Fractured ankle = more time to paint?

Yes... I fractured my ankle while trying to lock up a gate at work - sort of pathetic how I came to that injury with a gate when most people would assume I fell off a horse, or a horse jumped on me, or something 'horse-related' actually happened. But no... it was a gate, that was jammed on concrete, that I hauled on and got tangled up in. Very... impressive, right?

But, you have to make a positive out of the negative, and that positive is that between the times when the pain killers make me sick/tired/dizzy/in a haze, is time that I am actually painting and prepping models.

Two recent completions include these two:

Meet Benedicto (spanish for 'blessed')





He is of course, 'DeCaprio' who was scuplted by one of my favourite scupltors, Stacey Tumlinson. This guy just oozes such personality and softness and supplness - everything you want in a Warmblood, matched with that lovely neck and body structure. I was stoked to get a hold of this guy to be able to paint. And whilst this guy was a little unsure of his color, he actually did a color change half way through his base coats - he was going to be a black tobiano with cat-tracking, but during his base coats a friend of mine said he would look amazing if he went liver chestnut, and Benedicto said, 'oh may YES please!' and liver chestnut he went. He is inspired from the lovely Warmblood stallion Briar 899 with just a few small marking changes.

I'm hoping to proxy him at a US show in November and then have him home in time for our December show and then off to a show in January over the other side of Australia, then he'll most likely be for sale if he doesn't win me over more than he already has - in that case, he's already got a good friend of mine begging me to sell him to her :)

Next, meet miss Ashquar (Arabic for chestnut)





The super detailed 'Jezebel' resin by Sarah Rose - this girl is just beautiful in person, and also oozes a lot of personality. There isn't a bad angle you can photograph this mare from (but do excuse my grainy photo's, I'm still learning my new light tent set-up and camera).

I do believe my 'Gizelle' resin is now calling to me saying she wants to be a dappled liver chestnut :) In time my friend, in time... I'm practising my dappled version of my newly found love for liver chestnuts on a G1 'Silky Sullivan' stablemate, and if it is a win, then I believe she will get her wish. If it's a fail, well then I'm not going to do her any in-justice's.

Another one I have painted since my last post was a lovely liver chestnut roan sabino/overo 'Working Girl' resin, but I will do my best to get new (non blurry) photo's of her so I can show her off. She has being sold and will be with my good friend who also has her eyes on the 'DeCaprio' resin :)

Speaking of sales - Sanskrit sold to a lovely lady in Sweden, and I've already heard he recieved Champion at a recent photo show which qualifies him for the Swedish National Championships in November - best of luck to him and his new owner, I do hope I get an update in my email with some great news at his Swedish Live Show debute!

What a day...

Well I haven't posted on here in forever & I do apologise - I've being through some tough times in the past 10 months that I'd rather not relive again in this lifetime (or any other), but I am getting it togheter again slowly and surely.

BIG News - well lots of it, including my infamous Calamity Jane resin "Hehewuti" pulling out more wins, DUN Qualifications, Grand Champion's in Workmanship and Artist Resin, and also pulling out her highest award to date - Overall Reserve Supreme Champion at Live in the West 2010. This mare just keeps amazing me, and in the 6 - 7 shows she has now being to, she has never placed lower than 2nd in her Workmanship, Color & Breed classes!! And I am absolutely RAPTED with her!! She is a HUGE achievement for me and definate proof in my eyes that my roan techniques are working well for me. She came home with a swag of ribbons from the show on Sunday, placing 1st Workmanship, Champion Workmanship, Grand Champion Workmanship, 1st Other Breed, Champion Breed, Grand Champion AR Breed, 1st Other Color, Champion Broken Color, Grand Champion AR Color! WOW!

Ok, enough bragging :)

Some of the newbies that have being painted is a comission that has being on the table for a while - a CM'ed Flash with a new braided mane and then painted to a flashy dappled grey. He went on to pull two firsts in hic classes, and then two Champion ribbons to be in the line up for Overall Grand CM Champion - very happy with his results:





And I'm glad to report, his new owner is stoked with that news - always a happy moment!

Another newbie that joined me on the day was "Strawberry Strike", who is also for sale - so please free free to contact me about this girl. She was well loved on the day, and went on to win both her breed and color CM class, Champ out and then recieve the high honor of Grand Champion CM.

Priced at $135 AU plus postage.








Another new one that was shown with some sucess was a "Sanskrit" resin by Mel Miller and painted by myself into a bay sabino Marwari called "Sheikh" - he was second in his AR Other Breed class and placed 4th in a HUGE class of Bays (where my Absinth resin proudly won, and a Stormwatch which I painted and is owned by Melissa Boynes was second - woo hoo!). He has a custom base which makes him 100% more stable than he was without it, and has steel pins in his legs so that they slot into the base - this guy won't move now! Makes me feel a whole lot safer sitting him on a table upright.

Priced at $275 AU plus postage





Other results included my Absinth resin (also for sale) placing 1st in his bay class, and my other guys doing well - I will post more info on Absinth when I have the results and more info in general on what I am up to in the studio in the next few days.

Great to be back :)

~Sam