I Dislike...

Ugly paneling in the mudroom.
I disklike paneling. Period!

I grew up in a house filled with dark brown paneling. It was what was in style back in the late 60s early 70s and my father loved it and placed it in every room of my childhood home. When I purchased my home a few years ago I found, to my dismay, that a few rooms had the ugly stuff cover the walls. I knew I'd eventually repaint those walls.

Having closed my studio to model horse work and art work in general until the first week of 2017, I decided that this small vacation time would be the perfect time frame to paint those ugly walls in my laundry/mudroom.

This technique involves two different colors, some light layered washes, and some beat up old chip brushes, and in the end I believe the look is clean, fresh and reminiscent of an old country barn. Overall, it solved my hatred of the walls. I love them now! I now have a room that features some of my simple country decor and some seaside decorations. I call this room the "Country Seaside" room.

The best brushes are the old ones.

Now the space has a more
"barnyard/country" feel.

Almost Christmas

Custom Breyer G1 Drafter
playing in the snow.
This is the last weekend before the big Christmas day. I've always disliked that big rush to get everything done before December 25th and choose to slowly shop over many months for gifts. I find it more fun and satisfying and less aggravating. Sometimes, I will plant myself at a mall during this last rush and watch people, draw people, and be thankful for the time to just sit.

One thing I love about this season is decorating the house and studio. My work tends to take on a more "Christmasy" flair, even the photo sessions. I find that I just want to plant finished models in beautiful snowy backdrops in order to capture the perfect scene. Yesterday, I found that the G1 is totally fun to play around with in the snow. This particular model was for sale, but has sold. If you have a G1 and have a vision for it please know that my studio is always open to repainting the older Breyers.


Confectioners sugar makes
the best snow and doesn't harm the models.

While Im Away....

During the long silence I found myself finishing many pieces. Here are just a few of the pieces I completed most recently that I truly enjoyed working on.



Sarah Mink's "Fritz" resin
in a chestnut color.
Beautiful resin. Recent finish.


"Leela" resin sculpted by Jennifer Danza
and addition of a butterfly created a new look.
Leela is still available for purchase.
Email: jenndanza@gmail.com

Donna Chaney's drafter secured to a brick
base and painted a chestnut tobiano.


Copperfox Model customized to a British Spotted Pony.
Loved showing this little gal! She NANed her first time out!
Sold, but still well loved by me.

My little "Leela" resin all dolled up in a spotty mule color.
This gal named, "Leeaberry" qualified for the
Nationals her first time out.

The Broken Made Whole

JB Weld is not used in
traditional Kintsugi, but it worked.
Months before my father passed away I accidentally knocked over this piece of pottery I hand made from clay he and I cultivated from the woods. I will never forget the day he drove me miles up the mountain in search of clay. We spoke of our love of nature and of good past memories.

When my little clay pottery fell and broke, my heart sank. It was almost as if the universe was telling me something was going to change drastically. A few months later, it did when he died.


Many pieces carefully epoxied back together.
For a long time I have been enamored with the ancient art of Kintsugi
In brief, it is the art of taking broken pottery and repairing it with glue (of sorts) and gold which makes it even more beautiful. The cracks and the damage all become part of the pottery's history, a part of it's journey, a part of it's beauty. This piece, despite it's mishap, would be put back together.

I decided to use a very fast and untraditional method to weld the piece. Totally NOT Kintsugi, but seeing that this piece had a bit of my father in it and it reminded me so much of him, a carpenter and "handy man", using JB Weld was perfect! The pieces were adhered using JB Weld and once dry the cracks were carefully painted with Gold Leaf paint.

The technique, nor the finish is perfect, but it's perfect for me. The broken put back together.

This journey without my father is going to be a long one. I hope the JB Weld of life holds.....


The final touch...a bit of gold leaf.

A Long Pause

Family at Christmas.

It has been a very long pause in writing. A very long pause in thoughts. A long pause in life since my last post. I know.

It was just about last February when our family discovered that the lumps in my father's lungs were cancerous. It prompted many uncertain and sad days to follow. Last time I posted he was here with us in this realm. Today, as I post, he is no longer with us.

A very busy day in the studio today.
One thing is certain and that is, such a loss is carried deep the heart until you yourself pass. I like to think that before my creations come to my mind and hands he has already seen the idea flowing down from above and he is happy to know I am happily creating.

Hello Again

The mess that is the studio.
Hello my friend, hello.

As you can see, it's quite hectic in the studio. Much has been produced and created. For now though, just a shot of the studio.