SEPTEMBER 2026
The Year of the Horse seems to be progressing at a very rapid pace. I hope you can hang on tight and enjoy the ride!
This month, I am delighted to introduce another of the professional artists who attended my Equine Art Days and showcase her work from the Art Day itself, and beyond.
Amy McGuire is a professional artist and art tutor, who lives in East Brent in Somerset, UK.
Nurturing the artistic soul in Somerset
Amy was born in Preston, Lancashire in the North of the UK, but moved with her family to Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset, in the South of the UK, in 2017. Since then, Amy has found that her artistic soul has been well and truly nurtured in Somerset.
“Meeting my husband sparked a series of adventures and travels,” she said. “We have lived in places as far-flung as Perth in Australia, and as ‘tucked away’ as Ulverston in Cumbria, UK, with plenty of memorable holidays in between.”
“Once our twins started school, we paused our travels to give them stability, eventually settling in East Brent, Somerset.”
Amy McGuire.
Inspiring landscape
East Brent is a village in Somerset that lies on the north-eastern edge of Brent Knoll – a 137-meter-high hill, which dominates the surrounding countryside of the Somerset Levels. It is located roughly halfway between Weston-Super-Mare and Bridgwater.
At the foot of the hill are two villages – East Brent and Brent Knoll. The hill’s size and isolated position on the Somerset Levels mean that it dominates the landscape and can be seen for many miles.
Creative red thread
Creativity has always been an important part of Amy’s life, and while she has explored many crafts, painting and sketching have always been a constant.
When she moved to Somerset, she made the decision to formalise her artistic education and embarked on a Foundation Course in Art. Taking her studies further, she then achieved a First-Class BA Honors Degree in Contemporary Arts and Professional Studies at the University of Central Weston and Bath Spa.
“While living in Cumbria, I tried to broaden my creative horizons, dabbling in disciplines like glass fusing and upholstery. I also returned to education – retaking my GCSEs in Maths and English, and passing with distinction,” she said. “That experience gave me the confidence to pursue an art degree.”
“In 2018, I enrolled at Weston College, starting with a Level 2 in Art and progressing through to a First-Class Honours Degree in Contemporary Arts and Professional Studies, which I completed in 2021.”
“After graduating, I worked full-time, which left little room for creative practice,” she continued. “However, in 2022, redundancy gave me the push to pursue art more seriously. Although I later took a part-time job, my artwork again slipped into the background. Now, with more time and clarity, I’m committed to giving my art the attention it deserves.”
Drawing inspiration from everyday life
Inspiration for Amy’s work is drawn from several aspects of everyday life. She works in acrylics, watercolours, pen and ink, mixed media and etching.
“My inspiration can come from observations of anything – from an unusual twisty tree, mushrooms growing in a woodland, or a frog sat in the grass, far from a pond.”
“I take solace from great painters such as Paul Cezanne and Wassily Kandinsky, who made it their life’s work to capture a new way of seeing.”
Paintings with meaning
Shadows, light, tone and vibrancy of colour are key aspects in Amy’s paintings, but she also integrates emotion into her work.
“I feel that I bear a little of my soul onto each canvas, making the paintings personal and packed with meaning,” she remarked.
Teaching
Amy also teaches art to others. She holds weekly art class for small groups in East Brent and offers private, one to one tuition in all art mediums. The weekly Sketchbook club is a social activity with a commitment to giving oneself time to escape the daily challenges, whilst having a laugh and even creating a masterpiece that you didn’t know you had in you.
Paint and More
Encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone by try something new and exciting, not only does this provide a new skill, but the social side is huge in this ever growing digital age of online presence. By running various workshops, Amy can bring new styles and mediums to complete beginners and seasoned creatives alike.
“I find teaching creatively energizing. It inspires me to develop fresh projects and ideas. My sketchbooks are finally filling up again, and I’ve recently been diving into watercolour,” she said.
Focus on freedom
From the Equine Art Day, Amy developed a new piece inspired by the dynamic movement of the horses in motion.
“My goal was to capture the energy and freedom of horses running through open fields,” she explained. “The background is an imagined landscape- snow-covered mountains under a crisp evening moonlit sky—designed to evoke a sense of space and serenity. I worked on a large 1m x 1m canvas using acrylics.”
Follow the story of Amy’s artwork from the Equine Art Day:
