Equine and floral painter Nicola Russell dies, aged 51

The Belfast-based artist Nicola Russell has died aged 51.

The painter passed away peacefully at the Marie Curie hospice in Belfast on Monday after living with cancer since 2007.

She specialised in floral and equine artworks as well as portraits that included subjects such as US president Bill Clinton, the late Mo Mowlam and Baroness May Blood.

Russell painted some of Ireland’s great racehorses, including Arkle, whose portrait is now part of the Irish State collection.

In 2006 she came up with the idea to ask the Irish people to pick their favourite racehorse of the previous 25 years.

Three years later a multimedia campaign was launched with people selecting their favourite from a shortlist of six racehorses, including Dawn Run, Moscow Flyer and Istabraq (the eventual winner).

The large 13ft by 10ft canvass of the horse was unveiled at the Punchestown festival in 2011.

Russell also painted great horses such Cheltenham Gold Cup winner War of Attrition, Aintree Grand National winner Numbersixvalverde, and Cheltenham favourite Brave Inca. Her painting Wild Irish Colt is in the collection of Queen Elizabeth.

Her funeral will take place at 11am on Saturday at Roselawn Cemetery in Belfast.