Billie Campbell

Billie Campbell was one of the pioneers of the hyper-detailed, hair-by-hair style of painting that is so popular in the model horse hobby today.

I didn't know her, but I definitely knew of her. I greatly admired her work, and never missed an opportunity to photograph it.

She was so incredibly talented.

Billie's 2021 BreyerFest Best Customs Contest Excellence in Finishwork entry

Billie passed away on Wednesday, after a two year battle with small-cell carcinoma. She was fifty four.

I asked readers to share photos of their Billie horses. Many included remembrances, too. The rest of this post is a celebration of Billie's hobby life and work. Thank you, everyone for sharing. 

Dani Boiko: My very first resin to enter my collection is this little one by Billie. It set the bar so high for the quality I looked for in other painted resins. This one holds a special place in my heart and will forever stay in the collection.

Brenda Summers: I owned this Whiplash by her for several years. She was such a talent and so nice.

Shannon Rodgers: She was fantastic to work with and so talented - love this 2024 piece

Marci Smith Driscoll: This is Junior Mint, a Carol Herdon draft mule painted by Billie in 2005.

Vicky Norris: I couldn't afford one of her appaloosas but she painted an amazing black sabino for me.

Anja Schmidt: My first horse from her, 2005. I will miss her.

Liane Keary: This is my Mittens, painted by Billie. She bought one of my jumps years ago - very sad to hear of her passing.

Cindy Banas: My Tator she painted. I am devastated as I was planning on having her paint my WARDEN… she was very talented and will be missed dearly.

Summer Kozisek: She was an amazing person and artist.

Jada Perrine: It was definitely quite shocking news to read this morning, my heart goes out to her family and all of her close friends, though I did not have the privilege of knowing her personally. I have the absolute honor of being able to own one of her gorgeous Appaloosa pieces. Here is my Von Hamilton by Billie.

Erin Dunn: Not the best picture of him but the best of what I have. I used to own this guy (been thinking about trying to buy him back especially now) and he was my best show horse. Before his very first show he decided to jump off the shelf and break 2 of his legs off and Billie sweet thing paused the projects she was working on at the time to get him fixed up for me. My heart is shattered hearing of her passing.

Katie Lynn: I have so many by Billie. We texted a lot and were really good friends Here are resins she painted for me. I have a few older breyer pieces too, but my resins are my pride and joy and those really excited her to get the feedback from at shows.

Katie Lynn: The model she painted for me over 10 years that started our friendship. Not many people knew about her illness she talked to me about it and her treatments a lot I was sad not to see and hangout with her at breyerfest this year but she told me god told her not to go and he was right. She was at home with her husband and it was very unexpected from what I learned because she was doing better but im glad she's not in any pain anymore

Joyce Savage: A dear friend of mine that was this models original owner only asked for Billie to paint it for her. Karen had stage 4 lung cancer and Billie was ill at the time also. She agreed to paint him for Karen..shortly after Karen passed. Billie had a huge heart even through dealing with her own illness. Rest in Perfect Peace Billie...we will not forget.

Trish Shaffer

Trish Shaffer

Joyce Savage: I commissioned Billie to paint this fellow. She was extremely kind and a joy to work with. You will be missed Billie.

Jessica Fry: My sweet mare. I’ve had her for sale, but think now I’ll be keeping her.

Ginger Combs: Not the greatest photo, but I adored her work since shortly after I got into the hobby. I won this little one in a raffle at my first show 16 years ago. I'm especially glad to have her now. I'm very sad.

Lauren Morris: She was one of the first artists I ever commissioned. I had two mules by her, and I wished college did not force me to sell them.

Medbh Devereaux: My Affinity painted by Billie. She was so talented; the hobby will miss her greatly.

Carla Clifford: This is my only model done by her. A truly special piece!!

Robyn Jalbert: I've known Billie for a long time! This is a stablemate resin she painted for me.

Jane Varin: One of my very favorite customisers. She did such beautiful, detailed, hair-by-hair Appaloosa patterns. I’m privileged to own two of her beautiful pieces.

Hayley Kidd: My Fred and Ginger, so sad to hear! Thoughts go out to her family and friends!

TC Berger: So sad.

Jacquelynn Fernandez

Lauren Morris: A jasmine resin I commissioned her, but I do not own any more. I am so saddened by her passing!

Rest easy, Billie. You are missed.

End of the road

Although we'd planned to arrive in Madison Wednesday evening - plot change! - James, Guppy, Mercury and I didn't actually get there until Friday morning.

It's all good.

The arrangements had been made online, so we hadn't seen the apartment yet. Fortunately, it was easy to find and there was an open parking space right in front of his ground floor "balcony." 

Phew.

We brought the animals inside.

Then, the moment of truth.

The snake habitat was first thing to be unloaded. I was worried that one of the glass panes might have broken en route, but everything was intact. Phew.

Mercury belongs to James' girlfriend, Mattie, who will be moving to Madison later this fall. James isn't terribly confident in his snake handling skills, but he did a really good job of gently transferring the snake from his travel container...

into the habitat.

I can not tell you what a relief it was to see him alive, well and safely behind glass.

While all this was going on, Guppy disappeared.

In the words of my late mother-in-law, she had been a brick this entire trip. However, the big empty apartment was a hill too far.

Poor little baby.

Even though it was way in the back, James unloaded the cat tree next. She climbed right in it, and immediately settled down. Phew.

It took twenty eight hours to load that truck, and less than four to empty it.

Moving math.

Phew.

Almost wordless Wednesday

Before I left Wisconsin, James took me to see his new workplace. In all senses of the word, it was Epic.