Smellur frá Leysingjastöðum and Frans Goetschalckx

What an amazing commission to paint!

It makes all the difference when the reference photos are good, which it was in this case. My goal is never to replicate completely a photo, just get the likeness, and then give it a painterly feel, with visible brush strokes, multiple layers of paint, no blending, and as little details as possible.

Smellur currently lives in Belgium, with his owner Frans. Together they have competed in multiple competitions with Icelandic horses, such as the World Tölt in Denmark 2015 where they won the B finals in T2, and ended in 3rd place in A finals.

Frans and Smellur have been to 3 World Championships for Icelandic horses and aims to be in the one in Holland this summer.