Identifying the Visitor

Okay, I'm not usually a bug person, but when I find a caterpillar that is over 3" long in my yard, I want to know what it is! So, after a little bit of research, I am 99% sure it is a tobacco hornworm. I found info on him on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_hornworm
Now, what's interesting is there are no tomatoe or tabacco fields near us. No crops of any kind, really. There are fields yes, but it's all cows and livestock. So, I'm wondering how this little guy wondered upon our doorstep.

Apparently, the moth that it becomes has a wingspan of 4-5". YIKES. Now that is a serious moth! Like it's caterpillar form, I've never seen a moth of that size. It'd be rather unique around here, so I know if I see a moth of that scale, it will be our green friend all grown up!

The Biggest Caterpillar I Have Ever Seen

LOOK at what was creeping under my front door tonight!! Is this "little" thing cool or what?! Hubby Matt was outside playing with the dog when he spotted this guy. He came running in and yelled to come out that second. Well, I came running, and quickly went back inside to grab the camera! This guy is HUGE at 3" long. Easily the largest caterpillar I've ever seen. We tucked him inside a bush in the yard to keep him safe. I'd just love to see what kind of butterfly this guy grows up to be!

More Jumper Photos

I'm definitely in productive mode over her in my little studio! I have 4 or 5 horses I plan to have complete by the end of September paint-wise and of course I want the jumper that I have been working on to be finished by that deadline as well.

You can see more pictures of the jumper below and the progress that's been made on him! We are only about midway here. The neck and the shoulders are pretty much done muscle wise and have been smoothed. When the rest of the horse gets to their level, I will then add wrinkles and possibly veining. The left side of the head is more finished than the right side, but it's still only blocked in. The butt muscles on the left side are at the same stage as the neck and shoulders. I think my next move will be to finish the chest and front legs, then move on to the right butt muscles. Everything is measured and proportionate at least (except the right back leg) so that hard part is out of the way.

I am thinking about mane options for him, though it's probably a bit premature. At first, I wanted braids to really make him a snazzy jumper. But then I got to thinking about versatility and thought maybe a short loose mane was better so he could do x-country. If he is popular enough, I may do two versions of him - one with braids and the other sans braids. You will probably see a poll come up in the very near future! :D

Lofty Goals

Here's the latest piece I'm working on sculpturally in the studio! I'm really excited and putting lots of energy into this piece. The dynamic pose is completely feeding my need to do something different from a standing horse, and with the twisting he's doing his best to stand out from the other jumpers in the crowd of the resin world. He's already got a presence in person, and I'm only really finished with blocking out the position and the muscling in the left side of the shoulder neck, and upper front leg. Needless to say, that makes me one happy camper!

The other thing that makes me pretty happy about this piece is that he's turning out to not be near as much of a challenge to get correct as I originally thought. Though I've probably just jinxed myself now. I really struggled with Darcy's stretched out back legs so we'll see how this guy's posterior goes.