work in the sense that I like to say that my paintings come out of the rear view mirror in my head, prompted by something I had seen which struck me as visually significant. However, this picture composed itself and the colours suggested themselves rather than me actively making any choices.
I have seen fallow deer jump a 2 metre high fence from a standing position along side it when trying to get away from me, an alien and threatening element in their everyday environment. Therefore, this buck would have had no difficulty jumping this stile. I have painted the stile and the field behind it before but the only elements I brought forward are the stile itself with its step for humans , the tree with ivy climbing it on one side and the unkempt hedge on the other. The field behind has disappeared into an amorphous landscape of trees and broken ground.
The deer itself is not at all anatomical in its presentation. Last time I saw a body like this it had been abandoned by the poachers I had disturbed. There are two distinct parts – the body leaping the fence with its feet tucked up and the back view of the forequarters and head presented more or less from the front, toes spread as it makes the leap and the head tossed to one side., which it would not do. The head would have been in line with the direction of the leap. Coming at you. Instead, it seems that this buck wanted to show off its antlers.
Somebody politely called this pose heraldic.
Maybe you can blame this on the effect of my newly discovered Zimbabwean cigars.
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