Diamonds are forever

When I was ten or eleven, I put a dollars in an envelope and sent it to Breyer Animal Creations.

In return, they sent me four issues of Just About Horses magazine. 

The first introduced me to the concept of remaking.

The second to Kathy Maestas.

I took one look at this picture and was instantly a forever fan.

Over the years, I accumulated a lot of Double Diamond Ranch sales lists...

plus many, many pictures of her work.

Still, I never did manage to score a Diamond of my own.

It's okay. I don't need one anymore, but I still like to see them.

an entry in Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig's A Good Vintage show
BreyerWest 2016

As I was looking at the horses in Karin's custom/resin cabinet and I spied a piece with that Maestas look. I asked, Karin confirmed and then she pulled out the horse so I could get a better look.

Karin told me that she had scored this horse through a $50 buy-it-now deal on eBay. I noted the nifty vintage bridle, and she said, "Wait til you see the saddle it came with!"

The saddle was downstairs in the horse room, so I did have to wait, at least a little bit. In my mind, I was expecting a typical Western Maestas, kind of like one of these.

What I got was an Australian stock saddle.

Wow! That's both historically interesting and also, legitimately good.

The signature on the flap makes it even better. Marney! 1990! I can't quite make out the name of the maker, but I bet someone here can fill in that piece. Sue or Sue, maybe?

What a fun piece of hobby history! I'm so glad I got to see it. Thanks again, Karin!

Friday favorites

Currently, my hobby purchasing is at an all-time low, there are some things I'm always going to need to have. Lesli Kathman's Artist Reference Guides are right at the top of that list.

photo by Lesli Kathman

The newest guide, Painting More Realistic Appaloosas, was available for pre-order during Lesli and Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig's inaugural Christmas on Mane Street holiday shopping event.

It arrived on Wednesday, and it is every bit as amazing as I knew it would be.

Lesli has a gift for breaking down complex patterns in a way that makes sense not just genetically, but also artistically. Although I have started several Appaloosas, I have yet to finish one. Somewhere along the line, I always seem to lose the thread. With Lesli's help, I think, perhaps, the tide is changing. It may not happen this month, but I feel certain, it will happen.

Thank you, Lesli, for sharing your knowledge with us. The hobby - and the hobby's artists - benefit so much from your contributions. I love my Appaloosa book and I look forward to the next installment of the Artist Reference Guides series!

Just about friends

Like most hobbyists of a certain age, I discovered the hobby through the pages of Just About Horses.

Back then, I was all about the horses.

I spent countless hours obsessing over the horses in each issue.

The people were secondary.

I wanted to do the things they did.

I wanted to own the things they made.

I wanted to be a part of their group.

I wanted to be them.

A couple days ago, I received this year's copy of Just About Horses.

It is filled with pictures of model horses.

All of them are fabulous.

Despite that, now the horses are secondary.

What I really notice - what I really care about - are the people behind those horses.

I absolutely love this feature about my friend, Kylee, who truly has made her dreams come true.

Ditto this nice profile of one of my all-time favorite bloggers, Nichelle Jones, who I've been lucky enough to meet in person a couple times.

I also enjoyed the articles by Dani Boiko, a talented young tackmaker I met at BreyerFest...

and Lynn Cassels-Caldwell, who painted Winter Games and has been a longtime supporter of NaMoPaiMo.

This vintage custom article was a gold mine of happy friend feelings. It was written by Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig, who was part of the Jennifer Show staff in both 2016 and 2019, and features work by my friends, Eleanor Harvey and Lesli Kathman.

And, yes, I still want to own a Lesli horse!

Local hobby kid, Syd Stocker, is the subject of the Collector Q&A...

and my friend, Meredith, who sent me this magazine, is mentioned as the judge of one of Breyer's online photo shows.

From cover to cover, this magazine is a celebration of not just model horses, but the people behind them. I am so happy to be part of that group, to be one of them.

Just about friendship

If you're a dedicated Breyer collector who also goes to BreyerFest, you're probably a member of the Breyer Collector Club.

Since I'm neither of those things - at least not this year - I let my membership lapse. As much as I enjoy looking at all the exclusive offerings on social media, they're not something I have to have.

That said, there is one Collector Club perk which I am very much do need: the annual Just About Horses magazine.

I asked my friends if anyone had an extra copy, and Meredith Sanders graciously offered to send me hers. It arrived yesterday, and it's a fabulous issue filled with well-written, beautifully photographed articles.

Of course, that comes as no surprise. This year's edition was edited by my friend, Andrea, who honed her craft in the publications department at the American Quarter Horse Association.

But that's not all... This particular copy of Just About Horses came with a bonus.

Oh, I love that.

Yeah, I am totally wearing that to work today.

Congratulations, Andrea, and the rest of the Breyer team on another excellent edition of Just About Horses, and thank you, Meredith, for the magazine, the bracelet and, especially, your friendship.