Papercraft: Rolo’s and more

The world of Artist Trading Cards includes other formats as well - inchies, twinchies, specific shapes
And sizes, various media.  Chunkies or 4x4 squares are a great size to form mini books.  I used to be part of a group that did those in themes and still enjoy the art!

Here’s a floss card done for Spring awhile back...

Rolodex Cards are a fantastic size and format, with display options that combine with storage!
I had started working on some of these for swaps and would very much like to get back to them...

Scale can be fun to play with in art.  I miss huge canvases from theatre but thrive in my miniature worlds too.  Today proved more successful on the art front.  Huzzah!

Some Days...

Art fights me.  Most of the time I have some semblance of control over various media and can bring about pleasing results.  Today was hardly one of those days!

Silicone molding material failed epically.  Markers and sealant bled.  Certain materials seemed to be out of scale or of the wrong type for my needs.  Sigh.

Usually when things get too tough, my inclination as a trainer is to simplify, back up a few steps. Break an exercise into its components and find success.  I could apply that philosophy to Arting as well.  I went about some simple organizing and prep work that I could achieve.  I studied and learned and planned.  I vowed to not make these same mistakes and found the silver lining - sometimes we have “happy accidents” in art that become new techniques or yield cool results.  Today I was just happy to have tried and learned and to salvage my original sculpture.

I was told I let my enthusiasm get the best of me and it was true.  Even so, I can’t fight against materials that won’t get along.  Lessons learned.  Here’s hoping the next steps will go better.

New batch of rocks will go out.  I did manage to place some during my “fresh air” break!

Here’s to a better week!

Hodge Podge

A little Rock n Roll, some Studio projects, and Collecting stuff...

The weather is fairly bleah.  I managed to find some relaxation and downtime.
After sealing some rocks I layered more color onto what will be a deep burgundy chestnut mare and considered some of my Medallion projects along with 2D commission pieces.  The sculpting project made it to firing stage!  If all goes well, I may be able to mold and cast.  It is still under wraps for the time being.

My collection has mainly shifted towards artist resins and customs save for a couple Original Finish molds, but I still continue my Stablemates congas...their Collector club puts out six little wonders a year, and includes a G1 mold.  This is the Morgan Mare in a rich sooty gloss Palomino - pretty!

On The Rocks...

Time to create some more Kindness Rocks!  I placed/dropped my last batch and was happy
to see they are being found!  For me, it is a form of  cheap entertainmentand I hope they bring some good cheer to those who pick them up.
I failed to find polished stones in light color to marker on, so this time using washed river rock stones, and will try paint markers.  I have used acrylic, permanent markers, and metallic pens before with success, and finish with either a spray sealer or brush on polyurethane so they will resist rain and be more protected.  Other media may be used as well...colored pencil, even nail polish!

The fun is not only in hiding/placing/flinging them (Just a term - they are generally carefully placed anywhere they can’t damage a mower!) but in their creation - choosing what short quotes or sayings to write and how to decorate...
Uplifting quote or affirmations are nice as are characters or small drawings, even celebrating the season or person who finds it!  ROCK ON...

Stone Horses...

Peter Stone owns his own model horse company after growing up in and developing the lines with Breyer.  He started creating “real horses for real horse people” under his Stone name and created gemstone decorator models as well.  Smaller scale lines of “Pebbles” and “Chips” were created and the molds and paint jobs improved significantly, driving a competitive high quality factory finish game.  Model Artists were used as well as new technologies and painting techniques which led to the popular factory customs and unique models that collectors could even have custom designed in the likeness of their own horse or idea, which was a game changer.  Unfortunately, I and others have found them to be cost prohibitive.  Beautiful models!

Silver Sultan from H&H Winners Circle

Some of the older molds I had over the years - the Western Pleasure peanut roller, Rearing “Trouble” and the landing jumper (both Chris Hess sculpts!), the trotting and standing Drafters, the first Morgan, the Arabian, Pony, Performance Horse, and iconic ISH: Carol Williams’ Ideal Stock Horse, based on the Rio Rondo  Quarter Horse 1 resin.  I still have some Chips and a Pebble, but my Stone collecting waned when things got more customized and outrageous in cost.

Legacy, ISH special run for The Hobby Horse News magazine

Peter Stone models are produced in Shipshewana IN and have a loyal following with many unique pieces.  Time will tell how this company will evolve but it’s safe to say they create some pretty ponies!

Pebbles Star of Wonder

Dapple Gray Performance Horse

Landing Jumper with heavy resin base

I am usually not too political, but when it comes to hobbies and their subsequent changes and participation, we are all party to some of the drama and personal opinions.  My stance with Peter Stone models remains that the craftsmanship and business practices have both improved and been a challenge to our hobby.  Some prefer they show with Breyers, others separate them.  I stay within my own boundaries of collecting but admire the diversity and beauty of yet another original finish model company on the scene.  PS or Stone horses are lovely and varied, often to the point of more rare and small runs than mass produced models available to collectors.

Salty Air

Salt rooms or salt caves may have healing properties with their ionized Himalayan salty air in a relaxing atmosphere.  Breathing easier and reveling in calmness are high on my wellness list as are elimination of pain and stress.  The glowing salt walls and floor add to the tranquil experience!

Of course I managed to find some little companions to join me and come home to my collections.

Catkins.

These are catkins.  The long, flexible caterpillar-like seed pods that shed from
Birch trees.  Technically, they are “flower spikes” that are pollinating each other.  I dread them for one week out of the year.  LOVE nature, but not what it does to us sometimes!

I used to play with these as a kid - from the time they were hanging in the low branches to the crunchy little twists in the Fall that disintegrated in my fingers.  Never had issues with them growing up.   They do make a mess and stick to dogs.  They make it hard to breathe now - bugging my sinuses and creating inhalant allergy.  It was a struggle to get good sleep.

They are EVERYWHERE and I struggle for that week.  Even the dogs are derping hard in this picture.  I love birch trees but not this.  Part of our environment, and we just have to deal.

Comparing dates, we are about two weeks behind, weather-wise, but perhaps
The rain will dampen the pollen a bit (yet kick up the mold?).  We shall see.

Collecting Other Artists...

Notice a theme?  I enjoy a variety of artists’ work, from resins to customs to tack!

My buckskin friend with the fuzzy chin is by Juliane Garstka of Luchenbach Ranch.  The cool double braided rope halter is by Lydia Brassington.

Storm Front is a CM Miniature Horse by the talented Sue Kern



This young blue-black mare was skillfully painted by Samantha Kroese and repaired by me.  She looks stunning under saddle as well, but I haven’t got to photograph that yet!

Magnetic!

I like magnets. Played with magnetic toys as a kid and sure find them handy as an adult.  Resin medallions that double as magnets?  Awesome!
Even in ATC (artist trading card) land we did a fridge art magnet swap.

I mentioned having a couple of 90’s magnet Resins by Kathleen Moody that I had picked up at Breyerfest years ago.  Well, they say unpainted for a long time.  Now they have clothes!
Finished the bushy gray pony...

And the Red Roan from last week...

So here are some “original finish” tiles and a donkey who I cant decide whether to leave as is or repaint.  The tiny Palomino is by Jenn Danza.

Do you have horse magnets adorning your file cabinets and appliances?  I know some medallions would be far too fragile to withstand the movement and strong magnets are a must, but I think they are very cool and like that they can be be readily displayed.

Happy Easter!

Spring weather is making life so much more comfortable!
Agenda items include more research, expanding horizons, Arting, and some cleaning and organization.  Plenty to do and work on, one day at a time, and alongside busy work season.

Blab May Medallion Madness prep continues...I wrote a bit about use of Colored Pencil in mixed media Finishwork, and extolled the virtues of a Berol Prismacolors

Cola also posed with her portrait by Linda - LOVE those expressive eyes!

(Both Dogs posed wth new needle felted friends which will be shared later!)

And I played with new braided rope halters in my photo set.  This guy just has an adorable mug!

Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!

Planning, research, references

In preparation for MMM (May Medallion Madness), one needs good color
references!  I am a fan of research and photos that double as art reference as well as documentation when needed.  My Medallion features a somewhat three quarter view of an Arabian along with neck, shoulder, chest, and flowy mane (which also allows for hanging as an ornament!).

Fortunately the web is full of dapple gray horses (love!) and Arabs aplenty.
  Prepped and ready!


Developing a healthy album of photo references is an invaluable tool for artists.
Planning projects is not always easy, but the photo hunt can be fun!  What are YOU painting?

To Build A Portfolio...

In discussing the organization of a body of work, how to categorize and share came up.  When I did this with photography and artwork long ago, it was straightforward:  Media and Subject Matter.

We’d display by type of artwork needed for particular reasons:  illustration or fine art or graphic design or a certain color palette or topic.

Models and hobby stuff are a tad different:  usually displayed by Color family for Finishwork.  Some artists have huge collections of a specialty color amidst the rainbow...besides your typical Blacks, Bays, Chestnuts, and Grays, you have spotted patterns. Pintos and Appy patterns are subdivided into Overos, Tobianos, Toveros, Sabinos, and even splash pattern.  Leopards, Blanket, semi-blankets, varnish roan and few-spot.  There are anomalies like brindled, zebra striped, and other markings or patterns.  Dilutes and Modifiers are displayed...Buckskins, Palominos, Grullas, Duns.  Roans on every base color.  Champagnes and Creams.  Silver and gold and dapples and chrome...we have it all in modeldom.  Every marking and detail is seen...mixed eyes, mapping and halos, tiny features from hoof to hair, by way of sculpture or customization as well as color and Finishwork.

Another discussion surrounding favorite artists and plans for unpainted (nekkid!) pieces came about...and in this we review that there are different scales, media, and signature strengths by each artist’s brush!  Models range from humongous scales to our main ones of “Traditional” 1:9, to “Classic” 1:12, down to the mini scales of Little Bit, Stablemate, and micro minis!

Artists often finish in paints, oils or acrylics, hand-brushes or airbrushed, or use pastels and pigments in layers of powder, sealed and built up, and even things like colored pencil.  Techniques may be specialized in, like etching or rehairing.  Many, like myself, are multimedia artist, combining materials and techniques to achieve desired effects.

Some model artists are makers as well - sculpting and casting, customizing, creating dolls or props or tack.  Regular Art art like 2-D flatwork or craft pieces are also depicted as creative endeavors.  I am not even touching on other nonvisual arts, such as writing or performance (like dance, music, acting) here, but all are portfolio-worthy!

Back to “specialists”, the concept is that certain artists truly excel at a particular area.  Maybe one does exceptionally beautiful glowing bays and chestnuts while another is known for their detailed Appaloosas.  A skilled tackmaker might turn out consistent sets while another artist focuses on micro scale Finishwork.  We are lucky to have so much talent in our hobby!  It is a real treat to look through online galleries and observe an artist’s catalog.

Me, I’m a humble hobby artist, but I have and do create for others from time to time as well as for my own enjoyment.  I have work documented in hard copy as well as electronically, but figured it was time to at least assemble a small sampling of equine colors and other visual art efforts, old and new.  It’s not perfect, but here it is:

https://shannontrodgers3.wixsite.com/shamrockfarmsinc

I welcome your inquiries!  Happy weekend, everybody.

In the Studio...

(AKA art in my lap, sometimes!). Working on some pieces I have been meaning to get caught up on and warming up my brushes for May Medallion Madness!  The time has come to settle on a medallion and color, pretty sure I am going with a winter themed Arabian by Jen Kroll that includes snowflakes(!) in a dapple gray.  He can be hung as an ornament, and I want to tackle some detailing with colored pencils and sparkle.  Consider it my kiss goodbye to one wild winter after this last little snow burst!  (He Is on the left contemplating the more summery Arab and a wolf!)

One completed warm-up Medallion got accomplished.  Gives me hope!

I just finished a red roan stock horse head and started on a gray/white pony.  Both are magnets by Kathleen Moody that I have had since the early 90’s when i picked them up at Breyerfest!

I have a small backlog of donation SMs to complete and some flatwork and models for friends...at least pony got a basecoat!


Looking forward to the holiday weekend!  Like preparing for NaMoPaiMo, I need to gather reference  photos and develop my plan of attack.  Excited to see all the Medallions!

80’s Nostalgia: Scratch N Sniff

It’s No Secret: I Love the 80’s!  From tacky colorful fashion to 1980s tunes to childhood toys, so much to reminisce over!  I will pay homage to this decade of my childhood from time to time...

Unearthed a stationery box full of stickers, and these Still have Scent!!!!

                                        

                                                 

Most kids in my ‘hood had some Garbage Pail Kids cards, rubber bracelets and stickers.  Arcades came before the home video gaming systems, and roller rinks and mini golf were a blast!  Would love  to find my old albums...

Do YOU recall any fantastic stickers or scents You loved or hated?

Unidentified Furry Objects: HSO

My eye is trained to locate models and figurines of an equine or canine persuasion.  Scouting the thrift shops, garage sales, and flea markets requires constant watch for four-legged creatures.  Antique shops and other “out in the wild” locations host a myriad of animals - in all shapes, sizes, and materials.  Even objects that turn out to not really be what we thought or hoped have to be checked out, “just in case”. I can spot many from yards away, but others are discovered upon closer examination.  In the hobby we have termed certain items “Horse Shaped Objects”, or HSO’s.

Perhaps they aren’t detailed or realistic.  Heck, maybe they are welded onto an object.  Some lack faces or other features, but they at least resemble our beloved equines.  They may have odd structure, color, or texture, but dangit that’s a HORSE.

Some even capture our hearts and find their way into our collections and lives.

This one would look amazing hanging out in a succulent plant, dontcha think?

What’s In a Name?

Naming things is a very special process.  Classification and Nomenclature are important to or natural and scientific worlds just as they are in business or personal ventures.  Our own family and personal names reflect heritage, geography, and history.  Names gain our attention and that of our animals, and many am object is known by a particular moniker as well.  Conventions vary from the way we name Stables, Kennels, or bloodlines, the the rules of naming vehicles or even children.  A “call name” or “barn name” is the short, colloquial name we are familiar with, while registered names can be long and official, often combining the breeders prefix or suffix or adhering to a theme.

We have all heard of animals “living up to their name” and have also seen a young or new addition “name themselves”.  With humans, we have to recognize the social impact over a lifetime given a name.    We don’t want children to face stigma and many adults go by a derivative of their formal name.  I am thoughtful in selecting a performance dog’s name as it will be used with commands.  Many an animal is observed in color, size, behavior, origin, or other feature when being named.  The caution of “be careful what you name them” often turns out to have merit, even though I’ve seen more than one oxymoronic/opposite/juxtapositional  creature with a name that doesn’t match!

Meet “Chromaspex” my new etched Appy!  (Shannen Regan created him, Sara and I derived the name)

Stock breed names and words offer lots of interesting ideas, and as a punster, I often enjoy a good play on words.  My friends that are animal folks and I have great fun planning and assigning names, whether it’s a litter theme or a new show model.

The joy in naming animals (or models) is that there is much more freedom and room for creativity.  One can get wild with the spelling without worry.  Things that might be inappropriate for a kid would be fine for a cat, for example.  I still believe fun names can hold dignity and usually stay away from the raunchy or disgusting.  I mainly consider how a name will be used.

I am not big on “human” names for my animals as a personal preference, even though some of them have had boy/girl names.  I enjoy researching foreign words and meanings and try to keep names purposeful and uncomplicated whenever possible.

Stories behind names are often interesting and I enjoy the many variations.  In my daily working life, I am responsible for many names, and even duplicates eventually have some identifier that help me differentiate.  I find so much pleasure in language and sound, the possibilities are as endless as the universe.  Amongst my current projects, cataloging my collection is one that takes some time and effort, but I hope the Name Game will make it less tedious!

What are some of your favorite names?