Lauren's BCC entry

There are five categories in the BreyerFest Best Customs Contest: Most Extreme Custom, Excellence in Finish Work, Best Theme (Classically Customized), Fantasy and Best Custom for Performance. Yesterday we looked at entries in the Theme and Fantasy sections. Today, we move on to Most Extreme... And at sixty six point seven pounds, Lauren Wood's entry certainly qualifies.

The Making of Kharitha

by Lauren Wood

Well I guess it's finally time to reveal my Best Customs Entry for the Most Extreme Custom division! Every year I try to push myself beyond any project I've ever done. Go big or go home! Inspired by scenes from the Black Stallion, this is "Kharitha", an Arabian mare swimming above a coral reef.

Let me tell you this was a PROJECT ($$$$!!!). In addition to the horse, I made the base from scratch using lava rock from my neighbors yard and hand sculpted most of the coral and fish (a few pieces were 3d printed).

The turtle was a collecta sea turtle I repainted. If you look closely I added a fun little Easter egg in here that I couldn't resist.

The mare started as the Classic Arabian Family mare and 99% of her is resculpted!

I pushed myself on parts I've struggled with before. Sometimes it took multiple attempts, but I'm proud of how she turned out! Without a doubt my best custom to date.

I decided that a sculpted mane and tail just wouldn't look quite right in the water, so for the first time tried a mohair mane and tail. This was actually very fun to add and style. I may have to try that again! Big thanks to Mindy Berg for the emergency supply of mohair when I couldn't find any that would ship in time.

Once all the pieces were made, came the real test... Sinking this beautiful custom I'd just finished in NINE GALLONS of solid resin epoxy.

Using a mold box of custom cut plexiglass, both of my first two pours leaked all over from the base! It was a mess of disastrous proportions and only ten days before the submission deadline. Fun fact, Karitha means "disaster" in Arabic. Tears, several rolls of paper towels, and a couple calls to my bestie/mentor later, by the THIRD and final attempt, and thanks to an entire roll of gorilla tape, I was able to get the resin to stay in the mold and cure to seal all of the leaks.

But of course the horse had to be suspended in the water as well, so that took some very creative engineering and layering. She kind of looks like The Black all tied up in his stall on the boat doesn't she?!

I used a headlight polishing kit and some olive oil to clean up the sides, and I am pretty happy with the results! After all is said and done she weighs in at a whopping 66.7lbs!!! It takes two of us to carry her and I have no idea what I'll do with her now.

The only thing I'm really disappointed in is my photography skills. To be fair this is REALLY hard to photograph, but I think I managed to capture a few great shots for my entry. That may have to be the focus of next year: LEARN TO TAKE GOOD PICTURES!

I'm so thankful Breyer created this contest because every year it motivates me to push myself and my skills to a new level. I encourage EVERY new artist to give it your all and try something you've never done. Massive thanks to my mentors, besties, and cheering section Laura Skillern, Lauren Hoeffer, Tegan Davis and Kristen Arendt (who also did her first entry this year!!). I would NOT have pushed through all the challenges of this piece without them.