Charolais Bull under Bulbarrow by Charles Church
I’ve known Charlie Church for many years and am lucky enough to have a number of his paintings, including a couple of commissions. I’m a super fan. This chap just looks like such a bruiser; the result of years of meticulous breeding by dedicated farmers–he must be a total stud muffin. As he stands out in his brilliant white against this perfect Dorset backdrop, I can almost feel the warmth of the sun on his back and the gentle breeze of the summer wind. I can hear the lowing of his expectant girlfriends and the trill of summer birds watching their pre-action courtship. This is a picture of my England and, even when it’s endlessly raining outside, it’s always a summer day in the room where he hangs
Charlotte Mullins comments on Charolais Bull under Bulbarrow
CHARLES CHURCH began to paint animals at a young age, but it was a two-year apprenticeship in Florence that enabled him to finesse his style.
Today, the Italian city is the Western epicentre of traditional portrait training and it is this early grounding in form that Mr Church has carried into his professional career.
He still paints portraits (including the Sultan of Oman in 2005), but he is best known as an equestrian artist and a painter of country life.
