Merry Christmas.......
...............to everyone, and a safe and happy New Year.
Posts
Treasure is cast!
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:)
Progress with Jack.
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.
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 ...
Foothills Live Show.
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!
And then came Jack.......
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!
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!
The nerves have started up! Only three more sleeps till my girl is in someone elses hands!
Update.
Well this is it guys! Thursday is the big day, Whisper is going to Melbourne to be cast by Paradoxx Casting. Fingers crossed everyone!
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.
Progress.
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.
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.
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.
