Black Friday sketch session

What did I do on Black Friday? I  sure as heck didn't go shopping!

I sketched ALL DAY. Ringmaster may be gone, but his inspiration lives on.

This is a list of what I didn't do yesterday:

1. Put on 'real' clothes. (hello, jammies).
2. Get stampeded by bargain-crazed herds of Wal-Mart shoppers.
3. Frown. I didn't frown ONCE!

Here is a list of what I DID do:

1. Drew sketches for The Great Red Horse in my shiny new sketch pad. I bought it just for this project.
2. Watched Star Crash, Napoleon Dynamite and Prometheus.
3. Ate lots of leftovers.
4. Sketched some more.
5. Contemplated putting on 'real' clothes. That thought lasted a mere 1.2 seconds.
4. Took a nap with a Siamese cat.
5. Drew more sketches.

I will share one of the sketches with you today. This is the beautiful Morgan mare, UC Lyric, giving her foal a reassuring nuzzle:

The foal is, of course, UC Ringmaster.

This drawing will get an ink outline with a watercolor wash--and it will magically become an illustration for The Great Red Horse.

Now, if you think it's a challenge to draw what UConn Horse Barn Manager Bruce Walters called "the most beautiful foal" he'd ever seen, you're right.

Oh, but wait---UC Ringmaster's sire, Waseeka's Showtime, was called "the most beautiful Morgan stallion that ever lived."

So, a challenge? You bet! But, I love it. I have to get in the right space, creatively. I have to be relaxed, happy and completely free of any tension. Surrounded by my cats. Snacks readily available. No plans. No schedules. Yesterday offered all of that to me. My Black Friday was anything but Black.

I am grateful.

Thank you for supporting me on this book journey. Also, my condolences to everyone who knew and loved the amazing UC Ringmaster. He was a one-of-a-kind soul, never met a horse like him.

I miss him, so much.

The Great Red Horse

My Horse, My Heart

Under a tree, my beloved steed

Earth and roots now hold you near.

Twisted branches scrape the painted sky

With sun to soothe and stars to guide.

My old friend, he is there in the nimbus

Wind shapes his hoof and molds his ear.

I see him in the rays through my window

I hear him in the gust through the flue.

My horse, my heart--he is near.

My horse, my heart--he is here.

~Helen Scanlon, 7/10/11

(from the soon-to-be-published book, My Horse, My Heart:  The Morgan Horses of the University of Connecticut) 

above photo: UC Ringmaster, 2006. Copyright Helen Scanlon.

Rest in peace, my friend.

 

UC Ringmaster

June 30, 1978-November 20, 2012

...When the sun set that day, illuminating the sky with fiery reds and pinks, I envisioned the magical stallion conquering the world, not once, but twice. He was there, in those brilliant clouds, lifting his legs high as he danced across the early evening sky.

I will think of him every time I see a beautiful red sunset.

Goodbye, Ring.

Above photo of UC Ringmaster as a young stallion provided by the late Dr. Al Cowan, UC Ringmaster's breeder.

Age does not diminsh the Champion grace

UC Ringmaster from this morning. 34 years old, and he still has that look.

My old friend!

A Wish for an Old Friend

I wish you sunbeams in your mane
I wish you wind under your hooves

I wish on a sparkling star tonight
for wishes that come true.
11/17/12

thoughts on children's books...

Everyone loves children's books.

They are fun, joyful, colorful and educational.

They are also a challenge to write and illustrate! Children's books may be easy to read--but it's a lot of work to make them that way.

Kids are harsh critics. Upon reading a book, a child can yawn and proclaim "I'm BORED!" and all dreams of the writer are dashed in that moment. The book is tossed in a corner of their bedroom, forgotten forever. Thrown in the donation box. Gone.

Conversely, a kid can turn and touch the pages with wide-eyed wonderment. All is quiet except for the faint rustle of little fingers on paper. Aha--gotcha, kid. You will not forget this book.

That is when the writer knows they wrote a book that can stay in that child's heart for a lifetime.

I still remember the treasured books of my childhood. They were my comfort, my joy--they also lit a fire. I wanted to write and draw all day, everyday. I wanted to be Marguerite Henry AND Wesley Dennis.

I remember the names of the writers and the illustrators. I remember curling up with my big Richard Scarry books when I stayed home from school, banished to bed with a head cold. I would wrap the blankets around me and let Mr. Scarry's funny stories and delightful illustrations warm my insides.

I remember studying and absorbing King of the Wind. Justin Morgan Had a Horse. Misty of Chincoteague. Sea Star.

Black Beauty. Billy and Blaze.

Charlotte's Web. The House at Pooh Corner.

Little House on the Prairie. Farmer Boy.

The Great Red Horse is a work from my heart, and the text and outline are pretty much finished. Now, the real fun part: illustrating.

I start with preliminary pencil sketches, and once I decide on a final composition, I transfer the drawing via light table to watercolor paper, give it a pen outline, and finish it with a watercolor wash.

I like to draw on cold, rainy days- I sit in my favorite easy chair with a pad in my lap and I draw like I am a kid again. I let my imagination run free and allow my pencil to fly.

I do these preliminary drawings with no rules, boundaries or restrictions. Loose, expressive, quick. I rein in and tighten the sketch only after my imagination is allowed to escape. I kick up my heels a bit, and I think this helps the final drawing convey a sense of real playfulness.

UC Ringmaster is my friend, my muse. My hope is to create a worthy tribute to this noble chestnut horse. I want him to be remembered for generations. He deserves it.

above illustration: UC Ringmaster as a foal, by Helen Scanlon. copyright 2010.

Always the Great Red Horse

UC Ringmaster set a new standard for the English Pleasure horse. He had a supernaturally brilliant road trot, perpetually perked ears and a crowd-pleasing superstar quality that could not be denied.The two-time World Champion is arguably the most famous Morgan horse UConn has bred.

Today, he enjoys an active and comfortable retirement at the University of Connecticut, and he loves visitors. Go say 'hi' to a true living legend--he is in the roomy corner stall all the way in the back. It is the stall for reserved for royalty.

Here is the kind old gentleman in 2007 posing for my camera.

Ring at the CT Morgan Horse Hall of Fame Induction

Here is the 32-year-old UC Ringmaster wowing the crowds yet again for his Hall of Fame induction.

Richly deserved. He is The Great Red Horse.

(video by Carolyn Stearns)


BONUS: here is a 1996 video I found of UC Ringmaster's son, UC Top Brass, winning his World Championship. What a gorgeous, proud gelding!

Welcome!

Hello, Readers!

Welcome to the blog for my second book, The Great Red Horse---my children's book about two-time World Champion Morgan stallion, UC Ringmaster.

The idea for this book came from my incredible editor, Nan. She said, "Kids love the UConn Morgans, why not write a book just for them? And fill it with your illustrations!"

A fantastic idea as I've always wanted to write and illustrate a children's book!

My first book, My Horse, My Heart: The Morgan Horses of the University of Connecticut, is now in the final stretch before publication, so now I have lots of time to get going on this new project. This will be a nice break from doing a research-heavy book for the past two and a half years.

I am excited to share this new book journey with all of you. I hope you enjoy it!

I will post updates frequently, so check back to see how the book is progressing.

Here's The Great Red Horse from this past spring, checking out my camera: