2022 New (to me) Stablemate Molds

My mailbox was full of mini-model goodness this week! I purchased Twist and Avant-Garde from on the second-hand market. Both models are sculpted by Brigitte Eberl. 

Avant-Garde is a lovely Norwegian Fjord stallion who debuted as Lyric, a silver bay splash white as part of the 2020 Breyer Premier Collection. But since Lyric is just too darn cute to customize, I waited until this mold was produced in a different color before purchasing him.

He is nicely scaled as a pony in the Stablemate line—larger than the Fell Pony stallion and smaller than the Connemara mare (Croi).

 

 

He is trotting with his nose a tiny bit ahead of vertical, perfect for performance. He stands well with three hooves on the table. He sports tons of details from one turned ear to neck wrinkles, although his feet are not carved. 

Thinking of CM possibilities? This boy could be a number of sturdy pony breeds such as a Haflinger. My model has hardly any seams. He does have feathering and hair along his jaw that could be removed when customizing to a different breed. The mane is upright and would be easy to change because it doesn’t interfere with the neck. Same with the non-attached tail. The forelock is split and wraps around both ears, which could be removed carefully, followed by a little resculpting of the face.

I am looking forward to working with this adorable pony!

Twist has been released before in bronze, resin, china, and plastic in a reversed version called Sharif. This is one of those molds where the different sizes and mediums have a different feel. And Twist doesn’t have quite the same impact as Sharif. The conversion to plastic has left this boy with uneven nostrils, a frog-y eye, a forelock that obscures the profile of his face, and misshapen legs that keep him from standing. (On my model, no hoof hit the table true and flat.)

He is a bit large for his breed in relation to other Stablemates, although not as big as I had imagined. Is it me or are Stablemates creeping up from 1:32 scale to 1:24? If that’s the trend, performance horses will be a little easier to tack up.

 
As for customization, this mold might be a challenge. I might start with getting him to stand upright—his pawing leg seems to pull him over. Maybe a base would be helpful. Next, I’d clean up his face. I might resculpt his forelock to reveal his refined profile (the tendrils of hair aren’t very clear on my model.) I would try to fix his nostrils. I might look at his chin. It seems to have slid forward and joined his lip.

 My mold has a bent ear tip, but focus on the eye/eyelid jutting out from the face.

Note the left nostril is on his muzzle.

Twist may be the less versatile of the two molds. His extreme pawing pose isn’t easily adaptable to walking, trotting, or cantering, but I am sure that artists who love extreme customs will be up for the challenge.

His tail is very cool with lots of texture, but it is attached to his hindquarters for most of the length. His wind-blown mane will take a moment to remove from the face and neck. His feet aren’t carved. 

I can’t wait to see what artists will do with this iconic mold.

Note the shape of the underside of his jaw and chin.