Too Long, Too Long

Welp, that was a very long hiatus! I am alive still, I promise. Despite the silence things have been productive...ish. DeEtta Hope is 3ft long from nose to tail, and still thinks she can fit in my palm, which makes bedtime a little awkward for this Bengal momma.

 

My face was sweating, and she was very very very smug about it.

 

She also tried to gift herself to me for Christmas. I still have no idea where she found that bag.

She has become quite the cat, one moment acting like a rebellious teenager and before I can react she's being a clingy kitten the next. I am honestly surprised she isn't in my lap trying to help me type this very second, it has become her favorite hobby. Gizmo is not as flip-flop with her behavior, she spends her days acting like the happy puppy cat she is unless her younger sister is antagonizing her. They both really enjoy being around what I do which really helps me with getting bored. 

 

I finally put a shelf up in my room last month, and they love the perch quality of it. 

In the world of Starshore Studios, things have been slow but steady. I acquired some neat vintages over my absence from here, along with more micros from Maggie Bennett's monthly subscription. Best. Drunk purchase. Ever.

(I do not endorse drinking and browsing the Internet, or drinking and prepping models. I was miraculously lucky in both cases and also learned a lesson) 

I also remembered to sign up for the Breyer Collector and Stablemate Clubs this year, and pretty happy with what it has given me (once I dish out the cash of course). I got the green Christmas Sherman Morgan with only one minor flaw in his gloss, and got my Coco the other day with one gloop of lint on her off side. In my opinion they're both really nice since I live where there's no live shows. 

Despite no live shows I have been participating more within the hobby. How, you may ask? Well for those who are on Facebook and follow Jennifer of Braymere Custom Saddlery, you would have either been caught up in, or observing, the National Model Painting Month event she kicked off in February. I missed the sign up deadline, but she still encouraged folks to take part in the spirit of the hobby getting together and helping each other. I normally don't paint in the winter since I can't use the matte sealant outdoors but I decided that it shouldn't be too hard to guard the model's paint job until break up season; and I was getting rather bored of going to work, coming home, sitting on the computer gaming, go to sleep, repeat routine. Around this time I got an unpainted Peter Stone Morgan (the 1997 one, or "old mold" as I've heard some people call him) and as soon as I laid eyes on him he wanted to imitate the Vintage Appaloosa Performance Horse (Breyer #99) coloring. Of course I couldn't say no, so out came the paints and frisket!

As you can guess, there were mishaps. First it was the frisket/sneeze incident. I had the jar in my hand and didn't put it down when I felt the sneeze coming. On the plus side, some of it splattered on the horse nicely; as for my nose and desk...well I lost alot of fine nose hairs getting that out of my nasal cavity and I'm still finding specks of the latex doom on my computer monitor this very second. Second mishap was color choice. The frisket dries orange, and my base coat I chose was an orange based burnt sienna. I was hating myself for that, along with the third mishap which was painting in too thick of layers. This meant that not only was the frisket hard to find, it also was taking off too much of the paint surrounding it or just stretching it out like a limp noodle. There was also the heated discussion with DeEtta who was thinking it was okay to sit above the desk and droll on me and the horse's freshly laid down paint...

Despite those blunders (and mild hypothermia from an ice fishing day) I got him finished! I will admit the Traditional scale is intimidating to paint but it was a fun challenge. There are some things I need to improve on, like fading the color into the bare plastic and not using a stiff bristled paint brush. I also need too improve on color matching but that will get better with time. Next post will feature some of my new additions, but until then enjoy these progress photos of Sharp Dressed Man!

I have returned!

Very very long absence due to the brain in my laptop crapping out on me and saving up for a new computer. I decided to go with a desktop this time, and I'm slightly intimidated by the large monitor. I have been doing some hobby stuff, mostly experimental painting, and of course spending my waking hours at home with DeEtta and the others. I'm not too sure what else to put for the night so I shall entertain you with a few pictures from my few months of silence.

 

After a trip to Anchorage for medical testing I made a shelf for Stablemates

 

DeEtta was heartbroken that Bengal Buddy couldn't fit in the box with her

 

One of my grails achieved thanks to Chelsea's Model Horses!

 

Somebody loves paper bags...

 

...really really loves paper bags

 

The sisters are the same size, and DeEtta keeps growing and growing

 

One of my many fails, but it has helped me get a better idea on what I'm doing

Daring to decorator

Small while again, but alive! Have been gradually working on some of the many projects at once, and really wanting to try non realistic, but popular vintage decorator colors. I figured I have the best victim, a G1 thoroughbred mare who I decided to try and prep after a few beers. Bad idea. I have her mostly fixed but decided that her fate is to live on my desk as a lesson pony about adult choices. I also tried to primer her while intoxicated (ugh!) and had to sand off half of it trying to fix her.

I have been driving myself mad with realistic colors not turning out as expected so I decided to find a new definition of insanity. Decorators. I have noticed that non-realistic colors really help me relax from the stress of making things look realistic. I even went as far as buying my first custom! She is a G2 running thoroughbred that I decided to name Tiger's Eye; and her color really resembles the Bengal girls. But when I tried getting a comparison photo of her to DeEtta's fur, the girls decided to be...."helpful."

 

"What'cha doin' momma?"

 -DeEtta

 

"It smells funny..."

-Gizmo

 

"It also tastes funny!"

-DeEtta 

I love the marbling on her, and I can't figure out how the artist does it. I got her from the eBay seller abcrv; and they have some rather gorgeous customs every week on auction. I want to get a couple more of their lovelies, but I'm also trying to save up to potentially go to next year's Breyerfest. I was considering doing a bunch of decorators on the models in the body box and selling as shelf sitters, but at the same time I'm still learning how to make my personal models look nice.

Too early for a New Year's Resolution, so how about I make it my Breyerfest Resolution?

 

And while talking decorator, I want to share a sneak peek of a WIP before calling this blog entry good.

 

 

Summer sluggishness and looney times

Okay Mother Nature, the constant 80 degree weather is getting very annoying! Granted it is nice for me priming a bunch of bodies, but it isn't fun working in a fast food restaurant in this weather. Not to mention how hot vehicles can get....ugh. Once the summer solstice hits I will be eagerly counting down to winter.

 

Bengal babies have been liking it.

One plus side to the warm weather is being able to catalog my models when I'm not at work or being lazy. It's nice knowing that I'm three quarters of the way done, and that much closer to getting a number of how many horses I have. I have found some I even forgot I have! Storage has taken its toll on at least one of my larger models, which I am really attached to. Goffert, my first Traditional scale model, has developed seam splits on his back and where the plastic holds the metal stand in his leg. When I packed everyone away last summer he only had a hoof rub, so finding him in this new state has had me bummed out of photographing the others lately. I have decided that once finances are kinder to me that I will look for another and give this old friend of mine a new life to the best of my abilities.

If that happens sooner than later, I might end up overloading myself. For some silly reason I thought it was a good idea to multitask with projects. So far the count is at Bengals Find Me Tasty (acrylics), a G3 Arabian Stablemate (acrylics also), a G2 trotting Stablemate foal (who I decided to do in pastels), a cantering Stablemate foal (who is being done in eye shadow to see how different it is from pastels), a G1 Arabian Stablemate (in resculpt stage),  and G1 and G2 Thoroughbred mares being primered for who knows what. I might have lost my mind. Big. Time.

 

And I don't know why I am using this to represent my loss of sanity but I'm going with it.

Survived the sickies

Okay, that last cold I got was evil. I actually was out of work for a week, and I now have gunk in my lungs again. I do have some exciting things to share though. My Patriot came in the mail, and so did my dapple grey foal. In the midst of having a fever over 102 for two days I thought cleaning my desk was a good idea, took me this last week of feeling better to remember where I put everything but it is nice having my workspace back. Clumsy Gizmo knocked horses off my desk so I had to touch up the works in progress and finish them up to keep them safe. Believe it or not that includes Stonewall Lee!

I still can't decide what to call his color, but I think I know what my next experiment will be. I see this one being a possible black with a brown base coat.

 

Bengals Find Me Tasty is coming along well with her layers of white. She's almost done before I move on to the details and mohair.

Getting things done

Again I have been silent, but still doing things! I have two projects that are making progress at a lovely pace, and I'm learning things along the way. And in case you're wondering, yes I've had "help" from the Bengals.

Behold the ever helpful DeEtta putting her trademark kitty staple holes in my spray box! Since she was 11 weeks old she has had a fascination with my model horse hobby and tries to help in her kitten ways, including chewing on the newer models. (Something about the smell of fresh plastic with these guys drives her berserk...) Gizmo has been helping her little sister in the eat horses department, but doesn't discriminate and goes for any and all of them. Their hobby has named one of my project ponies, get ready to meet Bengals Find Me Tasty in her early stages!!

Not too shabby so far. I'm trying a new method for her, which is using matte sealant between each layer. I found out real quick that whatever Breyer uses for a primer doesn't hold the paint too well against my twitches so I had to find a way to protect each detail. So far the only downfall to this method is the fact that I have to step out onto the porch to seal each layer, and Alaskan weather can be far more unpredictable than me after a week off my meds. Let's just say that is not a story to delve into.

I have another project pony making good progress but I'm not ready to show pictures of her yet until I get the giant hole in her belly exposing the speaker parts in her covered up and closer to painting. I have tested the sound and it's great! Best thing is the kittens are too confused to chew on her.

Perplexing

Good 'ol eBay knows how to drive me crazy. Here's the recent confusion.

Flocked Rearing Stallion. Says that it's the Classic scale (aka Rex). The problem is to date the two rearing stallion molds made by Chris Hess have only been confirmed to be flocked once. And it was King (the Traditional scale) as a white circus horse. So I'm having trouble wrapping my head around this black flocked Rex as a circus horse. I almost want to get him to see in person what the blazes is up with him, maybe a possible custom....

I also have acquired one thing that is a few different weaknesses of mine in one. He's rather beat up but I love him because a) he's the vintage style dapple b) a Maureen Love mold c) an oddity. Behold a mislabeled Arabian stallion!

I got him with scuffy alabaster Arabians from the same time period, a mare and stallion (in his proper mold). Plus side to getting vintages is that DeEtta isn't too interested in eating them. I also have a dapple PAF on it's way to my mailbox; sad part is the cutie got shipped with standard shipping so we are on day 6 out of possibly day 8-12 for the journey through Canada. Also eagerly awaiting some reference books for vintage Hartlands and Breyers. Finally got my first Traditional scale Peter Stone horse! He's the older morgan mold in a seal bay coloring and is nearly flawless. At the price I paid I thought I was getting a Chips scale, so it was quite the surprise. He came with his tag from live showing with the name Dracula, so I decided to keep that as his name.

In the subject of names I have someone who will be needing one soon. Since it is the first day of working on her I'm not too worried, I have hopes of her becoming a pretty appy.

Research struggles

With the near completion of one project (Stonewall Lee), I am preparing to do the research portion for another project. For being a mess up on base coloring, he is turning out gorgeous, almost like a steel gray snowflake appaloosa. Speaking of appaloosas, I have decided that will be my next project. I finally succumbed and bought a stablemate sized artist resin mare that is rolling blissfully on her back. I fell in love with her at first sight and decided that I was going to get her.

 

I might be a fool for horses that aren't the kind you would put in a winner's arena setting.

As soon as I saw her, I immediately pictured her as a leopard appaloosa. Simple enough on the basic end, white horse with spots like a dalmatian. That would be the case if I was making a doodle of a leopard appaloosa, but I want to do it right, mottled skin and all. It wasn't hard to gather reference pictures for the eyes, hooves, genitalia, and muzzle, but there one big gaping detail I'm struggling with that is out in the open on this beauty. Her belly. I know the hair is thin on parts of the belly, so pinking and mottling will show through, but I can't remember exactly where, and Google is acting like a stubborn critter about my search terms. At least it hasn't given me anything traumatizing like when I've looked for other things in the image search, I actually got lucky and found an adorable find!

 

Behold the mythical "Cataloosa"

Of course before I would go slopping paint on an artist resin with a pattern I've never done, I need a test pony. Thank god that I have a body box of beaten up models I've acquired in multiple horse lots on eBay, so I have a few to pick from. My victim of choice is a little bit/paddock pal quarter horse that was painted a yellow brown. When I removed the paint from him and his little buddies soon after I acquired them with a method I used many times before, something......strange happened. Unlike other times, I used a cheap oven cleaner which seemed to cause a very acidic reaction against the plastic; and took off not only the paint, but it dissolved the top layer of plastic in some places into a gel like mess. I managed to rescue them and clean them before too much damage was done while cussing and muttering and wondering if the cheap crap had acetone or something in it. Here I am, pulling him (well, her, his manhood was a victim of the death slime) out of the body box, and I'm debating on bathing it, it still smells like the lemon scented oven cleaner from eight months ago. If you ever decide to do the oven cleaner in a baggie method to remove acrylic paint from a Breyer, I advise using a brand name oven cleaner instead of the bargain brand stuff at the corner store, it will save you a night of wanting to rampage through a basement apartment and go upstairs to ask your landlord for a cigarette although you are trying to break the habit. I have determined that once I lightly sand down the rough edges around the resulting slime craters and put a gesso layer on him (her!) then it will be safe to practice some mottling.

Sick day and ramblings

Just my luck lately. Get crushed in a door over the summer, have my left lung forget how to function, catch a respiratory infection in January, and get a nasty cold once I'm healed up from the infection. The most annoying part is when it keeps me from going to work....how am I supposed to add to my collection if I'm not making money?! At least the cats are happy that there's a human to pick on all day, three of the five commandeered my bed when I got up to get a drink. The other two were playing, but it got suddenly quiet. Knowing Gizmo and DeEtta that can mean anything from nap time to plotting on how to climb the walls in a different fashion.
In other news, I got a girlfriend for Tamarisk (I'm keeping it a secret from him) and I'm perfecting my braids for Arabian tack. I found a four strand method that works nicely as long as I have a way to hold it down, and it has a smooth symmetrical result to it. I think a bit more practice and I can create some lovely pieces for my growing Arabian collection (I wonder what color will go well with the wood grains). The joys of a berserk nervous system makes me contemplate working on my stablemate sized customs, but there's one I would love to finish and another that I believe I have found a good color for. There was a time a couple years ago when the only blockade from finishing a model in one sitting is my tendency of having to put it down before I get annoyed, now that happens faster depending on what kind of day it is with my twitches and shakes. I also found another flaw of mine is being impatient and not wanting to clean the brush or water down the paint to make more smooth brushstroke-less layers.
One fine example of this is my custom Epona, who I completed in a record two hours (not recommended). She did turn out as I wanted but also atrociously. If you look closer you can see little balls of dried acrylic paint that stuck to my brush that I decided to not have the time to clean.

 

Bad Ali, no pretty ponies or potato salad for such impatience! 

Here is my work in progress whose color turned into a whoops. Stonewall Lee was supposed to be a dapple grey, but I went wrong somewhere in the beginning and didn't notice until I was too far along to want to retry. He is almost done, just waiting on a good day to not twitch everywhere while detailing his mane. My major mess up was not thinning the paint, so there are a few brush strokes on him, especially his black stockings, and I'm theorizing that is another reason his grey came out far darker than expected.

 

Points to whoever can think of a name for his coloring!

Working on him will be for another time when I won't potentially cough up gunk on him. These two definitely aren't my first customs, but the others are packed away. I am thinking of sewing together some pony pouches to better pack everyone in, and I'll take pictures as I find them. And to end today's random entry, I shall display a photo of what all the cats are possibly doing! Starring DeEtta, who is keeping an eye/ear on me.

 

Zzzzzzzzzz...