Gretchen Oneail

The model horse community is once again mourning one its own. Gretchen Oneail died yesterday. She was forty five.

Gretchen's 2019 NaMoPaiMo selfie (with frog)

I met Gretchen the way I meet most hobbyists who do not live in Colorado - through social media. She was an enthusiastic and generous supporter of NaMoPaiMo, always contributing multiple items to the prize pile.

She painted with NaMoPaiMo, too. Here's a photo of her 2018 model. He was one of my favorite pieces created that year.

Gretchen was best known for small scale work, but her talent wasn't limited to tiny canvasses. She was just as adept at larger models...

and medallions.

I met her for real at last year's BreyerFest. Her Artisan's Gallery table was near mine, and we chatted a little bit every night. I can't remember what we talked about - I'm guessing it was model horses! - but she was every bit as nice in person as she seemed online.

Gretchen and Sommer Prosser

That's high praise, because she was awesome online. 

While all the rest of us were fighting over politics, science and NAN cards, she treated her friends to daily sea slugs.

I can not tell you how much I'm going to miss those sea slugs.

Godspeed, Gretchen. I'm glad I got to meet you. I wish we'd have had more time.