Pencil sketches...

...are fun!

This little Arabian pranced out my mind and on to the paper as I sat in my favorite comfy chair watching a great movie, with a belly full of yummy Christmas dinner leftovers. The happy look on this horse's face reflects my mood at the time. :-)

Did I mention what Santa brought me this year? (drum roll):

A NEW EASEL !!!

Since my painting studio is not insulated yet, and well, it's really cold out--I have to wait until Spring to use it...

Many thanks to Santa, also known as my wonderful husband, Steve, for my easel. It is beautiful! And it can hold a HUGE canvas or board. *happy dance*

There will be much painting when the daffodils start poking their little heads through the dirt...

Felic and Jimmy

Felic and Jimmy, 11"x14", commissioned portrait, 2009. Watercolor pencils (Caran D'ache) and watercolor paints (Winsor and Newton) and ink on Arches hot-press paper.

This double portrait features two longtime horse buddies who passed away within a week of each other in October of 2009. Felic, (right), left first, and then his old friend Jimmy shortly followed him to the big green pastures in the sky...

When I paint equine and pet portraits, I ask for detailed personality descriptions. I do this so that I may completely immerse myself in the essence of the animal I am painting or drawing. It's an emotional process for me: I read the words the owner writes, and I sometimes feel tears well up. It's inevitable--love just pours off the pages.
Felic and Jimmy were no exception. These equine souls were so loved by their owner. She really knew them and her many years of care and devotion to these boys are a true testament of the bond between horse and rider. Personality descriptions help me feel a little of that bond; it gives me access to their world. For me, creating a portrait is much more than just capturing an image. It is being able to touch, smell, and hear the horse I am painting.
This is why I do not copy photos; I study them.
Images and words help me form an orginal artistic interpretation of a beloved equine soul.

Thank you, Betsy, for letting me know your special boys.

Happy Holidays

Dear Friends of Sound the Bugle Studio,

Have a very happy and healthy Holiday! See you in 2010!
Today's image is my cat Ghee hangin' out in the studio. :-)
wishing you smiles and sunbeams for the New Year,
Helen

Legend IV: Whirlaway

Legend IV: Whirlaway. 19x24 inches, 2009, charcoal, conte crayon and Rembrandt pastel on pearl Canson Mi-Teintes. SOLD

Whirlaway, the 1941 Triple Crown winner, was a “tough baby” according to Jimmy Jones, son of trainer, Ben Jones. Whirlaway had a way about him that could have frustrated a lesser trainer, but Ben Jones knew exactly what to do with this wayward colt. A unique one-eyed blinker, fashioned by Jones, helped keep the colt from veering out and drifting off the rail.

Whirlaway was tough to train, but he was pure poetry on the racetrack. He won the hearts of fans as they cheered him home, his long, red tail flowing out behind him. “Mr. Longtail,” became a legend the day he won the Belmont stakes, becoming the fifth Triple Crown winner.

Jimmy Jones said even though the colt was a “tough baby,” jockey Eddie Arcaro “had his number.” Jockey and colt were a sight to behold, a lightning bolt of horse and man; working perfectly in sync…

"...not even a cyclone could head us off. I don't think I ever passed as many horses in such a hurry. I might as well have been shot from a gun. What a horse! What a horse!" --Eddie Arcaro

"He carries in his armament the deadliest weapon a thoroughbred can have - an annihilating burst of speed which he can apparently turn on at any stage of a race."

--Blood Horse Magazine

Winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and the Belmont is a monumental feat, and only the most exceptional horses have ever accomplished this ultimate test of heart, speed and talent. The last Triple Crown winner was way back in 1978, when Affirmed snagged it by a nose over his rival, Alydar.

Whirlaway was an enormously talented “tough baby.”

I drew him racing fit and built for speed, his trademark long tail nearly brushing the ground; with a mischievous look in his eye. Always looking around, that one…

'tis the season

it's time for some Studio Updates and Holiday Wishes!

2009 is winding down...and, WOW, what a year.

The studio really picked up some speed this year: great commissions, fantastic open studios, a gallery show...I am really excited for 2010.

Currently on the drawing table:
--a two-horse portrait commission
--a logo design in progress
--Man o' War's portrait--the final panel of the Legendary Sires triptych.

My Legend IV: Whirlaway drawing goes to its new home this Saturday. I'll miss ol' Whirly, but I know he will be going to someone who will absolutely cherish him. :-)

I am so grateful for everyone's support. Drawing and painting one of the most majestic creatures to ever to put a hoof on the planet is a great honor. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Also, one of my greatest joys is capturing a beloved pet with my pencil and paintbrush. Go here for more details:

Pet Portraits by Helen Scanlon

I offer a unique service with my custom horse and pet portraits: if you do not have great quality photos (or no photos at all) of the animal, I can render a portrait with descriptions for an additonal fee. All portraits are hand-rendered and given your seal of approval before they are called done.

Contact me at soundthebuglestudio (at) charter.com if you want to know more.

(pssssst..I also offer gift certificates... they are a big hit on Christmas morning!)

Have a safe, happy and healthy Holiday, everyone!

Helen

A book review

Award-winning equine photographer Barbara Livingston has a new book, and it's, well, AMAZING. Horses: In Living Color showcases some magically beautiful horses in all their glory. Have you ever seen a brindle horse? Or how about a horse with a badger face? Or, the knabstrupper--all polka dotted like something out of a dream?

Gossamer palominos, cremellos, whites...Dapples that resemble snowflakes against a stormy sky...Paint horses with spots and maps and markings that resemble paint dribbles...Blue eyes, and eyes that look like they were lined with kohl...Striped legs and hooves...Unique spot patterns, buckskins, feral horses with patterns formed by nature itself...

It's all here! This book is a visual delight for horse lovers and fans of photography. Barbara Livingston is the real deal--you can tell from her wonderfully insightful and beautifully composed photographs just how much she loves and knows her subject. Horses can be difficult to photograph; capturing them with their ears up can be a challenge. Be sure to snap that one elusive shot for it may never come again! Barbara is a true artist with her camera: she captures her equines in a moment in time as she expertly uses the lens to show the ancient wisdom behind their eyes. A soul appears when she clicks the shutter.

I love this book--as I love all of Barbara's books (Old Friends, More Old Friends, Four Seasons of Racing, Saratoga). They inspire and motivate this equine artist time and time again. When I look at her photographs, I can feel the hot horse breath on my face...

Thank you for yet another masterpiece, Barbara!

THANK YOU!

Many thanks to all who came out to my Holiday Open Studio. Lots of first-time visitors--so great!

Thanks again...you make this artist very, very happy. Your support means so much to me.

Have a very Happy Holiday!

Helen