Today's prompt for the Shelter & Share Photo Challenge is "Best Find." That sounds easy, but I've been struggling with it all month. Because I am an artist resin and custom collector, my models invariably come from hobbyists. I find them where exactly where you would expect to find them, through online platforms such as MH$P, Facebook and eBay or at model horse events like the Jennifer Show, BreyerFest and BreyerWest. I have a lot of candidates for "Best Trade" or "Best Bargain," but that's not quite the same thing. "Best Find" is for rare and valuable things found in surprising places, like a grey Appaloosa Proud Arabian mare at a yard sale.
I've bought models from yard sales, but mostly they look like this.
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| My bobble head donkey. Try not to be jealous. |
I was mulling this over yesterday and trying to remember every model I've ever bought at a non-model location. Mentally, I clicked through the thrift shop horses, the yard sale horses, the estate sale horses and the Craig's List horses. That's when I remembered that I found Rev on Craig's List.
I leased Rev for ten months in 2013. He was one of the important horses in my life, partly because we shared a strong bond, but mostly because he brought me to Kenlyn.
Without Rev, there would not have been Santana, Scarlett, Thunder, Stealth, Guaranteed, Lucy, Chino, Mikey, Sprite, Mystyc, Goldie, Bob or Gunner.
Without Rev, James and I would have never experienced the joy of welcoming a new foal into the world.
Without Rev, I would have never met any of my barn friends.
Without Rev, I wouldn't have a big scar on my shoulder.
I can't imagine what my life would be like had I not found Rev. He truly is my "Best Find."
Since I've already taken a lot of pictures of models with photos, I decided to photograph model Rev with a model sized Craig's List ad. Since I didn't have the foresight to save the original, I cobbled together a reasonable facsimile.
I resized it and printed it on glossy color paper. I cut that out and sticky waxed it over the laptop's screen.
Here's the official picture. I am quite pleased with it.
The prompt for the April Photo Challenge was "Pony." This one was easy.
Fifty eight down, two to go. It's been a long month of photos, but now I know I'm going to make it across the finish line. Hurray!
I've never styled a mohair mane or tail so I followed the directions in Jennifer Kroll's hairing tutorial. It was trickier than I'd expected, but I am so pleased with the results. Champagne Toast looks like a brand new, twenty five year old horse!
Here's the official "Good Hair" photo.
The final prompt for the Wellman sisters' Shelter & Share Photo Challenge was "Herd Hoard." I have always wanted to set up an overfilled, messy hobby room, and now I finally have.
And because the word "hoard" always makes me think of the television show, Hoarders: Buried Alive, I extended my room to make that happen, too.
Here is a picture collage for the April Photo Challenge.
And another for the Shelter & Share Photo Challenge.
Which one is your favorite?
