Quick break from mad painting sessions

Finished this commission doodlebug, preview pix for his owner, palomino in oils, didnt think I could do it!

Airbrush parts on order!

I didnt realize just how long its been since my airbrush went kaplooey on the floor, 8 months! Thanks to a fellow Blab member I found a much cheaper supplier and confidence that its an easy repair. So the part and a new needle are on their way! I cant wait to airbrush, the oils have been a fun learing process and will still do some, but for big pieces I want my airbrush :)

So I am open to a commission or two now for trad resins. I also have a stage mom and child star extra set I may paint for myself or I may be willing to take commissions on. Contact me if you are interested!

And my plug for Bear Air wouldnt be complete without their URL
http://www.bearair.com/

Jezebel commission done!

She and the bay pinto NSH should be on their way to their owner tomorrow!

Out with the old, in with the new

Finally getting most of those minis finished up or close to it. So while they are drying I had the need to hack up a G1 stablemate. Found my next victim in an old plastic Native Dancer. He is now well on his way to becoming an adorable little hunter pony! That is IF I can do a respectable job on sm neck braids, thats a BIG IF :)

Pams NSH is done! and her Jezebel just needs to be sealed, I had to work on a few spots and shes a bit tacky yet.

without flash

Her mane is not the same white as her markings, it just didnt show up real well.



And  my G1 Arab stallion is done!

and lastly the new guy (or maybe gal) in progress

Jans doodlebug is still having the whites and cat tracks worked on but hes getting there. He will be done in time to hand over at BF. I am not even going to attempt to paint anything for BF sales. I'm not at the AG, swap meet or HI. I will have a few things in Jans room at the HI but nothing new, just existing sales pieces on MHSP. I'll be pretty busy judging and showing.

So I will soon be entirely done with the existing commissions if anyone has anything they need painted lmk! I would LOVE to paint the new SMB Haffies, a working girl, new Tumlinson pieces etc

I did it again!

I painted a resin on commission and now I want to keep it, or rather, halfway thru I wish I would have saved this color for my (eventual) copy of Jezebel. As soon as I knew I was painting her I knew I wanted to do her in this color and I am very very happy with how its turning out. I guess thats part of taking commissions, its already sold so I CANT keep them all :) Good news is I know I can recreate this color, unlike that red chestnut Mindy I did.

Anyway, shes coming along great, still need to work on the lower legs and head yet, heres just a quick shot on the studio table for now. Behind her is a Finn resin that I airbrush painted last year but was never happy with his white markings so, inspired by the 3 (yes there are now THREE) Clydesdales at the barn, he is getting new whites and will be back up for sale again soon.

The 3 amigos!

Books reopen for commissions!

One or 2 minis or foals of any size I can take on, since of the 3 I have at home 2 are in the final stages and I have a good start on the third who is a solid color. Prices and info same as this post:
http://riverbluffstudios.blogspot.com/2010/02/books-open-for-commissions.html

If you have something non mini we can discuss as well.

State of the Studio

After spending the better part of yesterday in the studio instead of going to the barn (in stormy weather), frankly the state is chaos. Good news is I got Jezebel (commission piece) primed and base coatred so she is ready to start now, bad news is I got tired of doing white markings and found a few other projects to work on as well:)

On the Diva front, after her chiro visit thurs night she wasnt cinchy today BUT she highly protested left lead cantering, not good! We have a show in 2 weeks!

Chugging along

Working when I can and trying to get my NAN entry done. I'm getting down to the wire and close to my budget cut off point. Trying to decide which of the many models left are good enough to go. I may end up going a little over! But its going to be a slow NAN for me this year I think, well slow for me. But not showing performance and judging that day instead really helped the ole budget! I will miss it though!


So updates:

Chestnut Arab guy is coming along, he will probably stay in my collection, at least for a while. He is going to have lots of chrome.

Palomino (tobiano to be) doodlebug commission is coming along ok now, I was struggling with him a lot but I think I am on track now. (except all his pix came out blurry!)

NSH commission is getting her white done. She has more shading than it looks like here but I'm still struggling with lighting on dark models.

Shows can either inspire or discourage...

I had to sit and think about it, an old friend I havent seen in a while asked me at the show how long I had been painting. I said at least 10-12 years. Actually its more like 17! I started out hand painting with acrylics which I did not have great success at! After a few years of struggling I moved up to an area with more showers and learned to airbrush from one of them. By the end of that 12 year period I was pretty confident in my airbrush paint jobs, having won several cookies at NAN. But learning oils was like going back 17 years and starting all over. Showing several of my new pieces at the show last weekend was encouraging, not only in the placings but more so in the comments from some highly respected artists and collectors.

Not surprising then I was anxious to get back in the studio and start in on some new pieces.

This resin gal is well on her way to becoming a dark red bay tobiano NSH (she is a commission piece). She will have a more detailed pattern, I just blocked it in for now.

And a G1 Arab Stallion thats been hanging around here a while, I'm trying to recreate the Mindy paintjob :) He has a long way to go!

Il/Ia Live show results!

The show was fun as usual, bigger than its ever been and some large competitive classes! It was great to see my IL area friends, despite how much they razz me when I beat them :) I had about 19 models that I want to get qualified for NAN this summer, some more than others. I got 7 of them qualified. Most importantly I got my first ever oil painted models qualified!

The commission Mindy that I loved so much, I was wowed when she got second in a large gaited minis class!

Even better, she later got second in a VERY large all sizes AR/CM Chestnut color/workmanship class! Woot shes going to NAN if I have to steal her back and take her there myself! (and whats even cooler, she placed right behind my big Indy painted by Tom : ) )

I also NAN'd this recently finished Strawberry Jam

As well as my Pujabi resin! This is the sectional call backs, my two plus my Otto by Sheila Anderson :)

I thought I took more pix but as usual I got busy visiting or packing or showing! Heres a couple more tho:

 My Fraley and Sarah/Joan cm glazes swept the CM Glaze for Champ and Reserve, each earning me 5 bucks! Which I spent on raffle tickets and lunch at the show (and I won 3 raffle items. I swear this show is the ONLY show or other raffle I ever win at.)

Lastly a resin I really wanted to qualify and she ended up getting reserve of the mini resin division! Mini Scarlett by Tiffany.

Getting things done!

Nothing like an upcoming show for that extra incentive to finish things! (except the lawn still needs to be mowed :( )

Jan's Mindy, done, tho I need to take that eyewhite down a notch I see from the pix. (of course if Jan doesn't like her I'd be HAPPY to keep her!)

and my mess of a NL Cob, next time I sculpt that much hair and then decide to paint it at the last minute with OILS, just shoot me!

This one's a fighter!

He fought me on the color so hard I accidentally snapped off that back leg, to find a major air bubble there! All fixed and back on track now. He is my first PALOMINO in oils, eek! He is scheduled to be a tobiano, unless Jan changes her mind. Here are some in progress shots for ya:

But I want to keep her!

But its a commission so I cant! She needs her high whites and blaze, hair, eyes and hooves done yet once she is dry but I'm pretty happy with her :)

I  have three more stablemate resin commissions here now so no more til they are done! I dont want to get overloaded and under pressure.

Commission sneak peak for Jan P.

In progress, has had more done since this photo. Doodle bug is giving me fits so Mindy is getting all the attention for now :)

Update on that silver dapple

Progress has been slow on him because he is heavy and hard to hold. I finished the one side and let it dry before I moved on to the other. I managed to still make them match! He still needs some work on the face and legs before hes done, then he will need to dry again for a while before I do all the hair!

 

  

  

Commissions update: Mindy has a base coat of oils, keeping the color secret for now :)

Doodlebug is primed and will be ready soon for his acrylic basecoat of white.

Fun at the Tiny show!

Went to a fun show Tiny show saturday. It was a nice day to get out and see friends! I was able to get some of my new oil painted pieces out in the light of day and they were very well received! I also came home with 2 mini resin commisions and Candy Liddys new bad-arse mule! I'm excited to paint a Mindy! She will be solid with chrome. The doodlebug for the same person will be either a Tobiano with cat tracks or an appy if I feel like I can do it. Leopard apps are not my thing! I can look at a paint horse picture and translate it to a model but I have a hard time with appys. I will have to find a practice victim first.

 

Mindy will go first, shes nearly prepped now, hopefully one last coat of primer to go.

Closeup of Candys new LB scale mule

Doodle bug did very well at the show (as did the mini Ravenhill) he just needs finish spray and then he is all done. He is for sale but I would love to be able to keep him.

 

  

 

Books open for commissions!

I am only going to take a couple at a time. If interested see terms below. My work does very well at local shows and at NAN. I havent taken many commissions in the past so my work may not be as prevalent as others but you wont be disappointed.

Currently my airbrush is broken, thanks to the dog, so I have been working in oils. I will only do smaller models or foals in oils right now. Once I get the airbrush fixed I will take on adult trads again (I can probably do a trad roan still)

Terms:

Resin or plastic body must be approved before job will be accepted. Sending it prepped is highly preferable and will get it painted much faster (prefer grey primer). I will prep resins for an additional fee based on size and condition of resin. I may also prep newer mold plastics but no old Breyers with really bad seams right now, maybe next winter. Repairs of broken ears or legs are available as well.

Half down and half upon completion, plus return shipping.

No greys, leopard apps or complicated dilutes. Artist choice is highly preferred as well. (I love painting foal coat colors!) Larger paint markings by quote, nothing for apps beyond a small blanket at this time.

Traditional - $175 solid, $200 small blanket or minimal paint markings
Classic - $125/150
SM/LB - $100/$125
Medallions - by quote, depends on size and detail level

I can offer resculpting in the way of manes and tails (no braids) for an additional fee, but no other customization at this time

Ahh 3 day weekends...

and too cold to spend much time at the barn sooooo its STUDIO TIME :)

Jackies Bitty Bosco is DONE

Still working to get the lighting right with my home made light box

Mini Ravenhill is getting close to being done!

and I've made progress on my kludged attempt at a light box without spending any money!

Materials:

Clear plastic square storage box (damaged from being used for real horse stuff)

Blue cloth (existing piece I was using before, needs to be tacked up before I can do bigger models, just propped up right now)

Wax paper covering the outside of the box for diffusion of light

Existing desk lamp

Clip on lamp I bought for real horse shows but only used once

You can see by the sm resins its a big box so I should have no problem with trad models. Now I just need to find someplace thats not in the basement to set it up. Its so cold down there plus I risk dropping something or tripping down the old stairs or both.