An Artist With A Vision

Scooter Havard at his easel

Thousands cheered when he took the ball from Archie Manning and ran it upfield for Ole Miss. Today they’re cheering “Scooter” Havard for running around a much more difficult obstacle: painting while blind. MPB’s arts reporter Ron Brown has the story.

For most of his 61 years of life Gerald Havard has been living under an assumed name in his hometown of Gloster, Mississippi.

“I’ve been called Scooter all my life. My uncle named me that when I was about 6 months old. I was crawlingacross the floor at his house one night and he said look at him scoot, he’s a little scooter. And it stuck.”

It stuck with him throughout grade school and highschool and even when he went to the University of Mississippi.

“My phone’s listed as Scooter Havard. That’s all I go by. Very few people know my real name. My college professors called me Scooter.”

Not only did his college professors call him Scooter, so did everyone on the Ole Miss Football team, and all of the Ole Miss Football fans.

“I played for Ole Miss in '68, '69 and '70.”

As number 26 in the backfield, Scooter ran the ball for Ole Miss legend Archie Manning.

“At that time we were running the pro offense and Archie was our quarterback so you were really a glorified guard because we were doing a lot of blocking on defensive ends and defensive tackles.”

After college, Scooter taught school in Jackson for a couple of years, but he returned to his hometown of Gloster where in addition to teaching world history, he became an enthusiastic sportsman and avid reader. But that was before 2000. That was the year Scooter Havard’s life changed forever.

“I had a nurse practitioner give me steroids and I went from 20-20 vision to legally blind in about three days. And my left eye is totally blind. I’ve had 23 eye surgeries.”

What Scooter is able to see now is blurred or fuzzy at best. Bright lights diminish his limited ability even further.

“When I used to deer hunt I could see the deer twitch his nose. Now I can’t hardly see the deer. That’s what makes it bad.”

His significant loss of eyesight was quite an adjustment. He had to give up many of the things he most enjoyed. But a few years ago, they were replaced by something new. And considering his disability, something more than a little surprising.

“One Tuesday night me and my wife went to town to mail some mail. And I stumbled upon an art class. And that was 3 and a half years ago and I get into and fell in love with it. I gave up everything else except for art. I quit hunting, reading, cause of my vision, but art, I just got into it and I love it.”

For one night a week, three hours a night, for three and a half years Scooter Havard picked up a paintbrush, and fell in love. He learned how to express himself by putting oil paint to canvas even though as a blind artist, he’s at a distinct disadvantage. But, Scooter, determined since birth, just picked up one more item to help him paint. Something that most artists don’t normally use, or need.

“What did I do with my magic eye? My magic eye is my magnifying glass. Without it, I can’t read anything without a magic eye.”

With one hand on the paintbrush and the other steadying a powerful magnifying glass over the canvas, Scooter Havard manages to lessen his visual limitations. But not without a few complications.

“When I’m painting with a magnifying glass, I can’t stand up because it makes you dizzy. Trying to look through the magnifying glass and trying to paint, it doesn’t work too good.”

But somehow, Scooter makes it work. His abstract paintings, depictions of wildlife, plant life, flowers and even outhouses are more than just a novice’s passing interest. Just last month Scooter Havard, ex-football player, former history teacher and hunter, added a new talent to his resume: Professional artist.

McComb gallery owner Lynne Welles gave Scooter what every aspiring artist dreams of - his own show.

Over a hundred people attended. Scooter sold seven paintings and there are orders for more, and a lesson about what it takes to achieve a dream.

“If I can paint with a magnifying glass, and make it good enough to put on my wall, then I think anyone can paint. Just gotta have the desire.”

For the man known as a go-getter since he was six months old, his success is perhaps not surprising at all. for MPB News I’m Ron Brown.