Even more work done

Right now I feel like I am flooding you with pictures of my very small progress on my customs but at the moment I can't do long sessions as I simply don't have the time.

But I still want to keep you updated as I love to see other peoples models in progress so hopefully some of you enjoy all these pictures of my small achievements. So yesterday I got another short session.

The Andalusian got more neck muscles and I smoothed them out to make them look more natural. It's hard to see in the photo but I think it'll be better when I get him primed. 

The Para-Dressage Horse finally got its eye sculpted. I am actually quite happy with the look for now. As with the Andalusian I will do some fine tuning when they are primed because it's easier to see faults when the horse is in a uniform colour.

I also added bits and pieces to the face and muzzle as this horse will be a Fjord and I thought that it was to thin and slim to be really Fjord-like, I want the face to be a little rounder and softer and I think I managed to get the look I was after, but as above, fine tuning after priming. I tried to add some feathering on the legs but ended up smooshing the eye a tiny bit so I fixed the eye and decided to do the fetlock hair another day.

I also made a few more ears, some are better than others but I think that most of them will be usable, at least as a base so I can modify them when they are on the horse.

So my goals for next time is to sculpt some "private parts" on all of them and get the ears in place. Add feathering on the Para-Dressage horse and smooth out the profile of the Andalusian a bit.

More work done

I took a break from all the things I should be doing yesterday and worked a bit on the horses.

With the help of Laura Skillern's tutorial I made two ears. My apoxie was drying up and several attempts didn't yield anymore that I would consider acceptable so I only have two to show you.

They are stablemate sized so they are a lot smaller than my pictures show. I like the one on the right the best. The one on the left was my very first try (and will be discarded when I get the hang of it and can make them better). The will need a bit more work when the are attached to the horse but I need to make a few more and match them up appropriately before that.

The Para-dressage horse only got very little work done today. I put some more apoxie on its face to even it out.

The Paso Fino mare got her eye done today. I mostly worked with her other eye as a reference since I need to match it so that it won't look weird.

I also added a little muscle to her neck as it was previously hidden behind her mane (and sanded of with it). It still needs a bit more work as it's a bit too prominent at the moment.

The Andalusian got a some neck muscles done. They are not finished in the picture and they do need a little more work before they are done.

The only work I did concerning the Morgan was to fix his base so no he is really stable on it!

And the poor Warmblood didn't get any work done. However I did compile a list (I love lists!) of what all the models need to have done and some ideas for how to paint them and sculpt the mane and tails :)

Making a paddock/arena base Part 2

I finally got around to continue on my base.

I painted my sticks white because I like white fences and let them dry.

Now they look like this:

I turned my attention to the base and I tilted the board and tapped it on the table covered by a newspaper again (I left the sand on from the second layer since the last time I was working on it so the glue was definitely dry). I was happy with the coverage I got after my second layer so I didn't do another one.

This is what it looks like after my second layer:

I did find the base a bit sandpaper-y (that's probably not even a word) so I decided to cover up the sand with another layer of glue to keep the sand from falling of and to make the sandlayer a bit softer and less prone to accidentally scratch a model. This would've been best done with a paintbrush but I realized that all of my good brushes are at uni... The only brushes I had was a 0 brush and a badly beaten 00 brush so I did it with my fingers. Worked fine, although a little messy :)

While the glue was drying I decided to glue the now dry sticks for my fence together. I measured and marked where I wanted my pieces to go together and then glued them together.

I glued them on one by one so on this picture it's only the one on the left that is glued together.

I glued on the one on the right when the first one was dry and the middle one when the outer ones were dry.

This is what it looks like at the moment:  

The sand looked a bit, almost glossy when the top layer of glue was dry but it doesn't show up in the quick photos I've tried to take.

I am contemplating what to do about the edge of the corkboard, if I should keep it as is, paint it or put some fake grass over it.

Other than that the base is pretty much finished and can be used in performance as is. It would also work for photoshow photos as is, if I had nice surroundings to take them in. Unfortunately I don't have any suitable surroundings where I can bring my models so before I'll be able to use it for photoshow photos I'll need to get myself some nice backgrounds.

Quick Update

I just did some quick work on these guys after I finished the essay for this course and before I throw myself into the world of bachelor thesis writing.

The Morgan got a base so that he can stand. I'm not sure how I managed but he is a bit unstable so either I have to glue him to the base (when he is all finished) or add a tad more apoxie on the "offside" as he usually tries to fall that way. Next up will be ears and maybe mane.

The Andalusian also got a new base and he is more stable on it than the Morgan. I also filled in the unevenness on his neck. Next step will be priming to see that it looks okay and then building up the neck muscles. 

The Para-dressage horse also had some unevenness that I needed to fix, Next up will be primer to see that the neck looks okay and then ears and eye.

And so did the Paso mare. For the next session I need to fix her eye and to come up with an idea for her mane.

The Warmblood wasn't as uneven as these guys so he didn't get any work done (also I managed to fall of the chair when sitting down after getting more supplies and I bruised my back as I landed on the wheel of the chair so it wasn't comfortable to keep working). But next session he will get some ears and maybe mane.

Unfortunately I forgot to time myself, again...

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge Day 10: Imagine a story or create a character

Challenge Day 10: "If your model horses came to life, what would they do? What adventures would they go on? Pick one of your models and create a mini story, storyboard/comic or images of your models as real life horses, characters or personalities."

Ever since I was young, and I learned to write, I have always loved to write stories and come up with characters. When it comes to the model horse hobby I'm inspired by all the cool photostories and characters that people have created. I haven't done a photostory of my own yet but I have plans to make something in the future with my traditional models (mostly the Warmbloods). This doesn't mean that I haven't started making up characters. On my Riders and Pets page there is a tiny bit of info on my riders. 

The characters of the horses are not really written down anywhere as they are based on what feeling I get from the model in question. I'll introduce you to a few of them:

Chester VS 

Chester is a 9 year old Swedish Warmblood gelding. He is great companion and almost bombproof but he is still far from boring. A forward going and attentive gentleman who really makes you feel safe in the saddle. He loves attention and is always the first one at the fence to greet you when you come. Unfortunately he is afraid of the vet and even though he wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose he is a big horse and he's not really aware of his strength but as long as the one handling him is calm he usually only gets a bit stressed and no one gets hurt. Chester is an all-round horse and can do both dressage, jumping and cross country but he likes jumping the best. He gets really excited and doesn't have the best technique so if you are jumping you really need to keep him focused otherwise it's easy for a pole or two to fall.

Fandango

Fandango is a 12 year old Warmblood (have yet to specify which kind). When ridden he listens to his rider and is a really hard worker. He always wants to do his best to please the rider but when your on the ground he is a spoiled brat. His upbringing didn't focus to much on ground manners which made him what he is today. He would definitely not miss a chance to give you a nip if you don't pay close attention and he doesn't really care about if he steps on your foot or the ground. And don't ever make the mistake of thinking that he respects your personal space or that he wouldn't jump on you if something scared him, because he definitely would! You can't leave him alone in the stables because then he tries to tear it apart, equally so if you don't feed him first.

Belize

Belize is a 7 year old Warmblood Mare. She's a very smart horse and she's quick to pick up what you are trying to teach her. A sweet and well-mannered mare but she still has a will of her own. She can be a little mischievous at times and she's smart so she is very good at untying knots. Usually she unties herself while your gone to fetch something. Normally she doesn't walk away but to be on the safe side, make sure to tie her so that she can't reach the ends. When in her stall you can usually find her with one of the barn cats sleeping on her back and if any of the female cats have kittens, you can usually find them in Belize's stall as she is very careful with our furry friends, both cats and dogs. Belize is a smart girl so even though she's bred for dressage she is a great horse to try new things with.

This was the last day of the Copperfox 10 Day Challenge. I've had a lot of fun and I'm really proud of the fact that I was able to blog for 10 consecutive days! I really enjoyed the challenges and would love to do something like this again :)

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge Day 9: Plan to go to a live show or enter a photo show

Challenge Day 9: "A bigger challenge for today! Find out what live shows are in your area and plan to attend one. Live Show is one of the best parts of the model horse hobby and the best way to experience them is to have a go. Alternatively, find a photo show online and enter a picture."

This challenge was the one I thought to be the hardest of them all since live shows are a bit more scarce in Sweden than in USA or UK. Also I am not that good at entering photoshows (except for the IMEHA) and I don't know where my latest issue of the Swedish Model horse Society magazine is located so I don't know what photo shows are currently running.

But things worked out any way.

To my knowledge there are 3 live shows advertised in Sweden at the moment. I'd love to go to all of them but the first one is on a weekend I already have other plans for (and it's an all mini one and I don't have a lot of minis in my showstring). The second one is for what we call bendables and breakables which is "bendy" models like Schleich, CollectA, Safari (I think Julip, Equorum and RubberNedz counts as well) and porcelain models ("breakables"). I don't have a lot of these in my showstring either and being my last semester in Uni I have a hard time going.

The third show was just advertised a few days ago. It's the one called Skåneliven and it's the one I've been to the last years so I'll do my best to get to that one. The date and place (closer to home) fits me better too as it's two weeks before graduation and by then my bachelor's thesis will be over and done (unless I fail miserably, which I hope I don't!).

Picture of my table at Skåneliven last year

Picture of my table at Skåneliven last year

 Planning:

• Book a train ticket home.
• My models are at my childhood home so I need to go there to pack them the day before the show.
• Ask my parents if I may borrow the car.
• I don't have a car of my own as I am studying and I can't go by bus or train to the show.
• Decide what models to bring
• I always write a list on what models to bring so that I can keep track on whether I have packed them for the show or not. I also use the list as a checklist on the show to know whether I have packed the models to go home or not. This way I can keep track on my models and this far I have never forgotten a model at home (I have forgotten a box of customs at my boyfriends put that was before I wrote the list) or at a show.
• Send my entry form to the show holder and pay the entry fee
• Pack my models
• Pack my live show essentials
• More about my live show essentials in a later post
• Bring a good mood and go have some great fun at the show!

Besides planning to go to the live show I also did enter my latest model in a photoshow with the IMEHA so we'll see how she does :)

Coppefox 10 Day Challenge Day 8: Join a Model Horse Group, Forum or Club

Challenge Day 8: "There are so many fabulous groups, forums and clubs out there both online and offline to join, all over the world. Joining a group (or forum or club) is a way to chat to other like minded individuals about your models, to share ideas and be part of the community that has the same interest as you."

I am already a member of two forums that I frequently visit Fallen Leaves and Model Horse Love. I mostly post on MHL though. I also do photoshowing with the IMEHA.

I've also been an on-and-off member of the Swedish Model Horse Society since 2005 and my membership expired recently so I paid the membership fee and now I'm a member again :)

I might not have joined a new club/forum or group but I joined an old one :)

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge Day 7: Share your favourite piece in your model horse collection

Challenge Day 7: "What is that piece in your collection that you would never part with? It is the first model you owned, a customised model or a piece of hand crafted tack?"

This was a hard challenge! I pretty much only collect models that mean something to me in some way but of course some of them mean more to me than others.

These two guys will probably be tied once they are all painted up:

They are to be painted as portraits of Nike, our beloved fjordhorse that has been with us for 18 years this year and Poppes, the Warmblood gelding that I've cared for since 2009 and that I pretty much fell in love with at first sight (in 2002 i think). So when they are done I'm pretty sure I will never sell them.

But for now they are not on top of the favourites list.

When it comes to OF models my absolute favourite has to be this girl:

She is a Breyer Sidesaddle Strapless that I call Imperia and show as a KWPN mare. I fell in love with the Strapless mold in 2004 (I think) after seeing the original Strapless in a Breyer catalog from 2003 (if I remember correctly). Back then I only bought models from a dealer and she could only get models that were available so I didn't get the original Strapless. Years later I found out about the Sidesaddle set and was so excited since I thought that this version was even more beautiful than the original. My parents owed me some money so they told me to order her. She was a bit more expensive than the money I had (and was owed) so my parents payed the rest for me. She is really special to me and one I would have a REALLY hard time parting with.

When it comes to resins, this is probably my absolute favourite:

She is an Animal Artistry Sabiha, painted by Animal Artistry as well. I call her Athame and show her as an Arabian mare. I have already written her a post of her own so I won't repeat it here. Instead I'll leave you a link to the post about her if you'll like to read it :)

When it comes to customized models this model is my favourite:

I call her Since You Don't Love Me and I show her as a an American Saddlebred mare. She is a Breyer Sm. G2 ASB mare painted by Swedish artist A. Gustafsson. She already has her own post so instead of repeating her story, you can read it here.

I couldn't choose only one of these three so they are pretty much tied for first place when it comes to favourite models in my collection :)

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge Day 6: Find a new artist/sculptor/tackmaker that you don't already know about

Challenge Day 6: "Today's challenge is about finding something new. Trot onto the Internet and find the work of a new artist, sculptor, tack maker, hobbyist- anyone within the model horse hobby that you don't know about... yet!"

I really enjoyed this challenge! You can never have enough great artists, tack makers or hobbyists to get inspired by or buy models/tack/props from. And I really enjoy to see the work of others! 

This were the ones I found that I didn't know about before:

Kingyo Stables Custom Micro Minis - This artist was actually found on facebook (which to me is a big deal!). I rarely use facebook and by chance the first thing in my feed was this page (a friend of mine had liked one of their photos). I checked it out and wow, some really nice models!

Champion Racehorse Stables Creations - I found this artist through MHSP. While browsing the ads I stopped to look at an interesting and beautiful Matriarch resin. I liked her colour a lot and decided to try and find the artist.

I also found this blog Mirror Bay Farms who makes beautiful Arabian customs! I found it by chance among comments on a blogpost I read.

I know that there are a whole bunch of great artist/tack makers/hobbyists out there that I don't know about so if you have a favourite (or if you are one yourself) please share a link with me in the comments section :) I'd love to see your (or your favourites) work!

And because I don't like blog posts without pictures here's one from my trip to South Africa last summer:

Young zebra. Photo taken by me in the Kruger National Park, South Africa during my trip in Summer 2015

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge Day 5: Create something for your models or try a new skill

Challenge Day 5: "The model horse hobby is full of things to create both for your models or using your models. Today's the day to be brave and have a go at creating that jump for your models or to have a go at painting your horses hooves."

This is a really fun challenge! I had to be a bit creative in my thinking since I lack some of my supplies (my boyfriend borrowed them to use as he is putting together a model ship) and I also lack time (since I have schoolwork that desperately needs to be finished). So that means that I could only make a quick and relatively easy creation.

I decided to create a temporary photo place for my latest model.

The things I used:
Cereal box
2 printed pictures (one for the background and one for footing)
Glue stick
Scissors
Superglue
White sheet of paper (thicker than normal computer paper, I used a sheet from my sketch pad)

For my background picture I choose one I took myself a few years ago and the picture I used for footing I found here. I used the lighter grass one and darkened it in Gimp to make it fit my background a bit better. I then made the picture smaller, copied it and placed them next to each other to make it a bit more in scale. I printed them both on regular printing paper.

Next I took my cereal box and opened it up:

I glued (with a glue stick) my background onto a piece of white paper to make sure that the grey from the cereal box wouldn't make the colours of the picture darker. When dry, I cut it out.

I glued the grass footing picture directly onto the cerealbox since the picture wasn't as light as the background.

I then cut off the tabs on either side of the grass base (red arrows in the picture). I wanted a backdrop and base that was on the same piece of cardboard so that i would be easy to store it flat and fold up when I wanted to take photos. The fold of the cereal box (circled in red) made it harder so I took the tabs that I cut of and glued it (with super glue) on the back of the fold to make it stronger and not fold. While the glue was drying I put it under a heavy box to make sure that the tabs I glued on would really stabilize the fold.

When it was all dry, I glued (with a glue stick) the background right above the grass.

When dry I cut around the pictures and folded where the two pictures met. This is what it looks like when finished. Mine has a tendency to curl a little on the edges so I store mine under a heavy box at the moment to help with that.

Here are a few quick pictures I took using it:

I think the one below is my favourite of the bunch :)

Mara

Second post for today!

Well I couldn't wait until the Copperfox Challenge is done to show you my latest addition!

I know I really should not browse the MHSP. I don't really have funds to spend on model horses but usually I am very good at telling myself this even if I find something tempting.

This time I didn't succeed. 

I made a search for Fjord models on the MHSP. Just for fun as I like to see what there is since I really like fjords. And I stumble across an ad for a painted Mara resin.

I saw this resin some years ago on a fellow collectors blog. I think I remember her saying that it was one of her grails and that it hadn't been all that easy to find. I saw another one years later, this time at a liveshow and it is an adorable model.

She wasn't very expensive and I tried to make my self pass on her as I told myself I don't need more models at the moment. I managed to not email an inquiry for several days but then I caved in and asked the seller if she was still available.

She was, and the rest is history, I picked her up at the post office yesterday. She was VERY well packed and bigger (and heavier!) than I remembered her.

Mara compared to a Breyer G4 Para-Dressage horse

The ad stated that she had some painting flaws and the artist (who was also the seller) gave her permission for the model to be stripped and repainted. It sounded worse than it was, she might not be top LSQ (I would still take her to a liveshow and see how she's doing) but I think she'd do a good effort in photo shows. She will keep her colour for now as I don't have time or tools to strip her at the moment. But somewhere along the way I have vague plans of giving her a new coat of colour. She is absolutely adorable and I am very happy with her!

I'm thinking of naming her Saffran (Swedish for saffron) or Humla (Swedish for bumblebee).

Copperfox 10 Day Challenge Day 4: Your Favourite Model Horse Picture

Challenge Day 4: "What is your most favourite model horse picture? Maybe you already have one or maybe you can create a new one?"

I'll be upfront and honest. I am really bad at taking good pictures of my models. I've never had a good place to set them up, never a good background or a decent camera. Excuses, I know. So many others manages to take great pictures without those things.

Well I'm unfortunately not that person. But I am trying to make an effort and improve. I now have a good camera, I'm working on a decent base and with some crafting and tips and tricks I might be able to make a similar background. Unfortunately I'm not there yet and pretty much all of my models are at home (more then 400 miles away from Uni where I am) so I won't be able to share any new good pictures but at least I can show you some I took years ago, doing one of my first tries to take decent show photos.

Acuatico

 I was so proud when I managed to take these pictures...

Fuego

 ...today I see that they are not that good!

Arianna

 I still take it as a lesson learned and some of the pictures are quite cute.

A Star Is Born

Epsilon

Symphony D

Winter Jewel

Zahrat

 This picture of Athame is to date one of my favourites as I really like how her colour came out in the picture!

Athame