Some detail from the unfinished painting.
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Shoeing the Horse
Alkyd Oil on Stretched Linen
750 mm x 500 mm
"I was fortunate enough to go on a task with 2nd Cavalry
Regiment. We were to proceed to the Japanese Base and escort the
Japanese engineers to a site where they were constructing some
buildings for the local government, after which some of the vehicles
were to patrol the local highways and then out in the desert and
then conduct a test firing of their weapons."
"When we arrived at the Japanese compound we proceeded through
their security screen, but they forgot to lower their tyre spikes.
As a result, almost all the vehicles suffered punctured tyres! The
Australian Light Armoured Vehicle - ASLAV - has a unique capability.
Within the tyres is a hardened wheel that rides on the actual wheel.
When the tyre is inflated, this outer wheel does nothing... but if
the tyre should deflate or be damaged, the outer wheel takes the
weight and allows the vehicle to drive almost normally. Once in a
secure area, the tyre can be given a field repair. This entails
small flexible devices - called 'spaghetti' - being inserted into
the punctures and then the tyre inflated using an on-board
compressor. The spaghetti temporarily seals the puncture and this
allows the tyre to resume its normal role until the vehicle can make
it back to base and the tyre can then be removed and repaired. The
image at left shows the field repair being undertaken in the desert
of Al Mutthana by one of the RAEME Sergeants whilst a Craftsmen
looks on."
"Like much of the other War Art I have been engaged in, I
wanted the modern-day images to reflect the experiences of previous
eras. This image is reminiscent of the unit veterinarians and
farriers tending to the horses of the Light Horse. The image below
is the inspiration for 'Shoeing the Horse' and was by renowned
artist H. Septimus Power whose rendering of horses made him one of
the most respected and identifiable artists of his day. He was
appointed as a War Artist twice, the first time in 1917 and then
again a year later."
"Veterinary Surgeon" by H. Septimus Power, 25.7cm x 36 cm,
Painted in France in 1917 using charcoal and watercolour and pencil.
AWM ART 03312
AWM Copyright.
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