The Australian artist Marian Duncan is a household name for Arabian horse enthusiasts. Her impressive artworks in bold colours, painted in her unique style, are immediate eye-catchers. Marian’s striking design is typical of her work. Her paintings can be found in collections worldwide and are published regularly in international magazines. But who is the lady behind the imposing works of art?
Since she was a little girl, Marian had a deep passion for horses. “I was born in Orange, a city in New South Wales, located in the east of Australia,” explains Marian. “I grew up there in a large family of nine children. My older sister and I would draw and paint throughout our childhood. My mother always made sure we had lots of art supplies to use. When I was a child, I would sit under our big old pine trees and draw my neighbours’ horses and dream of owning a horse.” She then remembers with a smile: “I saw my first Arabian horse in a newspaper my father had bought. It was a small black and white photo of a chestnut, neck arched and tail up. I thought, ‘wow!’ I had never seen a horse that looked like that before, as I already loved horses. Then I searched for more in books and magazines. I saw my first live ones at a show when I was a teenager. I still remember an iridescent chestnut stallion, I think his name was Golden Band (Banderol x Golda), and I have been hooked ever since.”
Marian continues: “I started working as a Showcard and Ticket writer in a Myer store. Myer is Australia’s largest chain of department stores. Then I worked as a graphic artist at a television station in Orange. I married my husband, David, and today we have three children and six grandchildren.” Marian and her husband live in a 100-year-old mud and straw brick home in the small, quiet town of Manildra in New South Wales, situated not far away from the area where Marian was born and grew up.
As an artist, her three years of learning her trade in signwriting and design were a huge influence. “In my art, mainly with brush control, I started out as being self-taught, but I went on to do three years of drawing and then three years of advanced painting,” Marian explains. In 1986, fate struck when Marian broke her leg and was finally forced to have some spare time. It was at this point she decided to take her artistic abilities to a new level. She sent one of her paintings of an Arabian horse to an Australian magazine. Marian was so excited when it was published, and this inspired her to take her art to a professional level. She enrolled in art courses and spent a lot of time talking to fellow artists and visiting exhibitions.
“I have visited many studs here in Australia, such as Bremervale, Hideaway Farm, Forrest Hill, and many more, as well as going to shows in Queensland and New South Wales,” relates Marian. “Mostly now I just go to the Australian National Arabian Championships once a year. I take my art and my Nikon, so I can photograph horses for more ideas for my art – I like to use my own photographs plus my imagination.”
Marian loves to use different mediums; traditional oil is her favourite. “Matte acrylic, acrylic, gouache watercolour, pastel, pen and ink, drawing or painting, each medium have their own special properties”, she explains. “Oils take the longest to do. Sometimes I like to experiment, using real silk tassels beads, or fabrics, or different textured handmade papers or iridescent paints. I love doing decorative pieces. Ottoman style saddles and bridles, or Egyptian inspire me; all the desert tack is fascinating. I love to study the early Orientalist artists for inspiration and, most of all, the history and old photographs. My favourites are the Orientalist artists Adolf Schreyer, Carle Vernet, Alfred de Dreux, Victor Adam, to name a few. I have also always loved Sir Alfred Munnings (1878 – 1959), known as one of England’s finest painters of horses.”
Marian continues thoughtfully: “I have not travelled internationally, but I am pleased to say my art does. I love everything about Arabian horses – their looks, movement, attitude and personality. They are drinkers of the wind with heads held high, nostrils flared, large dark intelligent eyes, arched necks, smooth silken coats, tails flagged. There is nothing else like watching them float across the ground when they move. I could choose to paint something else, and sometimes I do, but my love for Arabians is too strong. They inspire me; they are so special, so ancient, and noble, something to be cared for and treasured for the future. They are in my soul. Arabian horses can take your breath away.”
Many of Marian’s designs and artwork have been used throughout the years for different promotions. Marian designed also the 2019 WAHO Conference logo and also designed the logo for the International Arabian Horse Show in Milan in 2017.
Asked about her preferences regarding Arabians, Marian relates: “I have many favourites such as Dassefa (WN Dasjmir x Jessefa), Klass (TS al Malik x Karmaa), Simeon Sadik (Asfour x Simeon Safanad), Ralvon Pilgrim (Rikham x Trix Silver), Simeon Sehavi (Asfour x Simeon Sheba) and more – I could go on and on! My favourite is my own darling girl, Delraki Saakifa (Dandaloo Khaalid x Danjera Taanith). She was my daughter’s pony club mare, and she did everything, fulfilling all our dreams and more. She was my trusted trail riding horse with the smoothest canter. Saakifa was both pretty to look at and so beautiful to ride.”
Regarding her own horses, Marian is very enthusiastic. “Over the years they have been my pleasure riding horses, my daughter’s pony club and campdraft horses, a unique Australian sport in which a rider isolates a bullock from a group of cattle and drives it around a set course. They are my source of inspiration, my income from my art, and they bring me joy. I have made great friendships through the shared love that other people have for them. I think I am very lucky to enjoy my job, painting the horses that I love. At the moment I have four purebred Arabian horses: two Crabbet bred mares, Delraki Saakifa, and Danjera Shaania (Jubarrah Sohaan x Wagga Cassara), a Dassefa granddaughter called Hideaway Farm Just Imagine (Jayay Just Do It x Primadonna), and a pretty yearling gelding by Echos of Marwan.”
Regarding her plans for the future, Marian ponders: “My hope is always to make a better painting than the last one. Art is a journey, a whole lifetime of learning, evolving, changing. I am always excited to start a new painting or drawing; I just love to create art. I hope to just keep going with my art, enjoy my family and my grandchildren.”
To find out more about Marian’s art, click here.
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