When I was much younger I worked with horses for many years. One of the things I did a lot was ‘breaking in’ which is when you teach a young horse to accept a rider. Much of the process was about building trust, and I always used to think that the point where you can do a headstand on their back was a point where you could feel you had built trust. (You can’t do it with every horse!)

Years later I saw a photo of a friend of mine doing exactly that – on a horse in the sea – and I thought this was a good reason to sculpt a horse, so I did – and with the help of a dear friend who modelled the headstand, this is the result.

I have made this version in acrylic, and a larger one (Girl in Dark Glasses II) in stainless steel – both in layers, but the steel one has gaps in between.