Custom Mini Model Horses

 I’ve finished customizing a Connemara Pony from the jumper mold (with a G1 Morgan Stallion head), but before I paint her, I’ll focus on tack, doll and jump to complete the picture. Bits and pieces of my project. Because I want my pony to appear petite (14.2 ha) I am scaling up the items around her. From the size of the jump to the adult rider, I’m hoping she’ll look like the pony she is, not a big warmblood. My ratio is 1 foot equals .425 inches. My first project to tackle is the plants that will decorate my jump. Today’s hunter fences have lots of “fill.” For this I purchased a bouquet of fake flowers with small-scale components. I’ve trimmed off some pieces to use—and found that some unraveled completely!  Fake flower bouquet with small components. For my flower boxes, I began with 1/4 inch square dowels and cut them to about 4 inches long. I painted them with craft acrylic paint and sprayed with matte finish. For the greenery, I used coarse turf that’s used in model railro...

  My workspace is clean because I got a new table! The Barnes and Noble where I work is getting new furniture so I got to take this one home. My hubby sanded and refinished the work surface for me.

My latest project is a Darley custom in fleabitten gray with a bloody shoulder. This mold is a pleasure to resculpt and paint—so many delicious details to highlight! My custom has a few changes to the legs, neck, face, mane and tail, but all are small in scope.  Aven Optiview 5D LED desk lamp My latest studio addition is a magnifying lamp because I am not as young as I was when I started customizing and neither are my eyeballs. I’ve used prescription glasses, reading glasses, head lamps, and my natural vision to work on models, but I thought I’d add another tool to my chest. I chose an Aven Optiview 5D LED desk lamp. It has a 4 inch lens which works well with minis. I like the enlarged view of the horses (about 225%) and feel that I have enough room to work underneath the lamp. Breyer Stablemate under my 5D magnifying lamp I’m painting the Darley custom fleabitten gray and the lamp is the perfect tool for the project. Flea bites are small on a real horse, and even more tiny on a mi...

 As usual, I was not on the ball. The International Custom Equine Event is a fall "event is to motivate artists and non-artists if all skill levels to challenge themselves in a supportive community to customize a model in 2 months, October AND November (61 days)." An thank goodness the sign-up was extended to today. For more information, visit https://iceemodels18.wixsite.com/icee My project is going to be a Breyer Stablemate Indian Pony to a mule. I'll probably keep her gait the same and focus on the details that will make her a sweet little molly named Lacie (named after my inspiration). Check out this beautiful girl: https://premiermulesale.com/lacie/ I'm thinking I might try my plastic ears that I did on my Vintage Custom Challenge ASB. More soon! Wow, this little mare is a tricky one to work on... her cannon bones, heels, and neck didn’t match up to my references at all. And then there’s the new ears! I hope this is progress, but I’m not 100% certain. Take a lo...

I thought I'd share a bit of my process. I'm working in Pan Pastels. The model in question is a simple custom Morgan Stallion from the new standing Stablemate Warmblood mold. He has had some work done on his barrel and hindquarters. His mane and tail have been changed as well.  I prepped him with Rustoleum 2X primer in white and taped off some white markings with blue painters tape. Feel free to follow along and paint your own golden bay or liver chestnut.  A Pan Pastel Project Art Supplies Shopping list: A model with sanded seams and logo removed 400 Grit Sandpaper Masking or painters tape (optional) Rustolem 2X Primer Pan Pastels: 280.3 Orange Shade, 820.2 Neutral Grey Extra Dark (or other neutral grey), Layer 3: 740.3 Burnt Sienna Shade, 740.1 Burnt Sienna Extra Dark, 800.5 Black. Pan Pastel optional colors for shading mane, tail, and white markings: Optional fleshy pink pastel or paint for a pink nose or shading white markings. Krylon Matte, Testor's Dullcote, or other ...

Meet Harlem Road, an American Saddlebred Stallion!   I'm doing National Retro Vintage Month (NaReViMo)! Every August artists come together (on Facebook) to complete one custom in the vintage or retro custom style. Hosted by Sarah Minkiewicz- Breunig, the group can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/694618414328297 My project is a G1 Saddlebred, a mold that has always made me smile ever since I discovered Stablemates in the late 1980's. (And is also on my website's list of Stablemate molds in need of a custom: https://sarahtregay.com/smmolds.html )  I've moved the head a little bit, replaced the ears and added to the tail. Right now I'm in the prepping stage: G1 ASB in progress I'm trying out an old technique that I used to make new ears around 1990. I was an industrial design major at RIT and as part of the program we made models of products out of plastic. The plastic started out as flat sheets and could be heated to form different shapes.   I used...