Title:

Young Rough Riders

Western Art Pencil Drawing by Barb Schacher

Many of my Western Art pencil drawings are of events from long ago that took place during a much simpler time. A time when the warm, lazy days of summer seemed to go on forever and the world seemed so much safer.

“Young Rough Riders” ~ 2012 Original ~ 14″ x 17″ Pencil Drawing

 As kids, growing up in the ’60’s and 70’s in small town USA, we really didn’t have a care in the world back then.

“Young Rough Riders” is a good example of the innocence of that “time”. It was drawn from an old, faded photograph of one of my brothers, his friend and our Shetland pony, Silver Bell.

On this particular sunny, yet crisp, early spring afternoon, Silver and Paco were still sporting their long, shaggy “winter coats” and I believe the boys were playing “Lone Ranger”… judging by my brother’s attire (Dad’s old cowboy/hunting hat) and the toy pistol strapped to his hip!

It brings a smile to my face every time I look at the photo (or this drawing) and notice the stirrups that are far too long for my brother’s friend, too. I suppose those are a few of the reasons that I was inspired to draw this one…

I also have many fond memories of spending afternoons exploring the ranch and surrounding area where we grew up on Silver Bell myself. Today, when people ask about the ponies in my pencil drawings, I often tell them that Silver was the little spitfire pony that raised us – all seven of us!