Thursday, September 24, 2009

Makin' Progress!

So jumper guy is making some headway in my studios over here! He has been patiently waiting for my attention to go back to him after it wandered to painting for most of the month. I'm happy to say that my mind is happily balanced between the two right now, and the work is diverting my stress into a healthy outlet.

The stress is coming from a loan hurtle in the guise of "seasoned funds" in our bank account. To veer off topic a bit, our loan broker told us that we would need closing costs and earnest money to show in our account for 2 months. No prob. We have it. But when it came down to get the loan, suddenly he's trying to tell us we need to show the earnest money twice over. Um, that's money we don't have. It's like, person, the earnest money has CLEARED THE BANK ACCOUNT and you still want to show that the funds are available to be drawn for the closing costs PLUS that again??? Sigh. I am finding out there are numerous stupid, non-logical rules about the mortgage world that people of any intelligence would be shaking their heads over. It's enough to leave me wanting to pull my hair out. Especially since the closing is supposed to be the 30th (of September - that this month, as in 6 days away). We are only 2/3 packed (we held off packing everything until we got the final approval otherwise we will have to unpack EVERYTHING), we have not called the moving company (since we don't know if there will be a move now or not), we have not called utility companies, etc. Hence the reason I have some stress. I know that things will work out, it is just a question of how long it will take to "season" fundage and close. I have been waiting a long long time and frankly, I am just sick of waiting any longer.

Sigh. Okay! Now that that is of my chest I can move on back to news on the jumper! He is nearly complete! I am sculpting the other half of the tail and then I will work on the head and give this guy some "gelding gear". After that, I want to add some butt dimples and some neck wrinkles. He will have shoes, but they will come after I have a solid cast to work with. This is so I can make sure all the feet are level.

I have decided to do a "Performance Horse Series" of resins. This guy will be the first of that series. Next up is a floaty stock horse hunter pleasure, and then a reiner, and then possibly a western pleasure horse. I am thinking I'll include the Park Trot Morgan Stallion I've been promising Linda in this group too. If you've got an idea for a really obvious perfomance position, I'd love to hear about it and see photos!

If all goes according to plan, I will have him done by the end of next week and start taking orders on him. I had planned to no longer take pre-orders on pieces, but because my rotocaster is not here yet I will wait until the next release to sell already cast batches. I will probably be selling a small quantity to start of these guys and hold off on selling the rest until some are cast. Say 30-35 pieces. Orders will be posted to my mailing list first, so if you are not a member you might want to join up!




















Monday, September 7, 2009

Pictures, pictures, and MORE pictures!

I just decided to one big (and image intensive!) studio progress share here. Believe it or not, but there are yet more things in the works that just aren't photo'd. Yes. I have been a busy beaver.

First, sculptural updates! The jumper boy is coming along quite nicely as you can see below! I've just got to finish up his legs, face, ears, and "hair" at this point. Oh, and his manly parts. Though he's a gelding so he won't be too manly. Poor guy. If his left hind hoof looks slightly different than the others, it's because it's the only one that's got a shoe on it yet!













And I've decided to post a few photos of some finish work pieces I'm working on now. There are LOTS more of these guys on my shelves than the ones posted, but I had these out and looking good enough for some quick photos.

First is a lovely (and a mite squished) group shot:



The horse on the upper left is an Eberl "Vincent" with a custom mane and tail by his owner. He's really something to see in person with a ridiculous amount of fleabites! I should have him finished tomorrow at the latest. Horse #2 is this guy:



A Williams "Venator" resin who is giving me hell trying to photograph him. He's really a beautiful shade of dark dark dark dappled mahogany bay. If I get the body color perfect in a photo, the white becomes unbearably bright and contrasty. But you can at least get an idea of how cool he's coming out. He's actually one of my own that I will plan on selling when complete.

Moving on brings us to this lovely lady:



A McDermott "Persuasion" painted to a really pretty golden dappled liver chestnut. You may be able to see in the larger photo that her skin has been "oiled" too! She's another one for the sales table.

I didn't take a solo shot of the Bitty Bosco, but he's a simplistic red dun in his first layers. He's just kind of been hanging out on my table for a while, and he's someone I really need to finish to get another example of a "dun" for my very pathetic and near empty dun and grulla gallery of my website. Yet another sales piece when I ever finish him. My own horses tend to stick around in various phases of completion for quite a while before I ever come back to them.

The Dinky Duke is last on that photo, but he's really something to see in person. He's definitely not a "boring" bay! His coat has a lot of depth and richness to it. He's being done as a custom order and I should have him completed by the end of the week!



Because I felt like taking a photo of her, she got added to the group! This is mini Scarlett also in a dapple bay, only a very dark golden bay. She will be a collaboration between Sheila Anderson-Bishop and myself. Once I ever finish the body color, she'll go into Sheila's hands for white markings. She's off to the sales listings after the two of us do our 'thang'. :D



As I mentioned, there are lots of horses that got left out of my little photo shoot today, but I will be sure to not leave them too neglected for too long. You'll see them up here at some point!