Dirt

I work at a tack shop. 

I am used to seeing horse and stable equipment that is clean,

pristine...

and generally perfect.

But also, I go to the barn every morning.

So I am used to seeing horse and stable equipment that is dirty,

dusty,

rusty,

and generally not perfect.

Because I want my hobby horse world to be just a little better than my real horse world, I've always made my props clean, pristine and perfect.

This has served me well over the years.

But right now, dirt is in.

Kenzie Williamson's 2022 Just About Horses article about weathering props

On the one hand, I get it. 

entry by Hanna Bear, the Jennifer Show 2019

Dirt adds visual appeal and makes things look real, weighty.

photo by Kenzie Williamson

Also, it's surprisingly fun to create. You should have heard the peals of laughter during the weathering portion of Kenzie's BreyerWest workshop.

In the past, my props have been clean, pristine and generally perfect.

But now, I'm purposely adding a little bit of dirt.

It's not full blown grubby - I just can not - but more of a used-but-cared-for kind of vibe.

After all, this is Braymere. There are no princesses here, just barn rats.

before the dirtening

There is zero chance that I will ever take sandpaper and pastels to my clean, pristine and absolutely perfect Kim Haymond prop collection, but anything I've made is clearly fair game. It's 2023 - time to get drirty!