New Year, who dis?
Throughout last few autumn months I began journaling and found it to be quite enjoyable and helped keep me accountable for things. It also gave me a fair amount of insight on what we want to focus on and better scheduling to achieve those goals while still juggling our daily work schedule. This is a hobby after all. This isn’t a money making business, it’s a passion but one we only occasionally focus on. My endeavors are more the meat and potatoes while my husband helps with the fun builds and production end. This keeps it fun, light and creating video for the fun of it. Because we don’t always get to make the videos we want for our day jobs.
While I still struggle to juggle my early am production schedule with the corporate 9-5 schedule of my husband I hope to actually get some content out this year and on a hopefully regular routine. So to kick start the year I’ve decided to do a #100dayschallenge where you pick one activity that you will do for 100 days in a row. I chose painting, doesn’t matter if it’s a dino, horse, scenery, prop, whatever. As long as it’s forward progress on an item the better.
I’ve also made it a goal to sell off a fair amount of items this year to clean up the clutter. Horses will be sold off to help fund shows later this year for The Bow Lake Show Series and as raffle items for shows I attend. A few will be sold online through The Model Horse Place. Dinosaurs will be available after all commissions are done. Props will be for sale as completed.
So here we go Day 01
With NaMoPaiMo around the corner I decided to dust off my two unfinished guys from the past year and finish them. Better late than never right. Since they are a color I don’t often do I grabbed others that were in this range to update, finish or move further along. My victims are the Micro Minis from Maggie Bennett Sculpture – Offerman, a bowing draft horse who was my mini me NaMoPaiMo, an Apollo a spirited ASB stallion, Jessie a working Belgian draft mare in a pulling pose, and Thunderdrone a thoroughbred yearling racing down the track. I have a Magnolia which is a Breyer Stablemate. I do find this to be a lovely mold to paint, it’s fun and allows you to play with shading by being a tad vague in spots. And lastly a Daisey by Kelly Sealy Sculpture who was my NaMoPaiMo horse.
Apollo
Here you see him with his airbrushed base, I’m still learning how to wield that beast. But I managed to get on a nice metallic base for both pastels and oils. My intention with him is to make him a sooty palomino, with a touch of silver in his mane and tail. Hopefully his progression will continue to keep some of his golden coloring, but oil paint loves to make a fool of me so we shall see.
Daisey
Daisey is as I left her, un inspired and at the time was still dealing with my hand seizing. She’s got a mixture of airbrush base, pastels, a touch of oils, and acrylic applied on her already. I’m going to continue to add to her white’s and get more pinking in. And address her mane and tail. I initially was going to put appy spots on her, but now I’m not so sure if I want her to be an araloosa.
Jessie
This pulling draught mare is actually going to be a flaxen chestnut or sorrel as some might know it. Belgian draft horses do come in a variety of colors but when I think of them, I think of the fair and I think of Draft pulls, where the heavy horses have to haul a weighted sled over a distance. Most of these Belgians were a very light Pangaré chestnut, with very blonde or flaxen mane and tail. So it made sense for me to start out with the Palomino’s and darken her topline up.
Magnolia
Everytime I think of that name I instantly think of those white flowers and then a retired Seattle Drag Queen with RuPaul saying Magnoooolia Crawford.
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I actually do like this mold. Some are not fans but I think she’s in a fun position, has tons of re-sculpting potential and is just a smooth blast to paint. I could paint one in every color and be amused. It’s hard to explain. This one is going to be raffle item for the next Bow Lake Show Series show. Hopefully she will do well for her new owner. I’m planning on added a tad more shading to her tail and sooty up her rump a bit. Maybe get some subtle dapples in with oils. Not sure at present what her markings will be.
Offerman
Well he was finished, then he wasn’t I have gone back and forth on him so much so I’m at it again. I’m trying to add more detail, and more sooty factors to him, hence the grey in the mane. I’m going to dirty up his feathers and tail a bit, you can see the process starting. He will definitely be a sales pony as I just have too many drafts and need to narrow down again.
Thunderdrone
Racing down the track as a baby showing potential and willingness. I was practically done with his color but decided I would add more depth to the mane and tail, touch up his whites, hooves, and do something to his base. Maybe he’s a turf horse. I’ve modeled him off a horse I found on Deviant Art of a palomino TB cavorting on the beach. His reference has way more sabino markings then I am featuring but I think I will make at least one eye blue.
At the culmination of Day 1 I managed to add white and silver in blocking patches, and dirt to Offerman’s feathers. Now to let it all dry so I can add more layers tomorrow. So far I’m feeling good about all these horses. I’m hoping to get them done this month so I can be ready to tackle February as we head into NaMoPaiMo.