I love drawing pigs. I did this line and wash at a pig field in north Norfolk some time ago. The pigs and I were separated by an electric fence, and I stood there happily sketching and feeling quite safe, while the pigs wallowed in the mud a few feet away. Meetings with pigs have not always gone so smoothly. I will never forget the time I visited rural Nottinghamshire and took a walk with my nephew along the Southwell Trail, a former mineral line that cuts through some pleasant, rolling countryside. Presently, we saw what appeared to be a couple of large, overweight dogs, trotting along some way ahead. As we got closer and the animals moved into the open, we realised they weren't dogs at all, but pigs; a couple of Gloucester Old Spots had escaped from their field and taken themselves for a walk. We exchanged thoughts on how dangerous - or not - escaped pigs might be, and kept a respectable distance, just in case. Then we spotted a dog walker with a labrador. They were further up the track, beyond the pigs, and heading our way. Neither pigs nor dogs have brilliant eyesight, and if anything, I believe pigs are the more myopic, and their vision must be further hampered by those great ears that flop down over their faces. It wasn't until the dog was within a few yards of them that the pigs spotted it. There was a blood- curdling squeal, the pigs turned tail and suddenly a hefty helping of bacon on the trotter was bearing down on us. I had a rabbit-in-the-headlights moment, then made a dive for the embankment and took cover behind a tree. I didn't see where my nephew went. He's a six footer and well able to take care of himself. The pigs lumbered by, squealing murderously, with the labrador hard on their heels. When the dust had settled, I looked out from behind the tree to see my nephew standing in the middle of the path, grinning and unscathed. He professed surprise that I hadn't whipped out my pencil and sketched the pigs as they charged past. Under the circumstances, the best I could do was a back view of them, trotting away into the sunset… 'Pigs in Muck' was painted on canson mi teintes 90lb paper. 'Taking Themselves for a Walk' is a sketchbook study in pencil and watercolour on cartridge paper. If you are the proud owner of a prize winning Gloucester Old Spot or other breed of pig, and wish to have it commemorated in paint, please get in touch with me via the Contact page. Comments are closed.
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Judith Key
Judith Key is a Norfolk based artist, working in watercolour and pastel. She has exhibited with the Society of Graphic Fine Artists and New English Art Club at the Mall Galleries, London. Her paintings are in collections worldwide. Categories
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May 2018
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