Custom Mini Model Horses

Most of my custom mini work is realistic with an occasional touch of whimsy with a cat or a bow, a rolling horse, or a misbehaving pony—so I finally tried my hand at some Halloween decorator customs. Boo with his cat Binx, and Jackie O. The idea began with tiny gaming sculptures that wear capes and cloaks. Would there be a way to have "fabric" sculpted on a model horse?  So... there is! I used Milliput in Fine White. This is a two-part epoxy similar to Aves Studio White or MagicSculpt White. I found it at Michael's and also at Great Lakes Hobby & Toy here in the Detroit area. I rolled the epoxy out like pie dough in between two pieces of sandwich bag plastic, using water to keep it from sticking too much. Sabrina and Silk   These sheets of epoxy became my models' sheets—their spooky Halloween costumes painted purple, black, and green with contrasting colors underneath. The sheets are supported and connected to the models on the underside with more Milliput. Sabrin...

Need support and inspiration for your next customizing project? Join the  International Customizing Equine Event (ICEE) Facebook Group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/133596534164710 ) and challenge yourself this fall. Diana MacDonald, one of the administrators, shared that "The sign up will be your Artist Declaration (in the Facebook Album on the ICCE page) - description and photo/sketch, etc. You will then have 60 days to complete your project equine - don't forget to ask questions, give us updates with photos, etc. Share tips, tricks and ideas. Then once compete, where you feel there are no more major changes to make, then you upload your completion photos (in the appropriate album here). Your prize is your completed equine. No entry fees. No entry forms. But you can still hashtag what team you are on - country, state/province, name, type of project, etc."   It couldn't be easier!     My project is going to be a new hairdo for the Stock Horse Mare by Maggi...

I've seen some great hobby posts on social media, from sculpting a beautiful model in oven-baked clay (instead of hobby-norm-two-part-epoxy), to building a barn from scratch (inspired by a hobbyist who lives in another country), to collecting carts and harnesses of all types (not just competitive, live show quality ones), to creating a custom model just for the fun of it (not for show nor sale). I love the creativity. I love the way these people are embracing the "hobby" part of The Hobby. I think we could all learn from them. Some of my Albys After attending Breyerfest, doing pick-ups for friends, selling at Artisan's Gallery, and showing in the open show this summer, I could use a deep breath. I could use a little time and space to enjoy the hobby as a hobby. I need to remind myself of the following: Not everything is a competition. Sometimes attending an event is about seeing old friends and meeting new people. Not everything is a business venture. Sometimes it...

I need to whine about live showing. And I have a hunch I'm not the only one that both loves showing and dislikes disagreements, especially about the Breed Classification List. What am I talking about? Some shows post a list of what breeds go in what classes, ie. a Breed Classification List. North American Nationals has an example: https://namhsa.org/content/uploads/NAN2021/NAMHSA-Breed-Cross-Ref-Feb-2021.pdf . These lists often clear up questions like "do Friesians belong in the Carriage Breed class?" Like most hobbyists, I put a lot of effort into my show string. This includes breed choice, documentation, and selecting the class for each horse.  With many class lists, some of my show horses stay home simply because there aren't enough classes. This happens with a class limit of three models per shower, and especially when there's a limit of two models per class. So here's where I disagreed with a judge about the Breed Classification List at a recent show. (Wh...

       Everyone loves a beautiful model at a price that fits our pocketbook. It's quite common for a potential customer to ask the artist if they will take a lower price, or pay for postage, or both.      Let's do a little math to see if a hypothetical artist should take an offer that is lower than her asking price of $100 postage paid. To simplify the math, let's say the model is a repainted Breyer Stablemate (in bay) without any customizing. We'll look at the costs of the model, supplies, the time it takes to create the art, and the costs of doing business online as an individual not running a business. I'll use Michigan's 6% sales tax, 4.25 state income tax, and 12% federal income tax. Stablemate:                    $3.99 plus .24 tax = $4.23 Cost of the Stablemate (let's assume they didn't have to pay shipping) Prepping supplies: Files (Harbor Freight):     $6.99 + .42 ...

With hobbyists painting models this February, I noticed several discussions about possible yellowing of primer, paint, and sealers. As artists we want our models to be enjoyed for many years to come. And, hopefully, their coat colors will remain true. I have been customizing since the late 1980s using a wide range of art supplies with a wide range of results. Although I do not have access to all of my work, I haven't seen any yellowing of the primer, acrylic paint, or sealer. Yet, I was curious about the discussions on Facebook. Was this an issue? Was it an issue with supplies that I used? Being married to a color scientist who works at a paint manufacturing company, my first thought was to run an...  ex ·per·i· ment noun   |   ikˈsperəmənt ,   ekˈsperəmənt   |   a   scientific   procedure undertaken to make a discovery, test a hypothesis,   or   demonstrate   a   known fact My subjects   Step 1: Prime four Breyers with...

After hosting Little Mitten Plastic Classic in September, it was nice to show at the Halloween Show Live in Hastings, Michigan. October is a wonderful time to visit Hastings with the leaves on the trees changing colors.  Thanks to Karen Zorn for hosting the show and a shout out to the five judges for their hard work double judging for breed and workmanship.  I had two fun coincidences happen. One was a model named Mr. Potts, which is my real horse's name. The artist said she saw the name in a post online and loved it. The second was Traditional Saddlebred painted like the real horse Snowy Harlem. I had used Snowy Harlem for inspiration for my 2020 Retro Vintage Custom named Harlem Road. They looked snazzy together. Two models painted like Snowy Harlem. I didn't spend a lot of time taking photos, but I did catch a few cuties.  Love the little dapples on these models: Just beautiful: And so much fun: