Polo Fans, 1985

The polo grounds on Maui are beautiful, but every time I've been down to paint something, I've never actually come back with any polo paintings. I always seem to get drawn away by something around the grounds. One day I set out to really focus myself on the horses or the stables, maybe the game itself, if I could find a fresh approach to the theme.

I found myself walking around the grounds with one eye on a very heated match and the other looking out for that flash that always ends up becoming a painting. I was rounding the far end of the field, looking back at the trees and the crowd, when I suddenly noticed the polo ball rolling towards my feet. I looked up to see the horses hurdling down the field in my direction. The sound was thundering terror.

I really don't remember how I got out of there but where I ended up was so contrastingly peaceful with a couple of geese in shade and solitude that I never returned to the match. Failing once again to paint a polo scene, I settled for a sporting title.