The South Devon Hunt hosted An Evening with Daniel Crane at Powderham Castle on Saturday 23rd September 2023, by kind permission of the Earl and Countess of Devon. This exhibition of originals and prints for sale by the celebrated sporting, racing and military artist was attended by well over 100 guests from near and far, raising a significant sum in support of the Hunt. The Castle was a very special venue, with guests warmly welcomed and made to feel at home, and Daniel’s work looking all the more special for such an impressive backdrop. Delicious canapés were provided by a Supporter, with ingredients sourced from a number of producers in our Country, accompanied by fantastic wine supplied by Vine Wine Ltd. Daniel also very generously donated a framed, signed, limited edition print entitled “Old England” to be raffled at the event, which proved extremely popular both in the room and online. We are very grateful to Daniel and Ali for their support, and to all our fabulous guests for coming along to make the evening so special, especially our neighbours at the Dartmoor Hunt for turning out in force!
The event was reported by Paula Lester in the October 4 issue of Country Life magazine, in a piece entitled “A sporting canvas”:
“With two rangy bay horses’ conker-brown coats glistening in the dawn sunshine, warm breath emanating from their nostrils into the cold air like puffs of smoke and mist wreathing the parkland behind, two elegant tweed-jacketed and peak-capped members of hunt staff escort a pack of hounds on their morning exercise… This is the typical countryside scene – with a nod to the classically cut attire worn in the 1920s or 1930s – that the sporting artist Daniel Crane captures so well. Known for his hunting, racing (a detail of his painting Gladiators appeared on the front cover of the August 30 issue), military and pastoral scenes, Mr Crane is based in Louth, in Lincolnshire. But, last Saturday morning he and his wife, Ali, were autumn trail-hunting with the South Devon on Dartmoor, ahead of an exhibition hosted by the Earl and Countess of Devon at Powderham Castle, Exeter, that evening to raise funds for the 213-year-old pack. Although Mr Crane’s evocative work is often compared with that of Sir Alfred Munnings, his true mentor is another great British artist, Lionel Edwards. ‘I love Munnings, his pallette and his brushstrokes are wonderful, but there isn’t one Edwards that I don’t like,’ he enthuses. ‘The way he could evoke such realistic scenes in a few strokes is awesome and timeless.’ Having grown up as the youngest son of a Norfolk farming family, Mr Crane began by drawing the dogs lying on the kitchen floor. However, he fell in love with hounds at the age of 16 and followed them on foot for two to three seasons before riding to them at 21. Since then, he’s ridden with numerous packs – including the formidable Scarteen, where he was a joint master for eight seasons – and is a regular with the Brocklesby and the Belvoir. ‘I’m not Sir Mark Todd, but I am handy enough,’ he smiles. For South Devon joint master and Royal Army Veterinary Corps officer Dan McRink – who worked with Mr Crane when he was undertaking commissions for The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and The Household Cavalry – his friend’s skill lies in recording often unseen moments. ‘I most enjoy the artwork that depicts the behind the scenes of a day’s sport, in kennels and stables before and after hunting or between seasons,’ explains Maj McRink. ‘We love our hounds and horses, and affording them the best possible care is a source of great pride and satisfaction. Daniel not only captures this bond, but it’s plain to see that he shares this love, too.”
