Bluebird Studio

I am not going to call this a tutorial, as it isn't, it is more of a show and tell. This is how I do it, there are many different ways, cutting and pinning, warming and slow bending etc, but this is the way that works for me. Before we start though, I do want to say, Dremels and heat guns are not for the faint hearted, they are dangerous tools in the wrong hands, please be careful and protect yourself. As mentioned in the previous post, I am CMing a Zenyetta to an ASB. A rather drastic CM, but the theory is the same for all my CMing, wether it is simple or drastic. Firstly, I mark the joints. This gives me the bending points, and I can also measure making sure the OF is even. Always, always, always ...starting form the highest joint (shoulder, hip) moving down the limbs comparing to the reference photos work out what needs moving. Sometimes, on a simple CM shoulders and rump joints don't need moving, but rarely. Once I think I know where I am heading, I mark out the...

Wet, cold and miserable. My least favourite time of year, and we are not even two weeks in. On the bright side, the less time I spend outside, the more time I spend inside playing with clay. Salinero has finally decided to play nice and is chuffing along beautifully.  The cheeky photo bomber is a new CM on the bench, Weather Girl. She is going to be rounded out a lot more to give her some age. Her face will also be tweaked to give her a softer more ethereal aura. I am not a fan of bases for horses, much preferring to go with acrylic rods, this girly however is seriously motorbiking into the turn, making her base indispensable. The next little chaps are my Welsh pony commissions, they are in the  Mr Miyagi phase, and are almost ready for their manes and tails. And last of all, my next commission piece. A Mini Nahar by Sarah Rose. The little chap is being CM'ed to a Park Arabian. I am stunned at how much a little shifting has changed this lit...

Never be afraid to change what has already been done. It can be heartbreaking to go back and undo what has already be done, but always listen to the little voice in the back of your mind that is yelling over the top of everything else. If I had listened, i could have fixed this right back in the melt and squish phase, but I am nothing if not stubborn. So I had all but finished the sculpting on this Welshies hind legs, but things were really not gelling, with me or my client. Not enough 'OOMPH' His hind end was being left behind by his front end. So cuts were made, on the computer first... Then real cuts were made. Legs fell off, hooves were melted, fingers were stuck together. Stifle dropped, hips shifted back, back lowered, hocks bent, and pasterns weighted. Still more tweaking to do, but I am much much happier already, and the little voice has finally stopped screaming at me :) More soon.....

I have been stewing for days about what to write to mark this momentous occasion...trying for inspiration. I have come to the conclusion that I may not be wired to put forth pearls of wisdom, lol. Nor am I much into reminiscing, so I will go with a Studio update instead :D I have been happily cutting up ponies..... and painting them... Happy 100th :)

The first commissions in my studio are a couple of CMs on the Midnight Tango mould. Their owner has graciously let me share the process with my Blog readers. They are going to be remade into a hooning little Welsh A harness pair. Yay! Welshies! Number 1 pony has a date with the Dremel today...

I will be opening my customising books for very limited spaces, six in total for the rest of 2012. Two spots are available immediately.. I wont be accepting on a first come first served basis, but by what inspires me. So if you have ever thought you might like a CM by me, SM to Traditional, resin or plastic, now is your chance! If you would like to see my policy and price estimate, please feel free to email me. bluebirdstudio@hotmail.com.au