Yesterday I spent a full day painting in a forest dune nature reserve north of the hague called Kijkhoek en Bierlap. Im focused on mixing greens and just loosening up. I found a position high on the dunes overlooking a lake, and was taken aback by how beautiful it was. As you can imagine in the Netherlands its not that easy to find a hill!

I finished the sketch and was pleased with it, when suddenly I heard this thudding sound behind me, I turned around and there I saw a group of 10 wild ponies stampeding passed me within ten metres at full gallop. It was an incredible sight. A few moments later two others came up to me, a little confused with me being there, after a 'greeting' they preceded down the hill to the lake.

I was a little shaken up as they passed so close. I was in an exposed place and could have easily been sitting where they had galloped.

They suddenly they all came back up the hill and stopped in a group in the same place where they had first passed me. I wasn't sure what to do so I stood up, and then suddenly they all approached me to see what I was doing.

I was literally surrounded by a full circle of ponies right up close, one sniffing my paper block, another my palette, one nibbling my camping stool. They wouldn't leave and stayed encircling me for a couple of minutes. Then suddenly they dispursed.

This is quite a wild nature reserve, you have to buy a special pass to visit, so the ponies don't see many people. I was quite humbled by the experience, as I was the strange creature and they were the locals come to stare at me.

Needless to say I was shaken up and elated in equal measure to the point that I made the loosest, free flowing watercolour i've ever painted, so as a fast track learning curve I owe the ponies a great deal!

I hope they remember me on my next visit, although next time I will sit close to a tree to stay out of their way.