SO good that the Dublin Horse Show is back for real at last, albeit at a different slot than normal, running from Wednesday, August 17th to Sunday, August 21st. The Dublin Horse Show is of course an integral part of the Irish summer. Some of the best show jumping teams in the world will compete at the RDS - the 2022 Show will see the return of such favourites as, the Nations Cup for the Aga Khan trophy, and the Puissance.

Ladies’ Day is on the Thursday, August 18th and the shopping emporium with an extensive variety of outlets, including artisan food stalls is back, along with the Kids’ Zone with the Horseplay Hub, face-painting and pony rides.

Artists

One corner of the Victorian trade halls, a favourite for many visitors, is devoted to artists and crafts people.

Among the artists featured is Diana Marshall. Diana was born and grew up in London.

On leaving school, she studied dress design, travelled in Europe, settling in Germany for a good many years before moving on to southern Spain.

It was here that she began to paint, starting with water colours, then acrylics and finally finding oil colours. She now lives in Co Galway and paints and exhibits throughout Ireland.

She explains her methods: “I love everything about the process of creating a painting, from the original idea, to the set up or scene captured, to the actual drawing and painting of the piece, that is what drives me to my studio to paint every day. My goal is to perfect and hone my skills and to enjoy the process which enriches my life.

“I also love to let loose with the palette knife to create more impressionistic and textured work, branching out into some abstract work too.

“Although my main body of work has been focused on traditional still lives recently, I also love to paint other subjects such as landscapes and seascapes, and also painted an equine series for the Dublin Horse Show.”

Sculptor

Siobhan Bulfin is an internationally recognised sculptor and equine artist and her stunning 10 metre piece of three bronze horses jumping won the national competition to grace the front of Horse Racing Ireland’s HQ.

Her work is sought after by collectors in Europe, America, and Australia with lifesize commissions in Kuala Lumpur, Northern Ireland and Hurricane Fly Leopardstown Racecourse.

The jumping horses are used for the national trophy in Horse Racing Ireland’s annual wards and Siobhan Bulfin bronze has been awarded annually to the highest achievers in the thoroughbred industry.

Energy

Life, energy and exuberance are the hallmarks of Siobhan’s work and an intimate knowledge of anatomy which she has acquired over years working with horses.

She sculpts together with her husband George who has the eye of a horseman for any faults in conformation.

George and their son Fred now run a foundry at their home so all their sculpture is guaranteed the best of Irish.

Liam Clancy, also exhibiting at the Dublin Horse Show this year, is a self-taught artist who is never without work, painting commissions to a high standard.

“I approach painting quite mathematically – it’s all scale and perspective and angle and fall of light. I’m lucky in that unlike an awful lot of artists I enjoy painting commissions. I like meeting people and throwing ideas around with them.

“There’s a nice chemistry you get with a good client where you bounce ideas off each other and feed off each others’ enthusiasm, and hopefully end up with something better than either of you originally envisioned.”

There is a fascinating interview with Liam Clancy in the Dublin Horse Show magazine produced by The Irish Field which will be on sale shortly.

If you’re at the Show why not take a look at the fine work by Irish artists.