Helen Scanlon, Equine Artist
expressive equine portraiture

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Bio:
Equine Artist Helen Scanlon of Sound the Bugle Studio has been drawing and studying horses since she was a small child.

Growing up on a farm gave Helen many opportunities to draw horses from life. In college, she studied dressage and worked as a groom at a large dressage facility. She was able to draw extended trots, collected canters and horses “on the bit” directly from the source. One of her greatest joys was the hours spent in study of training sessions and clinics.

A Connecticut native, Helen Scanlon had her equine artwork published at age 13, won many art honors at the high school level and garnered praise from her art professors at the University of Connecticut. As an undergraduate in 1990, Helen had her first gallery show with other accomplished artists, which received excellent reviews and was listed in Connecticut magazine.

Sound the Bugle Studio was founded in 2003, marking the official start of Helen’s career as an Equine Artist.

Helen works on commission and opens her studio several times a year to sell her originals. She prides herself on capturing individual equine character as well as an image. Her loose, expressive pencil drawings are popular as is her vibrant, fun watercolor and ink work.

Helen has Bachelor's degrees in Art History and Sociology from the University of Connecticut, with minor concentrations in drawing and design.

Helen Scanlon's work is featured in private collections in the United States, Canada and the UK.

Keep up to date on Helen's latest works at her studio journal: http://soundthebuglestudio.blogspot.com/

Artist's Statement:
When I was three years old, I saw my first horse and from that moment on I could not get them out of my mind. I began to draw them in order to capture that first feeling of elation.

Ignited by the intense feeling of seeing my first horse, I studied horse magazines and books, and I would lose myself in dreams about owning one of these noble creatures. My first drawings were produced at a dizzying rate as I studied countless horse photographs and drawings in my early attempts to master the complicated equine anatomy.

The equine form proved to be a formidable challenge as I realized that drawing horses was not an easy task. So many different expressions, body types, breeds, ages, angles--and not to mention their incredible range of movement. And they were achingly beautiful.

I was determined to learn how to draw every inch of them, from all angles, in all gaits and movements, all while capturing their distinctive beauty. I studied horses until I could sit down with my paper and pencil and draw a horse from start to finish--all from my head. In the many years of studying horses and art, the title of Equine Artist found me.

When I draw or paint, I leave my fingerprint on my work, figuratively, and sometimes literally. I want you to know that I touched the paper--and that in my creative process, I immersed myself in the horse. I enjoy working large and loose, and I also have fun working on smaller, colorful pieces as well.

Photos may provide me with a reference for custom portraits, but they do not dictate the style or composition of my artwork. Original expressive artistic interpretation is very important to me, as it evokes a strong emotional connection with the viewer.

And this is what I strive for: the connection that engages your eyes as well as your heart.