Just like that

Ten years and one month ago, I drove up to Evergreen to spend a day with Jennifer Scott.

We played with the horses,

toured the studio...

and made a Rajah resin.

It was a really fun day.

I went home with two party favors, the Rajah we'd poured and a half-finished custom Stone weanling custom.

I discovered her on the abandoned projects shelf in Jenn's casting room. I pulled her out, admired her and told Jenn, "She's really cute. You should finish her."

Then Jenn - who famously does not enjoy customizing plastic models - said, "No, you should finish her."

Well, okay then.

In theory, this should have been easy. The only part that really need work was the neck, but let me tell you, necks are hard. Jenn had blocked in the muscles on the left side, but the right was a blank slate. I had to finish her side and then match it. Not easy, at least not for me. I've picking away at it for year, but this past January - finally! - I decided it was as good as it was going to get.

I put her aside during NaMoPaiMo and my trip to California. When I got home, it was back to work. The first order of business was giving her a mane. It's been a while since I sculpted hair, so I used an appropriately old but still awesome tutorial by Charlotte Donahue for guidance.

At this point, I was pretty sure I'd be scraping the whole thing off and starting over.

Trust the process, I told myself...

and eventually, it came together.

Not perfect, but definitely cute!

I added armpit wrinkles because Angelo told me I had to. Then I blobbed on some modeling paste chestnuts a la Kristen Cermele.

And just like that - and ten long years later - baby is done.

Well, I'm sure there's some nit-picky prep stuff to attend to, plus - I suppose - paint.

 But those are issues for another decade day.

For now, I'm happy to call this one finished. On to the next!

Garland training + today's photo

Sunday is Christmas photo day at the barn. The horses will be expected to wear all manner of costumes, everything from Santa hats and reindeer antlers to garlands, bows and socks. This is not our first rodeo, and I've learned it's better not to surprise Olive with these things on the day of the event. She requires a little preparation.

Which is a long way of saying, yesterday was garland day.

The first year I did this with Olive, it took nearly two weeks to get her comfortable enough to wear a garland on her back.

Last year, it was two days.

Yesterday, we got it down to two minutes.

Admittedly, she wasn't delighted.

She was irritated by the loose ends touching her neck and legs.

She put her ears back, swished her tail...

and completely lost her ability to walk.

Fortunately, she got over it pretty quickly. She's going to be fine on Sunday.

This is Kaffi's first Colorado Christmas, so he also got a training session with the garland.

His nose...

to shoulder...

to back progression was even faster than Olive's.

And, weirdly, he was fully capable of walking with the garland on his back.

Good boy, Kaffi. You are also ready for Sunday!

Today's prompt for the Advent Model Horse Photo Challenge is Custom.

For this, I chose to use Melekush, who despite being one of my oldest customs, has only appeared on this blog once. She is wearing a set of Akhal Teke collars by the late and still very much missed, Dee Crawley. Unlike Olive, she did not require a training session. I put the collars around her neck, and that was that.

Twenty down, five to go. I think I'm going to make it.

Today's photo(s)

I took a lot of pictures today.

Most of them were of Olive, who was extra spicy today.

Heh.

A lot of them also feature Tazz.

Tazz is a yearling Andalusian/Morgan filly belonging to my friend, Heather.

Olive always likes the babies, and today, she was all about Tazz.

Although she looks a buckskin, Tazz is actually a dunskin.

That's probably a good thing. If she was actually a buckskin, I'd be tempted to use one of these photos for the Advent Model Horse Photo Challenge. Today's prompt is Buckskin, and I find that kind of underwhelming.

But - in for a penny, in for a pound - Tazz is neither a buckskin nor a model horse. I can do better, so here's Llwynog Copr, a Copperfox Welsh Cob customized and painted by Tiffany Purdy.

Nine down, sixteen to go.

Today's photo

There are a lot of stereotypes about mares, most of them negative.

I get it, but also, I love mares.

I love my mare.

She's not the easiest horse in the world, but that's one of the things I like about her. She knows who she is. She has good boundaries and expects a lot from her people. I have learned so much from her. I have learned so much with her.

Today's prompt for the Advent Model Horse Photo Challenge is Mare. For this, I chose one of my very favorite model mares, Nejmet es Subh, who is a Breyer Proud Arabian customized by Judy Renee Pope.

I took this photo for the Greytest Love class at Erin Corbett's 2020 Winter PonyBytes Fun Photo Show. I've always liked it, but also, I've always thought I could do better.

Is this better? I think maybe, yes.

In any event, that's five down, and twenty left to go!

Lights Out

Every February, I become deeply invested in the creation of several hundred NaMoPaiMo models. 

I truly care about each and every one of them, but still, some are more memorable than others. This year, one of the most remarkable was Julie Ward's Geronimo. Here's the story of his creation as documented by Julie on the NaMoPaiMo Facebook page.

February 1: It has begun. Twice actually. He already had a trip to the sink to wash off the first attempt. I didn’t like how the first mix of acrylics was spraying through my airbrush so I changed brands.

February 2: First coat of oils done! 

This is my first time winging it and making my own color palette instead of following a color recipe from someone else.

February 5: Just completed the second coat of oils. Next he will get some light roaning in oils to add some depth and detail to his coat, then the white appaloosa markings in acrylic.

February 10: Phew....this is nerve wracking! My first blanket appy. I have started the right side of him blocking in his white markings. I still have more details to add and his leg markings and face markings. Then of course the whole left side of him. Then many many more layers of the same.

February 15. Finally got to work on him today in the middle of a power outage. We have a borrowed generator hooked up today so I have enough light to paint with!

February 17: My fifth day of no power. Several more layers of white today and started a little pink here and there on heel bulbs, flanks, and muzzle. Very beginnings of base hoof color. I am losing light and can’t see well enough to seal him outside so he’s done for the night. I’m SO over this having no power.

February 18. Details are underway. More importantly; after six days I have power again! It came back on a few hours ago. I’m hoping the hot water heater has had a chance to do it’s thing because I’m headed for a shower!

February 19. Finished!

Julie named him Lights Out and showed him successfully at Breyer Boot Camp and BreyerFest. Then she decided it was time for him to find a new home and graciously gave me first dibs. I didn't have to think twice. 

I have been deeply invested in this horse since before he was even painted. 

Now he's mine.

Thank you so much, Julie. I am absolutely delighted to have Lights Out in my herd.