Deadlines & Publications

Binders for my Just About Horse Mags

Thirty some years Just About Horses was in publication. For seven years I was a part of that history and right around the middle of every other month I get into an automatic panic and think,

"DEADLINE!"

Today as I was pouring my morning coffee I got into a panic then remembered that I no longer had a pressing editorial deadline with Reeves International. There would be no more "how to's" for them for print (perhaps online if they need me...will announce when I am to be featured.) I love publications and paper and magazines and books and it hit me as of late, I sure miss writing for them.

I suppose in pulling out the old binders filled with the JAH's I've contributed to I decided to document the painting process of both the Mini Haggis and Indian Silver I'm currently working on for commission. My style has changed a great deal since I first started writing for JAH but the process in the beginning is pretty much the same: dust, spray with fixatives, dust, spray with fixatives and repeat till you get the desired color built on the resin. Oh and as always I must start by telling you to BE SAFE! Wear your masks at all times!

Hard to believe the mag
is no longer

So onward with two visual demos.

The Mini Haggis will be an extreme bay sabino and the Indian Silver will be a plain chestnut. Two sides to the spectrum and both difficult in their own right. The chestnut, of course, will pose the most problems and is already being true to form. It's a heavy resin and I have fingerprints all over the barrel. It's too late to fix as I sprayed the piece already. I will have to fix in the later stages, but will document how that is done. Basically, everything can be fixed. No matter how bad the damage it can all be fixed with patience, determination and of course, TLC.

Drafting table ready for
new ponies to be painted

First layers on a Mini Haggis resin

At this stage the pure pigment or crushed pastel (stick) dust is added to the prepped and primed (white) resin using a DRY paint brush. Once color is evenly distributed to the area Krylon Glossy Fixative is used to "lock" the color onto the surface. Once gloss is dry add a matte spray like Citadel or Testor's Dull Coat (which is no longer called Dull Coat but "CLEAR COAT). Let dry fully and continue to add more pigment or crushed pastel dust. Repeat the process. Both the MH and IS have received two coats of color at this stage.

First spray to adhere the pigments
First layers on an Indian Silver resin

"Love is a fruit in season at all times,
and within reach of every hand." ~Mother Teresa