T IS three-quarters of a century since Alfred Munnings called for artists to paint a sky that looked like a sky, yet life still remains difficult for equestrian painters who want to make figurative work. Admiring the seeming ease of Charles Church’s painterly brushstrokes, you might imagine a straightforward transition from art school to professional artist. This was definitely not the case, as Church admits: “It was a massive struggle in the early days because I couldn’t get any training. The tutors
