Tuesday, February 26, 2013

"Quiet Cat" and baby "Curl Up" in Ebay:

Listed seperately:
  Click Here for "Quiet Cat" Auction
Click Here for baby "Curl Up" Auction

Also, the Marwari has a mane but don't ask me why I hate it for some reason.  The mane not the Marwari. I hope it looks better once it's primed.  There's nothing "wrong" with the mane persay. It's correct.  It's pretty. It reflects bouncing action.  I just don't like it.  Maybe because I'm used to seeing this Marwari sculpture with such a short mane and also, seeing it as an Akhal Teke that I made with one  using the original mane.  I don't know what it is, but I did look at various Marwari's and they don't have the roaches mane or even a short mane really.  Just an average horse mane.  So I don't know. I compared his neck to other Marwari's and that seems to match the stallions. Their necks are thicker than a Teke and do have a lot of muscle. I think I need to shave the Throat latch a bit more.  His ears are still rough.  They need to be shaved shaped, and sanded.  His mouth is open with tongue and teeth inthe front showing also.  Like the last Teke model I did. I was looking up in my big reference book on the Marwari's and according to that book, I was right.  The registry doesn't allow for Chestnuts in the breed.  Not saying they don't exist but they are a "no-no" in that breed. They believe that chestnut is the result of non oriental breeds crossing up with the Marwaris to get that color. And, I was right.  Grey is a very Auspicious (I think that's the word they used) color and highly sought out by very wealthy people.  It's like the creme'de la' creme of the Marwari breed as far as colors go.. Second most sought after and valued is the Pinto coloration.  Those are prized second only to the greys.  They say in this book also that Black is considered a "very unfortunate color",  so apparently despite seeing so many pictures of Black Marwari horses, Black is not a desirable color. They do prefer many white socks.  Four is the best, and a white blaze marking.  That's most favorable.  They do make mention that some cremello's are ok but they have to be of good blood. So from what I gathered they weren't real high on the list.  I  think that solid white was a special color they favored as well.  
But chestnut.  No-No.  And black... Risky.  If I were doing a Marwari, I'd probably do maybe a black bay but not black, even if it did have the socks and blaze. Oh, and they do love the color metallic bay.  That's a favorite.  I did read that.  But this guy,  I'm doing him Grey.

So that's the Marwari knowledge I've managed to pick up in my reading.   (The more I'm looking at him the more I think maybe the mane fluffing up over his top line is what's throwing me off. It's clashing with the palomino color of the body and making the neck look deformed a bit.  I'm wait til he's primed and ready for the re-buff stage to see if he improves)






Sunday, February 24, 2013

New Necks and Leather Halters Galore!

The Marwari dancer has alot of sanding and shaping to the neck yet but at least he's got one. His tail has got some extra pieces.  I love the original tail of this model so much I really want to preserve as much of it in this sculpt as I can. I sanded down and readded some apoxie to the areas on it where it was detached from the body. That is something that I didn't like too much. Having the tail covering the body like that.  I think it gives him more flow with the tail free and in the tossing.



The thoroughbred mare and filly set is ready for their full set of photos and to go to their new homes.   I'm really considering listing them seperately.  It's tough in the market right now and the price for both may be more than what anyone would want to make in a single purchase, so I will just break them up I think.  But I'm not sure yet. I may list them once with a reserve as a set and if they don't sell, then split them up.

Quiet Cat and her filly.





Dancing Marwari:


Here are the Thoroughbred mare and filly.
Nearly done.








 The pig has been gaining weight. lol

But lastly, The Ideal Quarter Horse that's the portrait model to Peptoboonsmal is still in need of some changes.  I gave him a little bit more apoxie under his girth at the flanks like the real Pepto has.  I also saw that the real pepto has more of a pronounced jaw.  So I added some apoxie to the jaws to buldge them out a little rounder.  Now, I'm debating on whether that neck needs to be longer.  Pain in the ass making it longer now but if it really needs it..... (sigh)





When you look at his left side it looks long enough but when you look at the right side it looks too short a tad.  His head is turned towards the right though.  I'm at a loss.



Friday, February 22, 2013

New Breyer Marwari arrived!

My second Marwari model has just come in.  The ears not only are smushed again, but this time they don't match.  lol  One's rounded at the end and a lot shorter than the other one.  But no matter!  I'm cutting him up anyway!!  I'LL FIX IT!  lol  I think this time I'm actually going to make him a Marwari only I'm turning the ears around and I'm seriously considering lowing  the head on this one and make him dancing. Torn on the color though.  I read that Grey Marwari's are a most preferred color and a mark of great wealth.  And also, a tip I found in my big horse reference book.  They have a photo of a chestnut Marwari horse and the caption says, "An imposter:" and go on to say that this horse must be crossed with something because they said that chestnuts were not an accepted color and are very undesirable in Marwaris.  So to any artists out there, don't paint your Marwari's chestnut unless you plan to call it a mixture of Marwari and thoroughbred or something. Apparently it's just as frowned upon as chestnut in lusitanos is or was.

More progress pictures!

Cupid fianally has another new antler started.  Hopefully 6 is a charm.


Next, the boys are primed and ready to go.  Adios, and the Ideal.  Adios has the new neck and the shaved resculpted face, new tail, new stallion parts with the male organ slightly relaxed and visable and finally hopefully I believe will either be an appaloosa or an APH.  I'm leaning into the paint horse but I don't know what he'll wind up making me do to him.
The Ideal Quarter Horse is as I said before (I think I said before...-Did I mention that??) the portrait model for Peptoboonsmal. He's had a new neck, dropped head, new tail, his stomach filled out a little to not look so skinny and high on the legs and a little more solid and stocky. He's got a new fully chest. He's had alittle bit more muscle added to the back legs. And wouldn't you know it, upon closer inspection the model's right eye was completely warped and sunken in, so I had to give him a whole new right eye.  Then the left eye didn't match it so I had to give him a whole new left eye. Sanded the eyes down to the sockets and made new eyes.  Who's Your Daddy!!




last but not least, so far...  is the Thoroughbred Mare and the Heartbreaker foal set. I have to explain that for some oddball reason the foal's coloring is not photographing well in these first few pictures.  AT ALL.  She's not that yellow and orange.  She's very subtle and more light nutmeg, but for some reason i may be getting a reflection and some kinf of weird feedback from the redness of the mare and the light I'm using.  Yeah, and the intergallactic swamp gases on Venus reflected off the moon's surface causing a weird light.  .......
One one of the pictures the foal looks the most closest to what she really looks like.



 The foal looks closest to this picture below but she's still not this yellow.


I'm not sure if I want the mare to have a lighter or darker red tail and mane.  I have to antiques and shade the muscles and bring out her features.  I also get to decide the fun part.  What markings to give her.  She'll have a leather halter and so will the foal to complete the picture.  It's funny.  I had planned to do this mare in a deep rich bay.  And she for some reason just became a chestnut.  I don't know. lol  It happens.  I wonder if I should go and make her bay now?  Not too late.  I like her as a chestnut though.  If Breyer hadn't already done it, I would have painted her as Rags To Riches and her filly that looks just like her.  I doubt my blog is that popular that I get much traffic at all but any suggestions are welcome on some chestnut thoroughbred racing mares..

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

My Goats

I was out taking some shots today of the boys.  "Merlin" and "Chivo", my half Cashmere half Angora goat bucks.  Merlin's the boss and the pig.  Chivo is his full brother one year younger. Supposed to be anyway. He's so much smaller than Merlin and wont get bigger.  I got them last October and since it was getting too cold to shave them down then, I'm waiting til it warms up to have it done.  After I shave them this final time I don't want to have to do it again, (although I think I may wind up getting in over my head with those coats) I want to just brush them and keep them brushed out and neat.  When I got them the guy who had them doesn't brush them. He just shaves them twice a year so they were already kind of matted up.  I'm hoping I can get them used to brushing and just after starting fresh and new with a clean shaved coat, keep control of it so it wont matt up so bad and I can keep them long haired and beautiful.  I always wanted pure Cashmere white goats but the last one I had (also named Chivo) died of an anererism(sp) and I couldn't find anymore.  So I was lucky to find the ad for half Cashmere and half Angoras, but the Angora part of them really does make them matt up like crazy. Really bad breed combo now that I think about it. I don't want to try and brush them now because they're not used to it and with all the matts in their fur now, it may just be too painful and actually drive them away from letting me do it later, so when it warms up, they're both getting shaved.  Hopefully for the last time. IDEA Maybe I can use the brushed out harvested hair for hairing horse models or something later on.  Cashmere goats produce cashmere yarn, but Angora goats produce Mohair which is what you see so often used in crafts like haring horse models. And these boys are white, so I can dye it any color if it works.  I do believe Chivo's got a bit more of his mom (Angora) in him than his Cashmere father.