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.