Bluebird Studio

Braids Part 2

2012-01-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

Whilst I am waiting for my bobbles to dry, I have cut a channel along the top of Valentine's neck. This is a personal preference of mine. I believe it gives the Apoxie something to grab, and makes a nicer and more realistic merge from mane to neck.

I have then marked the places for the bobbles. Remember to leave room for your bridle trail.

Firstly, because they are rough from the cuts made by the scalpel, I sand their bottoms on an emery board. It does not take much, just a couple of passes for each one. Once each bobble sits flat, I superglue/baking soda each one onto the neck.

I like to leave the horse overnight at this point. Baking soda and superglue make an almighty mess which all needs to be cleaned up and sanded off, and it is best to let the mix set as hard as possible before fiddling around and popping them off in all directions.

Next I roll out another sausage, roughly the length of the neck, and maybe 3 mill' thick. I then flatten this sausage and place it along the channel in the neck.

Like so...

It does not have to be pretty.

I then make a cut with anything that is handy to make each segment.

Now it is simply a matter pinching in the sides to make a triangle and folding each segment down towards each bobble. I had way to much Apoxie and had to trim each segment as I went along.

I thought I had a photo of this part but I seem to have imagined it :)

The end result.

Don't forget that a braid has 3 sides. Offside, nearside and top. Keep checking that your mane looks realistic from all 3.

I will leave this to dry before putting on the forelock braid. I am very good at squishing work I have already done.

A tip; If you find you have made up more Apoxie then you need, put the excess away in the freezer while you work. This will slow it's cure, and give you more time to get back to it.

Braids

2012-01-18T22:50:00.000-08:00

My Valentine CM is going to be braided mane, loose tail, so I thought I might as well take some photos of the braiding process.

This is for an English/Australian style bob braid.

For photographic purposes I am doing this on a sheet of paper, but the table top is a much better surface to use.

First I start with a small amount of Apoxie Sculpt. I have left it until it is 3/4 set and lost most if not all of it's stickiness.

I then roll out three long thin sausages ( I know, more sausages. I sometimes think I re-build an entire horse with sausages). Once rolled out I squish the tops of all three together and to the table to anchor them.

Start plaiting. I use a toothpick to hold down the strand I am crossing over, this holds everything in place and makes a slight dent in the underneath strand which makes everything sit nicely. I plait all the way to the end being careful not to stretch or break the Apoxie as I go.

Wallah!

Now I take a scalpel and make a cut, the Apoxie will stick to the blade. Whilst it is, bring the ends together and roll gently off the blade. This will make the rosette. Always thirteen bobs, showies are a superstitious lot, but make a few extras as if you are anything like me, a couple will get lost during the sticking on process. Leave to dry :)

More soon :)

Next please!

2012-01-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

Now Heartbreaker is done, it is time for me to focus on who's next.

We have a couple of really big shows coming up, one is River City live which is held in Murray Bridge, South Australia. The second is Melbourne Live.
The show in Murray Bridge is about 8 hours drive from me, whereas Melbourne is an hour away. A serious drawback for the Aussie hobby is the huge distances between collectors. It is such a shame, as they are such wonderful people, and many I would love to see on a more regular basis then once a year for a show.

So in planning for these two shows, I have a few horses on the go.

Number one is a Breyer Valentine to a more forward trot, and on the bit. This has been a really simple CM, especially for me. But Eberl is such a sculptor, that there really is not a great deal that needs to be done, I am not looking to improve the mold, just tweak her.

I am going for an older mare, the kind of horse you see at every pony club, the beginners horse that was once a successful competition horse, has probably had a few foals, and has been there done that and is now doing the rounds with a nervous nelly or an inexperienced but ambitious child.

I have one of these mares in my paddock, she is an English Riding Pony, and she is my favourite saddle horse. The girl has buttons I have not even found yet, she is so educated she is smarter then me lol. But such an easy ride, nothing is complicated with her. She is worth her weight in gold.

Number two is a Peter Stone ISH.

When wandering back through Jennifer Buxton's Blog; Braymere Custom Saddlery something I frequently do... I found myself coming back time and again to a particular set of photos.

The ISH, Kelly (she came from her previous owner, much loved, but ready for a fresh look and already named) was only going to be a simple tidy up and repaint, but the idea had taken hold, and Kelly's fate was sealed, she was going to be a working horse.

Specifically a Tie down roper First I was leaning towards the Buckskin in the first photo, but it was the sixth photo down that called Kelly's name.

With an order of Apoxie Sculpt fresh from Aves, it is time to get sculpting!

Diary of a Heartbreaker ...

2012-01-13T03:55:00.000-08:00

Done :)

All he needs is the acrylic rod for his back hoof. The bubby is then off to the USA to be painted and shown at Breyerfest by Jaime baker.

Hard work does pay off ...and dreams do come true ;)

YAAAAY! Happy dance*happy dance* Sanding is over!

Back to it.

2012-01-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

After a joyous Christmas and new years spent with family and friends it is great to get back to the studio (aka; the kitchen table).

Heartbreaker is on the home straight, and it is time to make the final push and finish him off.

Through holding his back leg when applying primer, sanding etc, the repositioned joint showed its weakness and cracked. So it was out with the Dremel. I made a channel running vertically down the centre of the front of the leg, then built it up slowly with baking soda and glue. If this was a larger horse with more weight, I would have inserted some thick wire for added support. I will now fill the hole with Apoxie sculpt, for an un-noticeable fix.

The little black circles are where I have gone over him carefully and marked the places that need a little more attention, this way I don't forget where they are, as many of them are minute, they are easy to miss.

Unfortunately the annoying creature also took a dive off the table and has broken an ear, and the base of his tail. So very frustrating this close to the end!

Next time you see this fellow he will finally be complete! YAY!

Tools down....

2011-12-04T23:34:00.001-08:00

... paint brushes up.

This is Morgan and he is the portrait of a Shetland that lives not to far away from me. So I was able to get some nice clear photos of all his detail. I think he has come out OK, I will be delivering him to his owner tomorrow, I hope she likes him :)

I have painted him up using Jaime Baker's YouTube video; Painting Model Horses - Roaning

There is a part two of the video as well.

And Jaime's Liver Chestnut DVD, which just happens to be on sale right now! BONUS!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Liver-Chestnut-DVD-CM-Breyer-Stone-Horse-resins-HOLIDAY-SALE-/290640645620?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43ab884df4

I have a few more of the little guys to paint up, then it will be back to sculpting. :)

Mr Mayagi say ...

2011-11-20T18:46:00.001-08:00

Wax on ...

Wax off ...

Wax on ...

Wax off ...

Wax on ...

By the time a pony gets towards the end of the CM work, he has had 5 or 6 coats of primer, but as you can see they get sanded back again. Each successive coat (often swapping between colours) highlights faults and flaws in Captain Obvious style. I do have to be very careful around details like eyes and wrinkles that they do not get lost under the coats of paint.

The little guy is to be pastelled when his sculpting is complete, and nothing grabs pastels like sanding marks, and grainy primer, he needs to be as smooth as a baby's behind. So there is going to be a whole lot more before I can call him done.

My lest favourite, it is a complete bummer that it is the longest, fiddliest, most time consuming, and the absolute critical part of CM'ing.

Raspberry*thumbs down.

An easy fix.

2011-11-18T22:27:00.001-08:00

Okie dokie, a pony was dropped and an ear snapped off and into pieces. To be honest though this sort of thing happens to me more often then not, I am ridiculously clumsy. It is because of this that I have a tub of ears, already made up and cured, ready to plonk onto any unfortunate victim.

So a quick sort through and I have found a match in size. The ears are only roughly made and quite thick, this gives me plenty to work with in matching this ear to the existing one.

Uh-oh.

LOL, this happens more often then not too, I am actually surprised I was not still attached to the ear and horse as well
As you can see the ear is too big, and too clunky also the wrong shape.

Never fear, that is what sandpaper, and carbide scrapers are for :) It still needs Apoxie added to the base for correct shape and some liddle wrinkles and ear fluff.

So there we go ...an easy fix.

Dang it!

2011-11-12T23:19:00.001-08:00

Note to self - Do not drop pony on his head, disaster ensues.

Long time, no post!

2011-11-10T01:58:00.000-08:00

So sorry for the time span between posts, I was really hoping to keep the momentum going with Heartbreakers CM! My real job and finishing off a few more commissions pushed the CM work back.

I have been fiddling with him in fits and spurts, he has ears (Laura Skillern has the BEST tutorial on sculpting ears on her Blog, I highly recommend a visit to 'Don't eat the paint').

I make my ears and eyeballs up in bulk with any left over Apoxie I have no use for. I make them lots of different sizes from stablemate to traditional. They are very easy to sand down to fit any horse. This way I always have ears on hand, and there is no waiting around for Apoxie to dry :) Right now, I have about 20 little pairs made up.

Unfortunately I jumped ahead a little forgetting to take photos along the way :( not too far though :).

So onto his lower lip.

Another sausage, this one is rolled to the correct length, taking care to taper the ends off.

You want the ends to fit just underneath and slightly shorter the the top lip. I have coloured the sausage yellow. Underneath in purple, is a small ball of Apoxie that has simply been squished on for his chin. I have then smoothed the bottom lip and the chin with Aves safety solvent, then once dry, refined with sandpaper.

On most horses, you will find the bottom lip is wider then the top in front, but narrower at the back. Hence tucking the bottom lip sausage in under the top. Foals this young are also toothless (or only have their milk teeth), and can often be seen with their lips and chim compressed much more then an adult horse would be able to.

More sausages! First is the red sausage, it makes the bones of the lower jaw, I like to wait until this one is dry before moving onto the others. You can see in the above photo that it was done the same time as the bottom lip and chin.

I also like to do both side of the head at the same time. Unlike the body, which depending on the movement, has muscles doing different things on each side, a horses head is symmetrical.

Sausage number two is the blue, then a shorter fatter tapered sausage makes the green. Orange is made up by a little triangular blob that makes the stretch of skin between the mouth edge and the jaw.

I blob these on roughly, squish then smooth, smooth, smooth.

Study these parts carefully on your horse, as each is different, some have more detail, some have less. Some show much more tendon, some don't. Older Arabians that have 'dried out' and super fit lean TB's can have some of the best definition, study photos and anatomy charts, learn what is under the skin.

More soon!

Character.

2011-10-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

As a portrait artist, faces are my 'thing', I enjoy creating them more then any other part of the horse, and have usually finished the face in the very early stages.
On this guy I am only re-sculpting the bottom half of his face, as the eyes he already has are fine, they will get eyelashes, but that is it.

So let's begin :)
First assemble all the players. Pony, Apoxie Sculpt, for face work like this I use the Aves safety solvent for smoothing (it stays wetter for longer then the metho, and does not make the clay sticky like water) a soft cheapo brush. My sculpting tools are an orange (cuticle) stick, a sanded and shaped wooden skewer and a toothpick.

Pony is ready, his face is already roughed up from where I dremeled his features off.

Following my reference photos, I add to his profile, giving him more forehead, continuing right down and including the squishy bit between his nostrils. Once I think I have it 'about' right, I use my finger in the solvent to smooth and feather the edges.

Next I roll out a little sausage and create a top lip, just plop it on.

Then I have smoothed it out using the brush dipped in the solvent. I am not concerned with shape so much, as the clay will take a few hours to cure, there is plenty of work time.

Starting to take shape

Next comes the outer nostril. I start with a vague leaf shape, not too thin, maybe a millimetre thick. It is easier to shape and sand down excess then it is to add more onto detailed parts like faces.

I then roll it onto my shaped wooden skewer. This has to be done gently, or the clay will not want to come off the skewer, which can be quite frustrating!

Here I have just placed the nostril on the face, it is just sitting there. I think I lose about three nostrils on the floor for every one I manage to keep on a face.

This is the bit that anchors the nostril down, and creates the correct shape. I am using a blade to make a simple cut and trim the excess clay.

Next is the inner section of the nostril. Once again, same as the lips, a little sausage is rolled.

I place one end inside, then using my skewer and toothpick, I bend the sausage at a right angle down towards his top lip. Smooth, smooth, smooth :)

Ta da! Character.

More soon...

All finished.

2011-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

The big fulla is done, and up for sale!
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/250908569916?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
I have chosen to list him on eBay, something different, and not sure if I am terribly comfortable with it just yet. Not that I have anything against eBay, I don't, I think it is a safe way to sell and buy, but the anticipation literally kills me, I am a nervous wreck till the last minute.

Lots more photos on his Auction site.

Painting finished ...back to sculpting, YAY!

Painting ...

2011-10-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

... is not my favourite part of customising unfortunately. I love watching the horse come to life, I love the end result, I love scouring the Internet looking for the perfect colour, but when it actually comes to applying the pastels, procrastination becomes my greatest talent.

This time however I am using Jaime Baker's DVD's to paint.

I have learnt that in most ways, I was doing it sorta right, but those few extra tips and tricks from an experienced artist have really made a huge difference to my style and technique. I feel that I am in control of my pastels, but not micro managing them as I used to.

I have been able to loosen up and look at the horse as a whole, not just a little section at a time.

I am also looking at my reference photos with new eyes, they have made me think about what technique I can use to get a certain effect.

But best of all, my motivation and confidence to paint and create a realistic end result has increased 100%.

Bloody brilliant :)

The big Fulla ...

2011-09-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

And I am in no way kidding, there is so much work on this fellow that he weighs in at 720gms.

So very close to being finished, in these pics all he is lacking are his eyelashes and veins. When he is done, he will be painted a warm soft dapple grey suitable to his age.
With his stallion bulk and the movement of dressage he is performing, I am thinking he is about 10 to 12 years old.

Silly begger got sick of waiting for me to edit his photos, so laid down and had a roll, lol. he really does have a face only a mother could love.

And a reminder of where he began ....

Photo credit to Melissa Williams, Identify my Breyer

Reference photos

2011-09-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

Remember I mentioned the importance of good reference photos? Well there is no point having them if you don't use them :)
I have taken a photo of the foal into Paint.NET and made it black and white, then used pencil sketch to make it more contrasty (I am sure that is a word :) if not it should be).

Then, with this altered photo in front of me, and a Sharpie in my hand, I mark the areas I want to change. The areas I want to carve out are shaded, the areas that need a gentler hand are lined.

I then end up with a graffiti pony like this;

The area at the base of his neck, and at his elbow are bits I will be adding to,
the rest will all be substantially carved out.

Mmm, spaghetti leg!

Next is more Dremel work ...*happy sigh* I love my Dremel.

Blobbing clay on.

2011-09-11T15:35:00.000-07:00

Both satisfying and fun!

I love this part of the customising, were I can throw Apoxie in the general direction of the horse, in general muscle shapes. This is the point where I want to find the shape and feel of the sculpt, where what I pictured in my head begins to come to life.
Lots of mistakes are made, nothing that cannot be fixed :)

...and before the ridiculous amounts of sanding.
There still has to be a lot of playing with proportions, such as the near side stifle, really not happy with how it is translating. So I will e doing a lot of staring at it and some measuring as well. Right now I think it is too low and without tension.

Neck muscles will have to be sanded right down, way too much bulk there! Shoulder points are very uneven, even allowing for leg lift, so they will be evened up as well.

I will make these alterations before I add anymore Apoxie, as there is no point putting good over bad :)

An important thing to remember when you start throwing clay onto a horse shaped object, is to make sure your surfaces are roughed up. You have to give the plastic (or cured Apoxie) some tooth so the new apoxie sticks.

One body that came my way was a Peter Stone Arab, he was a lovely boy by a BNA, but all his Apoxie work was lifting off as it had been applied directly to a glossy body. Unfortunately he could not be saved, and is now in the process of becoming a TB.

Heartbreaker with scruffs from a carbide scraper ready for Apoxie work.

PAM with sanding scruffs from a dremel ready for Apoxie work.

So far I have used the photos of the real foal as reference, and this book (my favourite!) to see what is happening under the skin.

I got mine off Ebay, for about $12.00. Bargain!

Bendy bits done :)

2011-09-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

I have now altered all the bits I highlighted as needing changes in Photoshop. The hooves and psterns are still a wreck, but I am going to leave them alone for now.

Here you can see just how much original plastic I have removed, and how the Space Invader is holding him steady.

He looks very up hill now because I have completely removed his hips and rump, that will change when I start adding Apoxie.

Little young to be doing a piaffe! :D

I need to do some more playing around with his head placement, as right now he looks like he is shying away, when I want naughty-snorty. Should just be a matter of dropping his nose a touch.

Next comes the fun stuff, Apoxie Sculpt!

Heartbreaker Photoshop.

2011-09-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

Yay it is the weekend! well almost Therefore it is Heartbreaker time :)

After the heating and the squishing I fill the cavity of the body with either foil, or space invader (do not use space invader if you intend heating the model again! Space invader is VERY flammable).
With Heartbreaker I have used the Space Invader. So no more heat gun.
Now Heartbreaker is a Frankenstein mess right now, and I am itching to jump in and start Apoxie work. But it is so much cheaper and easier to go into a program like Paint.NET and have a play with your sculpt digitally.
By placing the sculpt onto a page of white paper, it brings the horse forward without a noisy background, making it much easier to photoshop.

Before

After.

Before

After

I am not a whiz with a computer, and what I have done is very simple, but these simple little changes on Paint.NET help me see the changes that need to be made in plastic. Tomorrow I will pull out the dremel again, take off a fair amount of near side hind quarter, and move the off side hind further underneath the body. I am also wondering whether or not to bring the off side front leg forward. Hmmm ...

Maybe? Maybe not?

I am also going to remove the muscling in the neck and chest, as my sculpt will be younger then Heartbreaker, and therefore more sinewy and bony.
Always keeping in mind that a CM is a tactile and shifting thing, I will be changing parts until the very last moment I put the last coat of primer on, an even probably then!
On Wi'Hell'mena I took off an entire shoulder and redid it after I thought she was finished. I fought the urge, and procrastinted and thought "Nah, she is fine" But I knew in my heart it was not right, and had to come off.

One of the best pieces of advice I have ...don't be afraid to lope off necks, heads, shoulders legs etc that don't feel right, anything you have done, can be redone, and often better.

Till tomorrow!

Diary of a CM.

2011-09-05T02:36:00.000-07:00

More then anything, I love a good tutorial.
More then any other question, I am asked is "How do I do it?"
So I thought, why not put the two together and Blog on :)

First a disclaimer. I have only finished 6 CMs before this one, I do not profess to be an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I will be guessing, making things up as I go along, and no doubt making lots of mistakes. So this is not really a tutorial, more of a diary of a CM.

I will be starting a thread on Model Horse Blab with this guys progress, because I respect any artist that puts their work out there for critique, and although it is really, really tough thing to do, it is a very important part of the learning process, and I am a firm believer in putting my money where my mouth is :) and I aim to get this pony to Breyerfest, so I really want it to be the best it can be.
I will post a link to the thread once it is up :)

So let's begin!

First a photo for reference. I actually have about 80 photos of this little guy, but this is the pose shot. An important thing to remember is the sculpt is only ever as good as the references.

Never ever guess, no matter how well you think you know horses. I have 10 of them out in my paddocks, I am with them every day, riding grooming, cleaning up after them, and I can still not stress enough the need for good reference photos!

I have had these photos for around two years, he was one of my bust portraits. I have been patiently waiting for the right mould to come along for CMing.

In this case it is Breyers Heartbreaker.

Nooooooooooooo I hear you shriek, why ruin a perfectly good horse!!

Well this fellow was not perfect, he had an almighty big dent on his top lip, and I am not one for simple patch work/paint jobs :) so off with his head, metaphorically ...

Using the reference pic' as a guide, I then mark the horse with a Sharpie so I know where to make the cuts to move the limbs. Try to make the cuts where the legs would naturally bend at the joints. Knees, pasterns, shoulders, throat latch etc.

I then make the cuts using a hack saw. I used to use the dremel for this, but found I very very easily got carried away the hack saw is also more precise and makes cleaner cuts.
I then use the dremel to remove the lower half of his face, as he is going from Warmblood to Arabian, there will need to be some major face changes.
Try to be as neat as possible, it saves time and headaches later, learnt this one the hard way!

Then I move onto the heat gun, I know a lot of people don't like these things, but I love mine, and have not managed to set fire to a horse yet! Which for me is actually surprising.
Before I got my heat gun, I used boiling water and a hair dryer, just as effective but it just takes toooo long. I like things done now! Just remember though, you are warming, not melting.

This is the result. Looks terrible right :) they always do at this stage. But stay tuned!

Wondering about the dreadful floral pillow under Heartbreaker?
That is a wheat filled heat pack. They were Mothers Day gifts from my youngest sons, who made them at Scouts, so as hideous as they are, I am very sentimentally attached to them :)
They are also extremely useful. They cushion the horse you are working on, the wheat can be manipulated to straighten a horse while you work on it, and once heated, an apoxied horse will cure faster when laid onto it. They also hold ears and eyeballs whilst curing so you don't get flat spots :)

Stablemates, my new favourites!

2011-09-04T01:51:00.000-07:00

Since Cm'ing the Welsh D, I am addicted to these little guys! Compared to their larger cousins, they are so much easier. A little bit of Apoxie sculpt also goes a really really long way! I am still in the habit of mixing much more then I need, so the perfect answer to that problem is of course to CM more then one at a time, lol. So right now I have three on the go.

This one is nearly finished. Just a few more tweaks and a lot more sanding. He began as a G3 walking Arab, you can see his original form here
He is a more drastic CM with pretty much new everything, though in the beginning he was to only have a new head set, mane and tail, but after removing his head, I lost it (typical!) so he had to have a new face. The old body no longer went with the new head, so it was altered as well.

Then there are these two, the one on the left is a G3 Belgian, being CM'ed to a Welsh D cob, and on the right is a G1 Silky Sullivan.

I have twelve Silkies, so expect to see a lot of differents takes on the little fellow over the next year :). I have ideas for a few of them, but if any of you guys have something you would like to see done ...post a comment or shoot me an email :) I would love to hear them.

Squeeeeeeeeeee!

2011-08-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Now I am not prone to bouts of emotion. I am deeply conservative, and sophisticated (well not really sophisticated, actually not even close! But I would dearly love to be!). I do not suffer from the giggles or other girly outbreaks, but today was most certainly one out of the box!

I giggled and danced (yes I danced ...no it was not pretty) and grinned my way all around the kitchen/studio. Because these are the photos I received this morning from Jaime Baker!

You can see all his photos and his auction here!

Is he not absolutely wonderful! Jaime has drawn out his character and brought him to breathing life.

Look at that kissy spot!

The roaning on his cheek!
The colour and shading is his tail, I want to run my fingers through his hair!

All photos By Jaime Baker

The story behind this little fellow? I was the c0-judge at River City Live (partnered by the uber talented Liz Shaw) and our Stablemate Supreme Champion was an exquisite dapple grey painted by Jaime on the (I think) Warmblood mold. He was the most delightful horse. The smoothness of the layers, the tiny intricate and fine hair by hair detailing. The more I looked at him, the more I saw.

I came home from Adelaide knowing that I had to get Jaime to paint one of my horses. Finding out that Jaime did not only, not take commissions, but also preferred Stablemate scale sank my heart. I had never CM'ed a stablemate or even a classic scale for that matter, I did not know if I could mange it, but determined that I would sculpt something that would catch Jaime's eye, the Welshie was created.

So you could say (as corny as it sounds) this little fellow is a dream come true, and so very worthy of the kitchen dancing.

In fact I might just dance some more!

Thank you Jaime!

DUN Donation.

2011-08-16T22:40:00.000-07:00

Breyer Marigold is now finished, I am really happy with how she has turned out. I could see her all tacked up as a show pony, first ridden or leading rein.
She is now heading off to Sommer Prosser for some new clothes. So you could say she is going home, as Sommer is the sculptor of the delightful Marigold Mold.
I can hardly wait to see what Sommer chooses for her. Once finished she will be back here for her raffle.
For tickets contact Lisa at liswin@iinet.au
Stay tuned!

Lots of updates today :)

2011-07-23T03:13:00.000-07:00

First up is my little stablemate CM on the breyer Belgian mold. He was CM'ed to a show off Welsh D gelding.
The very exciting news with this boy is that he is now in the hands of the uber talented Jaime Baker, and when I say Uber, I mean UUUUUUBBBBBBEEEEEERRRRR!
I practically beside myself to see the clothes that Jaime creates for this boy!
He will be up for sale from Jaime on completion :)

My DUN donation is nearly complete, she just needs a few more little tweaks and details and the rest of her tail.

She took a tumble (I am ridiculously clumbsy!) and broke off an ear, so I have replaced them. She has been braided up, and her face has been refined and dried out giving her a bit of age, just what I expect to see in the leading rein classes at our finest shows.

I am onto her third tail, the first two were just not the airy fine haired tails you see on show ponies. This one is the charm though, I think I have finally got it. :)

Finally ...this is my donation to Las Vegas Live 2012, a gorgeous PAM.

Yay, I love my PAM's/FAM's, cutting into her was like coming home :D

This show is going to be donating a portion of the proceeds to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, in memory of Karen Grimm. So a show well worth supporting! I strongly encourage all the hobbyists to really jump on board and go all out for this one.

Check it out here: Las Vegas Live

SM CM?

2011-07-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

This little one is my first Stablemate CM, he is the G3 Belgian drafter CM'ed to a Welsh Cob.

There were a few hiccups to start with but after customising some tools, and the purchase of a flexi shaft for my dremel, he is coming along in leaps and bounds.

Humphrey is up up and away!

2011-07-01T22:39:00.001-07:00

The big character is finally finished and is jet setting off to the USA for professional casting by Mountain Veiw Studios. Very exciting stuff!
Humphrey will be appox' $75US each, at this stage he will be limited to a single mould edition, he is classic scale (true 1:12th scale) Shetland Pony gelding.
Simply drop me an email with your name, if you would like to reserve a copy of the little guy.

Isn't he adorable?

The big fulla.

2011-06-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

I am having trouble putting him down :) When I am this caught up in a sculpt I have to be careful not to burn out, or oversee things in my enthusiasm.

I shall be seeking lots of critique from my peers on this fellow, as he is sure to be my most difficult sculpt yet, and I want him to be just right.

Back in the studio again!

2011-06-20T17:37:00.001-07:00

An attack of itchy fingers has seen the beginnings of some pony make overs.
These two are both classic scale Marigold CM's. They will be Australian Riding Pony/Welsh B ponies in full show turn out.

Both will be up for grabs, but one of them will be a 100% donation to Down Under Nationals.
At this stage we are thinking raffle :) so message me if you are interested in either, and I will pass on the pertinent info.

This one has not had as muck work, she is still in the squish around phase. But rest assured she will lose the stiff zombie look :)

I have even managed some progress on this big fulla.

Grrrr's a winner!

2011-05-17T06:11:00.000-07:00

Grrrr, or Wil'hell'mina as she is now known, has gone supreme CM at River City Live in South Australia.
I am so very, very chuffed *happy sigh*

Photo credit S.W.I.D Design, Australia

Wil'hell'mina was to be sold directly after this show, but there is the possibility that she may be heading to the USA for some proxy showing before then. Things are still up in the air, but we will see how we go :)

Grrrrr done.

2011-04-29T01:24:00.000-07:00

She is done!

She also has a name Wil"hell"mina, I thought it was quite apt ;)

And with her original form.

OCD.

2011-04-24T01:31:00.000-07:00

Obsessive Compulsive Dremeling.

Up for offers on MH$P

2011-04-19T06:40:00.000-07:00

Is my newly finished Peter Stone Arab.
You can view his ad on MH$P here; LINK

Going grey.

2011-04-17T21:05:00.000-07:00

Fleabites on Grrrr. Not sure how she is really going to turn out, I am still up in the air over wether I like them or not, and even wether to continue with them or not. I am using a Welsh A gelding for her colour. He has a lot of black fleabites, but they all blend in to be almost invisible, so lots of blending down to go on her!

Liddle Humphrey Bear also has a coat of colour. I have used my youngest sons Shetland pony as muse for this one.

Possibly not the most exciting of colours, but I like the way it lets the sculpture speak. Which in my case is not such a bad thing, as I think I am a much better sculptor then I am a painter! ;)

Grrrr!

2011-04-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Almost there with this one :) She just needs her frogs, eyelashes and veining as well as a jolly good sand.

Stone Arab finished...

2011-04-10T01:32:00.000-07:00

...except for his chestnuts and ermine spots, he is finished. Altogether he has a new neck, mane and tail, genitalia. I have also carved out his hooves and his ears, and given him a new muzzle.

Edit.

2011-04-07T04:26:00.000-07:00

New ears, refined head, and some more work on her barrel.

Leg and hoof work are next on the agenda.

Arab Medallion.

2011-04-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

This one is for River City Live. It will go as prizes, and copies will also be auctioned off over the weekend. After he is cast the moulds will be passed to Temika Zimmerman, and be handled by her.

Over the top of the plaque reads the old Arabic verse;

My treasures do not clink or glitter. They gleam in the sun and neigh in the night.

Progress.

2011-04-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

Despite spending part of my weekend at work, I still managed to get a little done in the studio :)

Humphrey. Feathering and leg detail will see this little guy finished.

This one is starting to look like he is a horse, instead of a camel.

Cranky FAM is taking shape. She has caught my attention again, so I may run with it and try and get her finished up this week, or at least to mane and tail stage :)

After struggling with this boys 'spot/blob', I gave up and stripped him. In this photo he has his first ten or so layers of pastel base coat, and I have added his dapples, I will now begin darkening him up and blending down his pangare.

On brighter notes,

2011-03-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Jack is almost done. I need to tone down his whites, and tidy him up a bit more.
I am dying to re-do his tail now I have used Laura's method, but I shall resist, and save my itchy fingers for the casting proof :)
On a side note ...I cannot believe how much static dust/fluff sticks to a black horse when you are photographing them!

Coat of colours.

2011-03-23T00:54:00.000-07:00

Layers of colour laid down, I am pretty sure I have the right tones, hours of work, dappling receding under to just a subtle hint, and then ...

Dang it there is a 'blob' just below his offside hip, wondering now if I can spot fix him, or if I shall have to strip him completely. Kicking myself I did not notice it sooner, can you see it?

This is the colour I am aiming for, this little girl is my Australian Riding Pony, Lynlea Sundance. She is already piling on the winter woolies *sigh*

Post surgery.

2011-03-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

I think he is looking a lot less giraffe like now. I have also added to his belly, and hips.

He also has a face now, and a little personality :)

Today he will get his mane and genitalia, some more sanding and hopefully a coat of primer.

Blue painters tape and other stuff.

2011-03-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Finally made it into town early this week, and grabbed myself some supplies, YAY!

I have been keen to follow Laura Skillern's tutorial for tail CM'ing on her brilliant Blogspot http://donteatthepaint.blogspot.com/ , (I really cannot recommend this Blog enough), as I pretty much have sucked at tails in the past and am wanting to improve.

So supplies assembled:

One moderately hacked up and melted pony, armature wire, super glue, Bicarb soda, and blue tape :)

After passing the wire through his, err, rear end and up through his neck to his ears, I Bicarbed and Superglued it into place, then taped over it. A couple of coats of glue/Bicarb mix over the tape and we were ready to tango :D.

Almost there ...

Of course me being me, with the help of fellow Blabbers , I realised his neck was too long, no surprises there, lol. So once again, it will be "Off with his Head!"

Other then being cross at myself for not double measuring his neck before getting caught up in muscles, I am really chuffed with how he is turning out, and super dooper chuffed with his tail. And it was easy peasy, onwards and upwards!

Thank you so much Laura!

"Off with his head!"

2011-03-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

I don't recommend this at home, normally one customises, then primes, then paints the ponies. Nup, to mundane for me, lol, I like to chop my horses up after I have spent weeks painting them.

I wrapped him to protect the hours of work already invested in painting him.

Poor Jack looks a little horrified.

Head back on, hopefully a little re sculpting and he will be as good as new. I am however thinking it may be a total neck/mane re sculpt.

Funny, he still looks deeply worried! ;D

Light bulb moments ...

2011-03-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Jack has been on my bench in resin for nigh on 14 months, prepped primed and ready to go to the US for casting, but something was niggling me, I was never 100% happy with him.

I have been painting an AP copy of Jack for myself, a portrait of my own Welsh stallion. I have been happy with the paint job, but trying to take photos of him has been driving me spare, he looks great in real life, but dreadful in his photos:(
Why is this pony so gosh darn hard to photograph!

That was when I had my light bulb moment. His neck is too long, and now I have discovered his problem, it is soooo clear to me, I am amazed I have not seen it sooner!

This is Jack with a little neck lipo ...

and this is him before,

Up close of his ticking. Lots more to go :)

Finished FAM

2011-01-07T17:14:00.001-08:00

So all up her makeover included, her face re-sculpted. Including new nostrils, jowls, and lips, new eyebrows and profile carved and added to, ears carved out.
Her neck set has been lowered and completely re-sculpted, her back extended, muscling added between her back legs, front legs and chest.
Chestnuts and veining added, female genitalia sculpted including an udder.
Hooves re-sculpted and carved soles and frogs.
Resculpted mane and tail.

Finally she was painted using quality artist acrylics by Matisse, and Windsor & Newton pastels.

Despite all of her changes, I think that I have managed to keep the soft, sweet charm that make the Family Arabian moulds so likable.

Up for offers....finally!

2011-01-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

Customised Absinth.

His head has been lowered, ears turned back, new braided tail and his front leg extended.

Painted in acrylics, pastels and pastel pencil, sealed with Krylon matte.

His removable base was also painted then sand dusted (not shown in photos).

Due to the ridiculous charges involved in sending packages overseas, I will pay half of his postage to an international address.

More photos available on my Flickr account:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55711626@N07/5323262689/

Any questions? Feel free to email me :)

mailto:mirror.image@live.com%20(dot)%20au

Almost there...

2011-01-03T05:03:00.000-08:00

It has been a case of mistaken identity with this girly, she was not a PAM (Proud Arabian Mare) as first stated, but a FAM (Family Arabian Mare).
Being a complete noobie to the Breyer world, I did not even know there was such thing as a FAM.
But I am now enlightened thanks to this Blog; http://breyerhistorydiva.blogspot.com/

I am rather happy with how she is turning out, being my first plastic pony custom, she has been a huge learning curve :) and a journey that I am thoughly enjoying. I would say she is around 90% complete, and once finished she will be flitting off to her new home in the USA.

A quiet time at work....

2010-11-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

.........results in a busy time in the studio :)

In the last two weeks I have managed to complete three of my portrait sculptures, one dog and two horses, which has thrilled me completely. The dog is the first that I have painted myself and I am rather chuffed with her.

I have also finished painting Absinth, so he will be up on MH$P next week for offers.

An AP Humphrey resin went off to SA as a donation to a live show (sadly no pic's of the little fellow) and was won by the extremely talented painter Bec Klitsher, I am really really looking forward to seeing him in some new clothes.

These little fellows are the Artist proofs, I cast off about 5 from my waste mould, which then go off to the 'muse' horses owner, a horse mad little girl up the road from me, one goes to my Riding club as a fundraiser, and of course one goes to the USA for production casting.

The copy for production casting is still being tweaked, as soon as I am happy he will head off.

This is the AP who is being painted up as Jig, the real pony that inspired the original sculpture. Obviously a ways to go yet :)

This week gone has also seen the cutting up of plastic ponies :)

A PAM, who I planned on a simple head lowering, but is somehow developing into more, she will now be extensively reworked, but I am hoping I can keep that soft charm that makes this mould so endearing......

Also a commission CM on the Silver mould.

Absinth.

2010-08-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

Absinth is my very first CM to finished project....and I must say I am having a ball! He is also my first bay, and pinto.

These photos are from today, and I would say he is about 75% complete.

CM'ed Whisper on Ebay.

2010-07-17T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well as promised the girl has gone to Ebay :). Her listing can be found here: Ebay
She is the first resin I am listing to Ebay, but she will not be my last, in a couple of weeks (that is the plan anyway, barring some disaster) Absinth will be following.

Almost there...

2010-07-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

In her final stages now.

She has had a little more muscle added to the offside of her neck, and I have carved out the soles of her grounded hooves since these pics were taken.

Another CM on my bench is Brigette Eberl's Absinth.

He has had his head lowered, his ears turned, his front leg extended and a new tail.

Progress and completion.

2010-07-03T21:13:00.001-07:00

Braided Whisper is now complete, all wrapped up and on her way home. She will be jetting off to the USA shortly for some brand new clothes.

Progress on the second Whisper.

Just a little more re sculpting on her head, then some basic prepping and the girl will be ready.

I shall be listing her on Ebay and MH$P once she is all done.

She will be the first Auction of one of my models, so I will no doubt be a nervous wreck for the duration of the listing, lol!

In the studio....

2010-06-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

Lol, if you could call my kitchen table a studio!

I have a few projects I have been dabbling with in my very limited spare time of late.

As well as two Jack CM's....one which will be for sale, the other to go to the USA for edition casting, I have two Whispers being CM'ed.

The first is a commission piece, she has had her mane removed and is having braids added. Her tail will also be refined and a braid added.

Whisper #2 has had her neck/head repositioned. A new mane and tail are in the process of being added. Her profile will be straitened, and her nostrils slightly more flared.

The going is really slow with these girls, much slower then I would like. My reaction to the Apoxie sculpt is getting worse, and so too my sensitivity to the resin dust when I sand them back, despite taking all precautions.

This time around it all got a little scary with minor swelling of my throat and sinuses as well as both eyes.

I shall have to seriously consider these 4 resins my last to CM and prep, and will be looking for a prepper to take over my Artist Proofs to get them up to scratch for professional casting.

How depressing.

One year on.....

2010-06-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it has only been a year, feels like a lifetime ago!

It was this time last year that I attended Melbourne Live 2009. It was at that show that I formed the idea of Graylea Whisper.

And now a full circle, Whisper, painted up by the very talented team at S.W.I.D Designs (as featured on my Blog earlier), has won her breed class at Melbourne Live 2010.

Whisper then went on to come second in her colour class, all credit to S.W.I.D Designs there :) She was beaten by their own CM grey on Huck Bey, who went on to become reserve champion.

Congratulations to Isabel and Sam!

I just don't think I could be more chuffed with the results.

If you would like to get in touch with Sam and Isabel so they can work their magic on your model horse, they can can be contacted at:

swiddesigns@hotmail.com

2010-06-06T18:07:00.001-07:00

Wow, I have really fallen off the face of the earth for a bit!
Aside from my sculpting, I have a job at an Olive Grove. We are four weeks into harvest season now, I am thinking another two weeks to go.

So for ten to twelve hours each day, I am here.......

beautiful isn't it:)?

From this....

they are ground up to this.....

all for this....liquid gold, pure Olive Oil :)

I love my job, but boy am I exhausted! With the four children and the nine horses heaped in on top, I have not time to scratch myself, LOL, house work is a thing of the past, my wonderful husband has thankfully helped me out there!
But not much longer and my life will return to normal:)

2010-04-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful thing awaited me when I opened my email today. I adore seeing my girl in new clothes, it gives me such a thrill every time.

Graylea Whisper finished a dark dapple grey by Samantha and Isabel Durham of S.W.I.D Design.

This Whisper has been CM'd to plaits, I think they show off her elegant neck and pretty head beautifully.

The gorgeous dark grey, and pretty blaze really make her scream Riding Pony

Whisper has been painted in mixed media to get her rich, complex pattern. Pastels, coloured pencils, and Acrylic paints were used.
Thank you Sam ansd Isabel, very much for the photos, they have made my day :).

Minature Pony Stallion Jig

2010-02-27T21:42:00.000-08:00

My latest sculpt is the adorable little chunky monkey 'Jig'. A spunky little black and white pinto stallion, a whole 8.1hh in real life.

I am sculpting Jig in classic scale 1:12, so he is tiny!
10cm to the very tips of his little tiny ears, and the front cannon bones are a teeny 75mm!
It is proving fairly difficult to manoeuvre my skewers in and around his legs for sculpting.
But an enjoyable process none the less watching the little fellow emerge from the clay.

Here is the little fellow a few hours in.......

I think I am going to tilt his nose out a bit more, for a whole lot more attitude.

My paddocks are graced with a couple of these little guys, and I am constantly amused by their naughty antics.
I love the way they don't realise how small they are, just ask them and they will tell you they are 17hh!
They rule my larger horses with a iron fist, are talented escapees, will do just about anything for food, and worm their way into the hearts of everyone they meet.

My fuzzy ferals.

Possum and Humphrey.

Barnon Imperial Jack

2010-02-21T21:44:00.000-08:00

It was a heart warming hand over with Jack. I was absolutely chuffed with the finished results and the owners more so. He looked great on the day.

A copy of Jack will now be prepped and sent to America for proffesional casting.

With his faux bronze counterpart

Jack, Whisper and Treasure in trophy form for the Barastoc M&M classes. There were also two New Forest Pony plaques, that unfortunately had been collected before I managed to stop and grab photos.

Jack is done.......

2010-01-10T01:28:00.000-08:00

......pending approval from his owners.

Just in time too, as Barastoc Horse of the Year Show 2010 is being held in 6 weeks, where Jack (also two Treasure's and one Whisper) will be trophies for the Mountain & Moorland rings.

This is my second year with the M&M rings at Barastoc, and no less exciting. I am greatly looking forward to it.

Treasure bronzed and in trophy form.

Merry Christmas.......

2009-12-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

...............to everyone, and a safe and happy New Year.

Treasure is cast!

2009-12-12T03:51:00.000-08:00

Pretty happy with the little girl. Proudly sculpted, cast and painted by myself.

Not quite finished the painting job yet, but I was too excited not to share:)

2009-11-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

Nothing like hair to add character...........

Progress with Jack.

2009-11-18T18:20:00.000-08:00

We have feather! Not sure if I have a little too much at this stage, an email to his owners will soon sort that though.

2009-11-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

LOL, well as a painter.........I make a really good sculptor.

I am going to have a whirl at painting a Graylea Whisper for myself, a soft chocolate pointed buckskin, my favourite horse colour. So I thought I had better practice on something a little less expensive to start with, one of my Al-Maisan medallions.

The first effort was so very bad, I was completely horrified at just how bad it was, lol.

Then intrigued by the soft almost china like effect that artist were achieving with models, I researched and found two tutorials on Fallen Leaves forum, on how to pastel.

Well, straight off to the art shop, grabbed myself all the necessaries, stripped the first paint job, and then got stuck in.

What marvellous fun, if I make a mistake, I just wash it off, and I make a lot of mistakes, lol.
Here is the boy, base coated in Acrylics (Matisse, Flow) and then two coats of pastels (Windsor & Newton).

I don't think he is coming along to bad.

On a side note, my beautiful QHx filly is back home with me after many months turned out on a friends farm.
For those that don't know her, Bindii is QH x STB. Her dam was PTS with birthing complications, when Bindii was two days old, I have hand raised her. She will be three in 5 days time.
Her dam 'Ruby', was the equine love of my life, and loosing her was emotionally devastating, but I am so very grateful to have this, not so little, girl in my life. She is so like her mother in character as well as looks, has all her quirks, which I find quite uncanny at times, but also very heart warming. Ruby lives on through her daughter.
One day in the future, I will sculpt this filly for myself.

Foothills Live Show.

2009-11-01T02:07:00.000-08:00

What marvelous fun.

All the months of work leading to yesterdays show. It was extremely nerve racking watching my girl, my work, my vision, out there on a table being judged.

I was thrilled with how she looked in all her classes.

English as a dressage pony, no photo unfortunately.

A HRCAV showjumping competition;

Western Pleasure;

My favourite, the Egg and Spoon race in Ponyclub games, yes......that is an egg smashed onto her backside!

A huge, huge THANK YOU to the delightful Lisa W for taking so much time and care to proxy Whisper for me at the show. It is all so, so appreciated. Thank you!

2009-10-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

Graylea Whisper painted by Denise Krajnc.

And then came Jack.......

2009-10-24T06:33:00.001-07:00

Barnon Imperial Jack to be more precise, but that is a mouthful, so I will stick with Jack.

Jack is a marvelous Welsh D cob stallion, famous in Victoria, and more than likely Australia! He has a temperament to die for, but still the spirit, power and presence that anyone would wish to see in a stallion.

For this sculpt I have gone for a dancing jog, a "hello ladies" gleam in his eyes. I want to capture his soft sweet nature, inside his powerful body.

He is a few hours in in these photos, many, many more hours to go. I am aiming for a March 2010 release.

Whisper is cast!

2009-09-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

Peter Revelman, of Paradoxx Casting, has done a beautiful job with the girl, all of her details are strong and crisp, she has also proven herself easy to prep.

I am extremely happy with the castings.

However Whisper will be jetting off to Resins by Randy in the USA for the remainder of her edition, she will join Randy and Deb's line of horses and be moulded cast and sent direct from them.

I have made this decision purely on the fact that I am extremely time poor, with my portrait commissions and a young family with four children.

The only change this will make to Whisper is that her name will now be 'Graylea Whisper' the real whisper's full registered name, to help differenciate with the Traditional Western Pleasure 'Whisper', that is already released.
And the edition size, I am still leaning towards single mold run, which with Resins by Randy could run to 70 copies.

Only three more sleeps!

2009-09-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

The nerves have started up! Only three more sleeps till my girl is in someone elses hands!

Update.

2009-09-04T04:03:00.000-07:00

Well this is it guys!
Thursday is the big day, Whisper is going to Melbourne to be cast by Paradoxx Casting.
Fingers crossed everyone!

2009-08-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Frustration set in a little this morning. As I turned Whisper in my hands, I was happy with her, but as soon as I set her down for progress photos, she looked stiff. Nowhere near the loose, casual elegance I am chasing for this model.

I thought it was her whole back end that was out, so commenced removing it. Taking the clay down to the armature on her back, so I would know where to cut, it occured to me I should get more photos to manipulate in photoshop.

This is when the lightbulb clicked on, she was on the the wrong leg, the weight bearing was completely wrong, as soon as I tipped her forward, everything came together. She was suddenly bending into the circle, pushing out with her off side front, looking much more natural, what I had envisioned from the start.

Still lots of work to go, but I am really getting excited now.

Closer still......

2009-08-24T20:12:00.001-07:00

Progress.

2009-08-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

Since taking some photos of the real 'Whisper' I have been able to really concentrate on correct shape and line, as well as getting into the scrummy, delicious little details that make each horse special.
Two more weeks until the deadline I have set for myself.

Perspective.

2009-07-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Snapping some updates of Treasure last night, I thought, just as a matter of perspective, I would place her with Whisper.
Makes her look tiny.

Treasure on her own, so very nearly finished.

Whisper.

2009-07-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

Whispers turn for an update.

I took about 50 photos just to get these few, I really must improve my photography skills, lol!

At this stage I am finding it one step forward, two steps back, for each little thing I feel is right, there are two wrong.

In saying that though, I also see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The next few days will see a mane added, and some re-working of her back cannons and nearside shoulder.

The good, no maybe the 'great' news is that the real Whisper is shifting her winter coat at last and will be clipped out shortly. So I will be able to go visit her for more photos and many, many measurements.

Treasure.

2009-07-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Some progress on the little one. I don't think she is too far off coming together.

Al-Maisan

2009-07-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Al-Maisan is now available for order and ready to ship, which is a bit exciting! Bluebird Studio's first production.

He is casting clean, and needs very little prepping

Al-Maisan is $30 which includes postage to Australian residents. If you are interested in a copy, please email me and let me know.

2009-07-07T20:17:00.000-07:00

Little Treasure has benefitted from her time out.

I have been working on her while watching the Tour De France in the evenings, doing my commissions during the day.

I think she is beginning to take the shape I am after, a fairy like filly with plenty of personality packed into her tiny body.

Without her eyes and nostrils I think she resembles a Llama more than a pony at this stage though.

I love her little apple bum

Not a great photo, but good for size comparison.

2009-07-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

Progress on Whisper.

Insomnia!

2009-06-29T02:21:00.000-07:00

What would I do without it.....well apart from sleep of course.

3am last night I was at my kitchen table sculpting, I think the school holidays have sent me completely bonkers already and it was only the second day. There is nothing like the complete silence the very early morning brings.

The girl now has a blob on the end of her tail, and some little blobs along her neck that will evolve into plaits. Funnily they looked good at 3.30am, but now.......lol, they will be changed!
She also, much to my delight, stands on her own!
On a side note, Treasure is in the deep freeze! She is so little, just the warmth from my hands is enough to make her sticky and difficult to manage, even with her being made of hard Chavant clay.
After endless frustration trying to carve her little legs, she has been banished to the freezer for some time out.

Oh Whisper!

2009-06-27T19:33:00.000-07:00

Not sure I am as happy with her now as I was before, but it could also be a case of looking at her too much, so she is now on my side board with a cover for a few days.

Poor Whisper, so unloved.

And what is under the covers...
I have worked on her off side shoulder and outside back leg. Her nearside shoulder has been moved back a touch and both legs have the beginning of their muscle definition.
I have also lengthened her head and given her eye some eyelashes.

Whisper Update.

2009-06-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

I am loving this girl!
After sorting some leg problems (many more to go!) she is at last beginning to take the shape that I have pictured in my head.

I am going for simple, effortless, elegance, the whole reason I have chosen Graylea Whisper as my model source.

She will be plaited up and have a pulled tail.

Many more hours to go yet, but at least I am making progress.

I am working on Treasure tonight, so more updates on her tomorrow.

Also the news that my Arabian medallion will be going into production early next week. YAY!At this stage his price will be $30-35aus for the blank resin. Postage will be extra.

An Arabian Medallion

2009-06-22T05:11:00.000-07:00

Arabs are my 'White Whale'. Every time I am commissioned to do an Arab, my heart flutters and I doubt my ability to see it through.

But I was challenged by a glorious photograph taken by AinslieG of a divine Arabian stallion.
Ainslie's photo inspired me by it's sheer beauty, I just could not resist, and although daunted, I was determined to do the photo justice.
I have finished the fellow off feeling much more confident in my ability do capture these glorious horses.

AinslieG is one of my biggest inspirations in equine art, her photographs and artwork are just breathtaking. Her empathy and love for the Arabian horse shines through in her art. It is her passion for her subject that I wish to emulate through my art work, I want people to see my sculpts and feel the same passion and love that I have for our equine friends.

I highly recommend a visit to her websites....a feast for the eyes, for any horse lover.

http://www.ainsliegartistry.webs.com/

http://www.ainsliegphotography.webs.com/

So thank you to AinslieG, I could not have done it without you.

Progress.

2009-06-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

After a few stop-starts, I have begun modelling Whisper.

I am really pleased with how she is progressing.

The next horse......

2009-06-19T21:12:00.000-07:00

.....is a gorgeous black Australian Stock Horse mare 'Graylea Whisper', owned by my friend Andrea.

As well as being completely drool worthy, she is also an extremely successful show pony, winning High point HRCAV Show Horse for the year 2006-07. She has also shown her versatility in cross country and dressage.

She is 14.1hh, I am doing her in Classic scale, so she will be around 12 cms at the wither.

I am going sculpt her cantering and on the bit, so she should be a lovely little girl for the performance classes.

I have begun her today, starting with her armature. Firstly standing to get her measurements spot on.

Then bent to her canter.

Shrunk in the wash!

2009-06-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

Golly, did I have her size waaay out. I cannot believe how small Treasure is now!

I have found making an armature without the T-join very difficult, might be a case of letting google be my friend for any future endeavours this small, and definitely a smaller gauge of wire.
I just cannot get those front legs from wobbling, which in turn, cracks the clay.
Here she is about an hour in, un-smoothed. She is just resting on the brass pipe, for size comparison it is the same pipe that was in the 'before' photo.

Eye Opener.

2009-06-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Well, went to the live model horse show on Sunday, in Mentone, Melbourne.
So very glad I did, I was right, it was a real eye opener to see artist resins in real life, the photos I have seen really do many of them no justice.
I was also thrilled to recognise a few models done by my favourite artists, Deborah McDermott, Lynn Fraley and Bridgette Eberl.
But most of all the size of them! They are huge, and tiny, tiny, tiny.
So with this discovery, I am going to redo Treasure to the correct size for a classic scale model.
I shall make her 10.1hh, the size my weanling welsh colt is right now, of course 2 inches of that will be hair! LOL. This will make Treasure 8.70cms at the wither.

Here she is before her breakdown.

2009-06-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

As I am primarily a portrait sculptor, I have decided to set up a second blog to follow my foray into model horse sculpting, and thus keeping them seperate.
I have not scuplted a hobby 'model horse' before, ever. In fact I have only ever seen them in boxes, so everything is new and fresh to me.
I am attending a Model horse show in Mentone this Sunday, and am fully expecting it to be an eye opener.
I have begun my first, she is a Welsh Mountain Pony filly. I am not sure she will make it to the model horse stage due to her size. But she will be cast by Paradoxx, in cold cast bronze.