Morgen's Sculpting Journal

Congrats 09 NAN winners / Happy 4th!

2009-07-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

Congrats to NAN winners this year!

Happy Birthday Weekend also to all the American readers on here! :)

I need to start off by giving a huge thank you to those anonymous folks out there who post their photos of last weekend’s NAN. Not only because it gives me the opportunity for ‘proud mama’ surprises, but also just because it’s just wonderful to be able to vicariously experience the show for the rest of us at home. To see old friends (plastic and human!) that we all know is a real treat. I know it must be a lot of work too – to attend, to show your horses AND then to also be snapping photos.. only to have to upload them later on when you’re probably quite tired out – so sincerely, a very big thanks to all those who do this!! After NAN it’s fun to do searches on photo album sites such as Webshots and various others for “NAN 2009” …and I found at least 4 albums to look through when I’ve had the time this past week.

I have to admit I haven’t entirely been focused last this week on NAN results since I’ve been trying to wrap up a TON of various projects in the studio. A few sculpts of various types/nature, to several finishwork items all of which I’ll talk about in a bit. Anyhow, thus computer time has been something I’m forcing myself to take on in short short spurts so I don’t lose momentum over here. :) I’ll share photos of horses I’m painting soon enough as they wrap up.;) Probably mostly to my blog. I also wanted to thank (again) all those folks that submitted such tempting (!!!) offers for my commission slot. I wound up chosing 3 (although 2 will take longer to arrive here) because it was just that hard to pick!

Back to this year’s NAN though. :) I convinced 2 past customers to send out their (3) artist’s proofs with my proxy shower who had been showing Hazel for the last few months of her “campaign”. Speaking of one of those, the “Hazel”, (well the first artist’s proof gal in bay), now proudly going to “retire” after her whirlwind year of showing, now with a NAN Top Ten under her belt, and a NAMHSA Merit Versatility award (figured I’d wait until after NAN died down to submit the rest of the cards for that). Big year for her and bless her owner (Janice) who let me and others kidnap her horse (which, yes, Janice still hasn’t even gotten to see in person just quite yet!). I have to admit that I was also pretty excited to see some horses I’d only painted recently had time to not only NAN qualify but also to get there too! Bottom line, CONGRATS to everyone here. I’ve tried to link to photos I know of but I missed a LOT and I’ll be happy to update the blog post with new pics/links for commemorative’s sake! :)

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Full NAN results can be seen here; http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/

****2009 Champs / Reserves****

(an El Embosco) Raza (#4315), Owner: Dana Parks
Painter: Deb Loveless
Class 6017: AR/OS Breed Halter - Mustang http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6017

(an El Embosco) Raza (#4315), Owner: Dana Parks
Painter: Deb Loveless
Class 623: AR/OS Workmanship - TR/CL – Dilutes http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?623

(a Godiva) Ruby Shimmer (#3207), Owner/Painter: Angela Giddings (congrats Angela!!)
Class 20089: CM Western Trail - Other Type http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?20089

(a trad Deputed Duke – also was that last Duke to be sold painted by me) Escher (#4972), Owner: Janice Kall
Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
Class 6010: AR/OS Breed Halter - European WB http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6010
Pics: http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/TDuke_AP4/index.html

(a Hazel) ES Rockette Butt (#3590), Owner: Erin Corbett
Painter: Carol Huddleston
http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6029

(a Flitwick) Hopscotch (#2382), Owner: Vanessa Dahl
Painter: Melanie Miller
Class 6041: AR/OS Breed Halter - British Native Pony http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6041

(a ‘dinky duke’) Rio Bravo (#5650), Owner/Painter: Laura Skillern
Class 619: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB – Appaloosa http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?619
Please note that the photo in the results currently is attributed wrong, that’s “Sashay” by Liz Shaw there, I’ve contacted the NAN folks to let them know– Rio is this fellow;
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HxoPMS3VHZ0/SPaj3YgrJuI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/zDwHC6qaLLM/s1600-h/28.jpg

****2009 Top Tens****

(a Godiva) Ruby Shimmer (#3207), Owner/Painter: Angela Giddings
Class 20052: CM Non-Speed Game http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?20052

(a Godiva) Hocus Pocus (#5777), Owner: Darlene Dewar
Painter: Chelsea Nichols
Class 20089: CM Western Trail - Other Type http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?20089

(a Godiva) Hocus Pocus (#5777), Owner: Darlene Dewar
Painter: Chelsea Nichols
Class 20033: CM Western Stockwork http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?20033

(a Hazel) ES Rockette Butt (#3590), Owner: Erin Corbett
Painter: Carol Huddleston
Class 20049: CM Speed Game http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?20049
Pic; http://picasaweb.google.com/erin.corbett/Nationals2009?feat=directlink#5352933728858589666 (photo by Erin C – tx Erin!!) and http://everafterstables.homestead.com/Hazel.html

(a Godiva) Hocus Pocus (#5777), Owner: Darlene Dewar
Painter: Chelsea Nichols
Class 6023: AR/OS Breed Halter – Morgan http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6023

(painted, *not* sculpted by me) Fancy Foo (#2290), Owner: Vanessa Dahl
Sculptor: Sarah Rose Resin: “Mindy” Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6019
pics http://tinyurl.com/mf9sz2 http://tinyurl.com/nrepjz http://tinyurl.com/neg4cp

(a trad Deputed Duke) Versato (#3646), Owner: Marianna Stepniewski
Painter: Jennifer Kistler
Class 6024: AR/OS Breed Halter - TB/STB http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6024
(Here’s a big picture from my People’s Choice contest; http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HxoPMS3VHZ0/SOUi1M7y7gI/AAAAAAAAAlo/5hNYr3hFHhM/s1600-h/5.jpg )

(a ‘dinky duke’) Active Duty (#5670), Owner/Painter: Hilary Schwafel
Class 6010: AR/OS Breed Halter - European WB http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6010
Pics of him on Equine Resin directory: http://www.equineresindirectory.com/showhorse.asp?horseid=9452

(a ‘dinky duke’) Rio Bravo (#5650), Owner/Painter: Laura Skillern
Class 6044: AR/OS Breed Halter - American WB/Other Pure Sport http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6044
Pic: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HxoPMS3VHZ0/SPaj3YgrJuI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/zDwHC6qaLLM/s1600-h/28.jpg

(a ‘dinky duke’) Back For More (#5499), Owner: Lori Hageman
Painter: Sheila (Anderson) Bishop
Class 6044: AR/OS Breed Halter - American WB/Other Pure Sport http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6044
http://www.wheelsoff.com/shows/nan2009/pages/IMG_5932.htm (photo by Carrie Sapp – tx Carrie!)

(a Hazel – and her name makes me giggle!) named Basil (#5672), Owner/Painter: Hilary Schwafel
Class 6029: AR/OS Breed Halter - Part/Grade Sport/Carriage http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6029
Pics of her on her site; http://www.farnorthstudios.net/other/other.html (in galleries I can’t link to – but congrats Hilary!)

(my 1st Hazel as a bay artist’s proof) named Hazel (#4970), Owner: Janice Kall
Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
Class 6029: AR/OS Breed Halter - Part/Grade Sport/Carriage http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6029
(guess that meant there were 3 Hazels on the Top Ten table for this class – I’d love a picture of this if anyone has one!) :) Pics; http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/hazel/painted/index.html

(a Flitwick) Coco Jo (#1069), Owner: Diana Parker
Painter: Deb Loveless
Class 6042: AR/OS Breed Halter - Pure/Part Heavy/Stock/Spanish Pony http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6042
Pic; http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/flitwick_oa/slides/Loveless2.jpg

(a Flitwick) Flick And Swish (#3468), Owner: Leesa Miller
Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
Class 6016: AR/OS Breed Halter - Pure/Part Mini/Light/Sport/Other Pony http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6016
Pics: http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/flitwickAPs/AP4/index.html

(a Flitwick) Cupid (#4349), Owner: Barb Ness
Painter: Liz Shaw
Class 619: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB – Appaloosa http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?619
(I’m not 100% sure this is the fellow – think he used to have a different name but he’s the chestnut appy Flitwick here in Liz Shaw’s album; http://community.webshots.com/photo/fullsize/2281097680067280992AXNVDb and here’s a close up to show off his AMAZINGLY detailed photo from my “People’s Choice” contest; http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HxoPMS3VHZ0/SOQefCM95wI/AAAAAAAAAk4/rtU-0HIQoNo/s1600-h/3.jpg )

(a Flitwick also painted by me) Flick And Swish (#3468), Owner: Leesa Miller
Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
Class 618: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB – Pinto http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?618
Pics: http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/flitwickAPs/AP4/index.html

(painted, *not* sculpted by me) Fancy Foo (#2290), Owner: Vanessa Dahl
Sculptor: Sarah Rose Resin: “Mindy” Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
Class 601: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB - Grey/Roan/Other http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?601
pics http://tinyurl.com/mf9sz2 http://tinyurl.com/nrepjz http://tinyurl.com/neg4cp

(a Flitwick – also my “Peoples Choice” blog contest winner last year!) WOW (#4936), Owner: Amy Widman
Painter: Carol Huddleston
Class 601: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB - Grey/Roan/Other http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?601
(photo by Carrie Sapp – tx Carrie!) and from my contest; http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_HxoPMS3VHZ0/SPPuL2-zBvI/AAAAAAAAA3A/IVsqiIQ58Hk/s1600-h/22.jpg

(a ‘dinky duke’) Liberty Valance (#5637), Owner/Painter: Laura Skillern
Class 601: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB - Grey/Roan/Other http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?601
Photo from last year’s NAN; http://www.namhsa.org/results/2007/results/6008.html

(painted, *not* sculpted by me) Patrick (#1644), Owner: Tammy Davison
Sculptor: Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig Resin: “Spinnaker” Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
Class 622: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB - Bay/Chestnut/Black/Dilute http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?622
Pics; http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/paintedresins/patrick/

(a Hazel) ES Rockette Butt (#3590), Owner: Erin Corbett
Painter: Carol Huddleston
Class 626: AR/OS Workmanship - TR/CL – Appaloosa http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?626
Pic; http://picasaweb.google.com/erin.corbett/Nationals2009?feat=directlink#5352933728858589666 (photo by Erin C – tx Erin!!) and http://everafterstables.homestead.com/Hazel.html

(a Trad Deputed Duke – also was the last Duke to be sold painted by me) Escher (#4972), Owner: Janice Kall
Painter: Morgen Kilbourn
Class 625: AR/OS Workmanship - TR/CL - Other Pinto http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?625
Pics: http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/TDuke_AP4/index.html

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edit: just sent in addenum from Dana Parks;

Wrangler (#4352), Owner: Dana Parks Painter: Karen Zorn
Top Ten: Class 6016 AR/OS Breed Halter - Pure/Part Mini/Light/Sport/Other Pony
http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6016
Top Ten: Class 618: AR/OS Workmanship - SM/LB - Pinto
http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?618

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edit to add in another (a 'bitty bosco') provided by Diana Parker:

Avante Grande (#5115), owned and painted by Lyn Norbury
Top Ten Class 6013: AR/OS Breed Halter - Other Pure/Part/Grade Stock
http://nan.namhsa.org/results09/results.cgi?6013

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Congrats to everyone! I’ll be happy to correct and/or add more info here too, just email me (click the contact link on www.artbymorgen.com )

I’ve been quiet online mostly because when I’m home I’m working hard in the studio! :) I have been to many shows (ack FIVE! I just counted!) in the region so far this year.. mostly to just visit and sell. Believe it or not, the only horses I showed were 2 OFs and a little Hagen foal I just adore..! (Just at one show & just for fun)… I did judge at 2 shows, the second was a last minute request. Primarily my goal has been simply to get out and SEE humans. ;) It’s been great fun. BUT the downside of all this is that I have developed a bit of a longing to show performance myself… I’m fighting it tooth and nail!!! Unfortunately I’ve already gotten to the point of skimming through tack ads and showing these amazing bits of tack to my significant other (who agrees they are just to DIE for!). I guess it’s only a matter of time. I’ve never intentionally made a painted piece for myself to keep (the ones I don’t sell are the ones I feel have their flaws but I love them all the same).. but I may just have to do this with a Hazel and a Godiva… then I could enter a pretty good variety of classes eh…? (Clearly I’m fishing for enablers) ;) Region 10 folks around here are big time into performance and their tack is giving me big time envy. I’ve been trying to get out of the house to shows on weekends now that I can (and so I don’t become a ‘shut in’ over here). Already I may have a new obsession. ;) I do seriously see myself wanting to do some trades in the future for full tack sets… What’s holding me back from pursuing it is that I don’t see myself enjoying adjusting all those tiny buckles just yet… ;) The irony of window shopping for mini model horse tack is that I currently sit SURROUNDED by 4 real saddles and boxes and boxes of leather goods..and this isn’t lost on me. I had intended to sell a great deal of my real horse tack off but now I’ve come to admit I’m just hoarding it for some day years down the road (I’m a picky shopper and it’s good quality tack man!) :D It also obviously has sentimental value so there’s my true justification. I tell myself however that at least mini tack wouldn’t take up space like all this the real stuff is in my apartment. Yeah. I’ve got a problem over here. ;) Ok, time to stop the “woe is me I’m being tempted” babble… ;)

On to an update of sculptures/stuff coming up for sale. There won’t be much painted coming out for sale from me until fall most likely. The commissions I have now will keep me very busy! I hope to have the NAN donation trad Bosco from several years ago done to sell (still a NAN donation) by mid-to-late fall. Summer didn’t seem like a good time to offer him. He’s acquiring a very extreme sabino splash coat at this time.

& I am flying along with this Arabian mare sculpture now. Let’s see who’s still reading.. –chuckles- Her name is “Iaret”. An overly simplified explanation of that name is here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iaret . The name was actually picked out when she was an androgynous sculpture – I was very much hoping (and thank you guys for all the input in the polls!) everyone would be eager to see a mare so I could get away with the name.. “Striking cobra” is so appropriate.. and a symbol of protection – how cool! ANYHOW, so I need to thank anonymously a TON of folks from whom I’ve gotten great input. In toting here around to shows and (rolls eyes/groans) uhm even luncheons, those who’ve seen her in person have given me really great feedback. Thus I’ve changed a lot, even in these past couple of weeks. She now sports a solid mane and tail (I was playing with mohair sticky-waxed on for a bit to get ideas). It’s now more of a matter of balancing both sides. Her right shoulder and right hind leg have seen some significant changes in the past week alone. It comes together like a puzzle in the end – easier and easier to see what needs to go where as the “whole” starts to emerge. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is ready by August. I haven’t given too much thought to sales methods just yet. Probably not going to be anything new and different however. ;) As she is classic, at least the mold and casting won’t be too expensive. Shipping shouldn’t be bad either thankfully – wow have I experienced some sticker shock at the post office on those large traditional sized boxes! Glad that won’t be the case for this gal at least. It’s enough to push me into micros! (just kidding) ;)

Well I don’t have much to say online these days but hopefully that covered everything I’d meant to bring up. All the best, have a safe and wonderful weekend guys!!
-Morgen

www.ArtByMorgen.com
Equine Art By Morgen Kilbourn

While I wait for the Belmont here...

2009-06-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

And I have a second to do this... I'm going to just commemorate the fun hairing job I did last weekend on this gal for hoots. :)

The color came out rather interesting to me - it's hard to tell how rough this is, I just sprayed grey primer on and then hit her with red primer from another direction to contrast. Talk about primative airbrushing! (straight out of the spray can).. it's fascinating to me that you can't really tell how two-toned and gritty she is.. well, I guess you kinda can. Don't worry tho -> I've already sanded it all down. In fact I took these a few days ago to play with some changes I wanted to make in photoshop before making them. These are the altered pics actually I just realized too. I didn't quite at first looking at thumbnails because she looks more like this now (I liked the changes). :)

and this last one was with flash, the contrast was hideous so I grayscaled it here (too distracting!)

Ooo fascinating! (of interest to pattern/genetics fans)

2009-05-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Over lunch today I discovered a really interesting thread on Chronicle of the Horse (COTH forum);
http://www.chronicleforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=196072
Lots of cool before and after pics of appies!

I'd get the word out more by sharing on breed/genetics hobby forums but cross-forum linking isn't allowed so I guess I'll just post it here. :)

The sheer joy of finishing things :)

2009-05-24T16:47:00.001-07:00

Ahhhhhh.... it's just such a good feeling. lol!

Well I wish I could say I'm done with my arab mistress there but hardly. Long ways to go. In the meantime I've put in good painting hours to wrap up (actually many things are very nearly wrapped up! woot!), one item. I'm just in a little state of euphoria over here... could be the fumes. I do wear my respirator mask religiously mind you but yeah... if you can smell the chemicals they're doing the brain damage (this sage gem from my dad who's.. well.. pretty darned out to lunch now). ;)

Anyhow, well here's that dude I shared earlier in progress.

I've gotten a sales page up for him too; http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/sales/view_details.asp?path=Gallery&id=691923

Looking to the poll.. looks like there are definitely enough people in favor of the first 2 tail variations to seriously consider something.. I'm just not sure what yet. Something in between? Something totally different? Dunno. Hmmmmmm.... Even if there's still a big divide in the end I may need to revist the notion. Meanwhile, like I said, she's got a looong way to go baby. ahh sighs. Yeah. See how long that euphoria lasted? :-/ Oh well. ;)

Poll time! :) Plus another sneak peek ;)

2009-05-18T09:38:00.001-07:00

Ok, well at a show this weekend I got a lot of great input about Ms. Fiesty. There remains a massive dichotomy however about her mane tail. Thus, I've decided to do a poll.

I would like to say this first - mane/tail lifted OFF the body allows for much faster customization should I choose to do 2 hair types ultimately.

Anyhow, here are the options, I've broken them down by 1-4 "ideas" below. Mind you these aren't exactly where each hair tendril would go.. but it's an idea of how they would look ultimately. The mare herself is still under major construction. I'm unhappy with the face in areas and really feel the body needs a great deal more refinement in spots too. That said, since this poll will run for a few weeks I figured I should start it now anyhow. ;) Please keep in mind that these pics were taken slightly from above. It would affect how the hair lays. I'm trying to represent in photoshop 'fake hair' something very 3D.

Pic 1 - hair will be curling back on the mane, tail would be swishing

Pic 2 - mane the same, curling back, tail more straight but still swishing side to side some

Pic 3 - very little side to side on both mane and tail, but a tad of an angle on the tail so that one part could attach to a leg

Pic 4 - obviously more side to side on the tail, mane more unruly (and fragile)

And lastly - a sneak preview of Tiberius! :)

I dunno man... I think she wants to be WILDER..

2009-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

I think she wants a flingly mane - coming DOWN from whiping her head around... hmmm..

I may go ask on Blab about this... meanwhile I was just playing in PS again to see what sort of refinements I want. Ooops! Photo still reversed here.. lol!

Editing to add this on in... it's a little more congruous (plus in the right direction). I've photoshopped the ears & tried to give her more cranky nostrils.. as well as playing iwth the refinements I'm considering here (for my own 'what does it look like when I do this' factor).

Arab mare, Hazel's last hoorah & Flitwick :)

2009-05-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Well I'll start by wrapping up that last post to say I've learned that little leopard appy Flitwick took home a workmanship NAN card this past weekend. :)

& Here's Hazel's weekend results:

First in Other Sport/Carriage breed & first in workmanship for that class (two different judges)
This was her last show under my proxying for Janice. With these two cards she's now NAN qualified for the next NAN as well. In addition to the 16 needed for her Merit award, and the 2 for her to show in NAN this year (breed & workmanship - no risking the performance classes anymore for this gal - she belongs to someone & it makes me nervous!).

It's been a long year for Hazel. She missed a few shows due to injuries and now it's time for her to go to her very last public showing before she disappears from the show scene. I really want to thank her owner Janice again so VERY much for letting me campaign her like this. I keep sculpting these horses who's legs go in a variety of directions (lol!) and thus they distort and are hard for folks to get the gist of until they see them in person. Duke was by far the worst for this..

And speaking of flinging legs around.. yet another hard to photograph one in the works;

...this is just a photo of the Arab mare w/a "for fun" mane/tail again. Actually, I threw her into photoshop to fiddle with some things. It's odd but you can "see" better when you do tricks like use mirrors, look at pictures (and flipped pictures). There's still a LOT I want to work on so it's not worth going into more. I just figured I'd document her state for now here. :)

Spots for Springtime!

2009-05-08T06:28:00.000-07:00

I've really been on this spot-kick lately. :)

I wrapped up one fellow here and he's off to his owner now. His whole gallery is here;
http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/FlitwickAPs/AP5/

I've been experimenting with some techniques and media that I'm really enjoying. It's funny how one 'pictures' something verses how hard it can be sometimes when a particular media is limiting you. Being able to achieve a vision is tremendously exciting!! :D

Soooooo I now share with you a sneak peek of someone in his basecoat at the moment. I can't WAIT to get to those tiny hair details like I did there with the above Flitwick artist's proof! But this bitty has to get another coat in oils before I launch off into that... sighs... waiting waiting waiting... but there's another spotty fellow I can play with in the meantime too. ;)

He wants to be called "Tiberius".
;)

Just sharing stuff here

2009-04-30T16:48:00.000-07:00

A quickie silhouette snap shot of the arabian lady. :)

She's starting to speak to me again about what she wants to look like. I'd gone up with her head and back down again b/c that wasn't working for me. I've changed a great deal about her abdomen, back, tail & muscling in between since I had a couple folks look at her in person too. Still fiddling with her nuances tho soooo it aint so pretty when the lights come up. hehehe! Poor girl! She's getting somewhere I think tho. :)

And a random share of a fun video and then a public service announcement.. first lessee if I can embed this;

And then the public service expose on "Current Trends In TWH Soring"
Videos here; http://www.youtube.com/user/foshvideo
(had a hard time sitting through all of those because it made me ill - just warning you!)
The Rowdy video I dug up when I was reading through the discussion (I like Rowdy) over on blab here; http://www.modelhorseblab.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86160

On a dare...

2009-04-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

I tried my luck selling bitty's via a new method...

(after the show of course.. I was judging and I figured the Aussie trenchcoat might be awkward to wear.. nevermind hot.. this is all said tongue in cheek of course). ;)

In all seriousness tho I've now shown my nifty cool cold cast bitty to many people in person and they are all pushing for me to find a way to create bases to sell these. The issue I'm seeing is that the general (non-hobby horse item collecting) public wants these type of mass produced bronzes for around or under $100. My cost with a wood base & adding in a cold cast bronze ground scene under him would be around that. So there is almost no profit or a negative profit at that price. SOooo I need to think about it. Ideas welcome. I have many myself at the moment.

Need a better picture in the sun.. the bronze (it's a powder mixed in with the resin) really makes the details crisp.

I've known many artists who sculpt or paint who sell essentially for the cost of the materials. At a loss even. Nevermind the notion of getting paid for your time. The general public doesn't value purchasing art directly from artists nearly as much. Hmmm.. to stew to stew...

Anyhow, while fun, the method of selling via trench coat isn't all that productive. I wouldn't recommend it. Trying to always think out of the box here I guess but this time I gotta report back that it seems a little less effective, lol! ;)

There are no eggs here! ;)

2009-04-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that there will be no eggs hidden on this blog..

And that it's T-minus 2 and a half hours now until eggs magically appear on my web site (www.artbymorgen.com)

Well for starters I should announce my fun contest here!

2009-04-08T09:36:00.001-07:00

Except that I'm not sure you can get at it at the moment.. my web site is being serviced. -sighs-

ANYhow -> well here that is! http://www.artbymorgen.com/egghunt.htm Strangely that link works for me but I fear it's just b/c I have it cached right now. Hopefully the server will be fixed any minute now tho!

Annnnnnd for posterity the arab mare today (in need of massive refinements to the hind end and yes, obviously things like the neck - lol!). I said it over on that Blab post but her eyes for example are just drawn on. I haven't thought too hard about her nostrils either for example (except that given what she's doing they shouldn't be too 'soft' and relaxed).

Well that's it for the time being. I have a couple of bitty orders to ship out today so gotta run fer now. :)

Fwiw, my current dilemma..

2009-04-05T07:55:00.001-07:00

:)
I'll share some of the things that occupy my thoughts MOST of the time... I suppose that's rather sad really but well, I can think of worse things to focus on. ;) I prefer to dwell exclusively on things I can change where ever, when ever possible.. and today here's what's driving me crazy.

From the side she almost looks to have too big of a head. Not quite but a tad. But from the front (didn't get a pic and it would be distorted anyhow & probably not show what I"m seeing b/c it might look big enough), from the front her head looks too short.

Is it an illusion of arabian heads? They are quite wide btwn the eyes and quite narrow around the muzzle...

Anyhow, so without a literal stable of arabians I can measure - and mind you the only accurate measurements would be of ones SNORTING WHILE they're being measured.. well.. I'm a tad stuck here. I tend to work things out by holding the horse at various angles and looking at hundreds of photos till I can find a focal point (tear bone & nostril tip for example) to compare amongst them all. Hope that made sense. This is what I do with all those photos int he links I"ve been sharing.

In the meantime, I snapped a couple quickie ones as she sat here on my recently (rare event) cleaned off desktop... Terrible pics I know - sorry! (the 2nd is a flash photo so you can see how hard it is to see details. ). Soon she's going to need primer so I can move forward with the more refined detailing of actual muscles and joints. For the time being it's still nit-picking at proportions. :)

Uhm ... yeah..... lol!

2009-04-03T06:43:00.000-07:00

I say that with the dry "Office Space" boss character's tone... "uhm yeahhhh.. we're going to have to have you come in on Saaaaaaaturday".

It's the sorta tone you hear in the voice of someone speaking to you before they drop a bomb. The kinda tone that makes your shoulders tighten up in preparation for the weight that's about to be dumped on them.

My computer began to slow down badly last month. It had it moments. Notice the past tense term for "had". It's still "alive" but not well. I'm now typing on an expensive new system... expensive b/c ANYhardware & software seems outrageously priced to me... it's all relative. I only had to replace the tower.. but I had to pay a good deal to make sure all my work and sales data was safely transferred.

The irony? It happened on April Fools day. My geek squad geek came over and promptly showed me why it was failing to recognize the things (printer, camera card reader, etc) that were plugged into it. Only sometimes... which had made me hope it was fixable. APRIL FOOLS! (dry tone there again). It was not after all - the hard drive was either damaged or weak out of the box. I'd honestly believe it was weak out of the box. When I installed it before it was lightening fast until I put the programs in it... so something about it was gimpy from the get go. I don't care to learn too much about these things because guess what? (snorts with a smile) It'll all be different in another year. I used to learn and keep up with all this. Now I'm just disgusted with it all.

When I was getting gas yesterday I spied a sign on the credit card swipe on the pump -> it said "mini credit cards not accepted here". Now WHY on earth would you even want a mini credit card? It's thin/small enough? This trend towards too tiny to use & easy to lose is ridiculous.

That's all I have to say about that.

Meanwhile my biggest dilemma now is that my new tower has a Windows Vista OS (can't get older anymore at a store). I buy at stores now because if there are install conflicts out of the box they'll address it. The price difference isn't that much. And I needed new tiny card reader (phone card!) options my last one didn't have. Vista displays on my screen are MURDER on the eyes. I've fiddled some with my screen settings via the funky button game... that actually helped. It's still all got a shadow... tricks my eyes into feeling tired. Totally annoying. Switching to the 1 other display option doesn't improve any of it. I was VERY much ready to buy a Mac but I have old programs that are extremely expensive to replace/upgrade (to me anyhow). Web design stuff I use periodically and photoshop of course which I use near daily. Mac is learning tho so maybe soon they'll have more backwards compatibility. Another reason I hired the Geek Squad guy (it's a gamble who you'll get but I know a lot of techie dudes having been in web design for years and I really lucked out with a guy who knew his stuff)... it wasn't just about the diagnostics, it was about the options for what I need to do with what I have.

Now at least it's easier than ever to port my files (biz and reference stuff) around on a card too. And cheap! So that's good. I bought this external hard drive backup years ago after losing client data for shipping (hard copy print outs cut off some info). I never wanted to go through that again.

HEY! But good news. All systems seems to be going and now I can get back to what I'm really doing over here. It wasn't entirely a day wasted. Imultitasked during my time while uploading/configuring/and before that diagnosing and saving ... my little arab mare sat here beside me and I had a few books with proportions and a few favorite references.. while every proportion told me the head was the right length and width, I wasn't happy. I spent the time sitting there (watching paint dry on my computer screen).. to study & compare. Then a quick slice & removal to the right parts behind the poll and the angle changes giving proportions more pleasing. THAT said, these photos distort it a good deal but I'm not wasting time on doing better pics... I'm just sharing with folks & documenting this for myself right now. I like the angle a lot better, it adds "mare" to her for me somehow. I can't explain. But it also balances up both sides of the neck better imo (in real life anyways). :)

Annnnd a silly sneak peek of what I'm about to go photograph and offer over to my yahoogroup:

Of course I've got a whole photo of him somewhere below but whatever. It's fun to do sneaky pictures too! lol!

Ok! Well I seem to be back in biz here except for the misery of this computer display. Stay tuned for when little arab girl gets more lovin. I'm really starting to "feel" her again. :D

Tx Katie! :D & Now Tx Blabbers!!

2009-03-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

updating later Wed... I posted to Blab for feedback in the "What do you really think forum": http://www.modelhorseblab.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84502

And now here's her new and improved stance:

**********earlier Wed******************
(I'm referring to Katie's contribution in the last post - thanks dear!!!) :D

I love new refs and for some reason despite looking through Gabriele Boiselle's searchable directory & all 1000++ arabs.. I hadn't seen a few of those album's pics. A couple REALLY helped me this morning to resolve a few things that were driving me nuts.

The shoulder... too short.. too juvenile for a 3yo. And the neck.. too gazelle like, too thin even for a mare except of the most extreme type which isn't what I was going for. :D

Sooo here's where she stands now. I'm really jazzed.

During lunch I parked my two cold cast bronze traditionals next to her to give an idea of scale.. and I played with the mane here too:

Much refining now to get type (and more pic refs) :)

2009-03-22T08:30:00.001-07:00

I am liking this particular type of Arab head personally. There are SOOOOOOOO MANY types of arab heads really. It's very hard to choose what's young & feminine, yet says "arab".. and there are a lot of types I don't find so appealing. Even just nostril flares (where I'm at now - how much to flare.. I kinda like the more vertical flare personally).

Here's some fun pics now. I've been literally looking through thousands as I sit down every time over here. :D

First let me say how incongruous I find this photo to be:
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/madkour3.html
Doesn't he look like he should be holding a lead to his favorite sheep dog? (whom I'd expect to be sitting looking at him loyally)... not a striking out stallion? lol!

Ok, onto more with less commentary:
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/sultann2.html
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/imperial_pharouk.html (like the body but not the head in that pic actually - was looking at shoulder/neck tie in there)
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/metalofhonour.html (stallion stallion I know I know..)
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/shamaal_small.html (body again, not head)
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/dreammanorbaalerobs.html (now this one I just totally dig how refined the head is and yet it's not too narrow)
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/dreammanorbaalero.html

And here those came from this;
http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/
A billion and one egyptian arabians to admire :D

That's all for now... while this mare hardens (Apoxie Sculpt) I need to get back to my medicine hat fellow. ;)

********
Opps! Forgot to record for posterity a bunch of others I’d been looking at…

http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/ibnrabdanbyrabdanelazrak.html

http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/ibneltareef1995grey.html

http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/el_sareei.html

http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/elhadiyyah-1.html

http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/cierafrandoraligsru.html

http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/bellagiorca.html

http://public.fotki.com/hypoint/arabians/arabian_album_egypt/bahilamaara_bay_mare.html

Fun arabian pictures :)

2009-03-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Well I'm into the "shop before you chop" phase now... where I'm taking photos in the studio and comparing them to horses online. It's almost never a perfect science and it's actually BAD to do overlays unless you have perfect angles of both horses matched up (all points - xyz coordinates - there is room for distortion each end ->from the top, bottom, front to back - iow perspective is a tricky thing and it's not great to rely solely on this).

Anyhow, I'm finding myself surprised how much shoulder arab mares over the age of 4 years old have. Shoulder and hip depth! I plan to try to shoot for 3-4yo here however, a young fiesty mare. She's sorta leaping off to the left (leaping/dancing you get the picture eh?).

Annnnnnnnnnd since I gotta run back to the therapy job now for afternoon feeding here's a few more links to enjoy. :D

from 2:05min into this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u65vbWk7X9c

check out that CRAZY pose eh?

http://www.deshazer.com/ARAB/immagini/f_Laheeb6.jpg

(from http://www.deshazer.com/ARAB/laheeb.html )

Some other fun helpful pics I found...

But those aren't just limited to stallions... check out THIS mare...! (8-o

http://www.bebostud.com/ayah.html#

And a whole list of fun to admire elite mares:

http://www.arabianessence.com/elite_2.asp?mp=m3&lettera=A&sex=F

And more that I wanted to save somewhere (here works!) :)

Vixen ("Rio") is done! :)

2009-03-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well I'm going to post the text of that ad here because MH$P has been wildly fickle... :( aaaaand I'm also gonna put the BIG photo here since I went through the trouble of making it.. :)

Link to MH$P Ad: http://modelhorsesalespages.com/sales/view_details.asp?path=Gallery&id=661454

Up for Offers Until Sunday March 15th 10PM EST
“Rio”
…Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand…

Large Gallery - click here
Small Gallery - click here

Taking offers starting at $300 Please read the terms below

TERMS:
Timepayments – yes, I will accept these. Time payments up to 6 months accepted as part of the offers.

Trades – believe it or not, yes, I will also accept these (for unpainted resins ONLY) & for no more than HALF the value. Trade item value must be determined and accepted by both parties. I am only interested in this in order to have interesting resins I might not otherwise be able to aquire… unfortunately I’m really picky about what I acquire (I have quite a few you can imagine eh?) :) so there is NO PROMISE that I’m interested in any particular resin for trade, but try me! :)

Payments – 50% due within 10 ten days of bidding close date (March 15th is the close date here so 50% is due by March 25th). 25% must be paid in cash by March 25th if a trade was negotiated.

Bidder anonymity – bidders will be assigned initials and if you wish to remain anonymous in display here these can be random letters. BE AWARE however for the sake of honest disclosure that the winning bidder will receive the real names of the under bidders involved

ABOUTS:

Media – painted primarily in oils and finished with some acrylic details. Rio comes with a base that I’m happy to customize further at the winner’s request.

About the resin – Vixen is a quite popular sassy tiny little gal with wonderful details. She's a stablemate scale mustang mare & I was lucky to get on in the few minutes they were available (I believe the edition is now sold out). Sculpted with all the detail, character and style that Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig is known for!

About me – It’s been over a year now since I’ve offered up any painted horses for sale.. but I'm both a sculptor and painter and I honestly can't remember how long I've been in the hobby but I've been selling now for just under or around a decade I suppose (time flies and I try hard not to dwell on that!). :) A little more about my hobby painted horse sales can be found on my sales page. By way of a resume of work quality, a gallery of winners sculpted and a # of ones intersperse that were painted by me (winning) can be seen here. Also I have a blog post of this year's NAN winners (a few painted by me as well) here. Closer images of some of those can be seen under my "artist's proofs" block on this page. My commission policy and image use policies are here.

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions (morgen @ one-horse.net) or point out that I've made a major faux pas here! I certainly am out of practice and haven't offered up the trade option before so I'e never done sales this way. Thanks for your patience and thanks for looking!!!

-Morgen

Painted horses I'm wrapping up too...

2009-03-07T04:58:00.000-08:00

***********************addenum*************************
End of the day sneak peek there at Ms Vixen awaiting her matte finish...

***********************************************************
Back in Oct I had to make a decision as to investing the time on bitty bosco or many of these, so I chose to focus on bitty. That was when I'd decided he needed individually blended hair ropes so yeah... that took a month. Then it was one thing after another and staying on top of orders. Finally I returned to playing with these guys last month. This past Wed I was able to spend the day at Liesl Dalpe's studio and I airbrushed a base coat (that's all there is on those two) on a Kara Kush and a traditional Bosco. I'm in love with her hand mixed acrylics!! I was able to just keep going with no stopping and no disassembling/interior cleaning of the airbrush (how novel eh?!). I have a few others painting things going on for people but these are the ones that are going to be for sale. Annnnnd it's been over a year I believe since I've offered up any painted horses for sale... it'll be fun to do these as a group.

I'll put these down in the order I rather expect they'll be done in over the coming weeks...

Vixen: stablemate Mustang Mare by Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig, I have a special wood base my boyfriend cut out for me like Spinny's (below) for this gal.. its square and darker. I'm thinking it needs to be given sand & a couple of rocks too. This afternoon's project along with her details. If her hoof/eye and mane/tail details go well she might be up for sale as early as Monday... we shall see!

Spinnaker: stablemate stallion by Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig on another custom base carved out my my guy & stained/polyurethaned by me. I'm thinking he needs to be on grass & those rocks need to be lichen covered. Greens & grays to bring out his browns & whites. :)

Independence: traditional scale TWH horse gelding by Sarah Rose

In chestnut tobiano on right: Micro Mini Friesian - Maggie Bennett for EquinArt Creations (who's going for the Vanner look)..

Close up of the left horse there: that's something I picked up at a hobby store & I'll have to find the packaging but it's from a war figurine set... aint it cute?! If you enlarge you can see the bit details.

The dinky duke little bit sized resin of mine that was going to be more fleabitten than dappled is going to be more dappled than fleabitten. I didn't like how that was coming out. You really couldn't see the fleabites in most light and I'd have needed a smoother sealant layer to reemphasize them better without having the bites be grainy... I'll have to try again for a smoother fleabitten one. I'm diggin him in these dapples tho!

The traditional sized El Embsoco that I started on Wed at Liesl Dalpe's studio. That's just airbrushing - oils come next! I wanted to basically give him the same primative bay body color (perhaps a tad more sandy in tone) as my Hazel demo model that's been touring the country...

Kara-Kush traditional Akhal-Teke Mare by Andrea Kessler who may go lighter as she gets her dapples to be a sotty buckskin or dun. I haven't decided. She's another one I started at Liesl's studio... again just in airbrush at the moment. Here's just a couple neato Teke color references I've found: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerri-jo/2849800320/ - http://www.flickr.com/photos/kerri-jo/sets/72157608097116984/?page=3 - http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&w=40426604%40N00&q=aishet&m=text - http://www.teke.ca/gallery/ - http://www.kerri-jo.com/

And lastly, this Flitwick (sculpted by me) is having issues with being waaay more orange than I'd wanted as the layers built up. I keep giggling and wanting him to be called Orange Julius. In the end though the orange will add depth to the beige and browns I'll add on top and I hope it will be a nice effect. I was really enjoying the thin skin dapple effect he was getting. I was thinking he'd look neat as one of those silver chestnuts colors that have some black (manifested more as grey) to the mane/tail.

So wow eh? I haven't offered up anything for a year and suddenly I go and plan to wrap all these in progress horses up. I have a few more in progress too but these were the ones I'm focusing on. With oils it requires sometimes just a few minutes and then putting the horse down for days and days (I loath/fear and don't like the drying additives so I use patience instead - lol! Sometimes just TOO much). Anyhow, well wish me luck!

Working hard on art at least :)

2009-02-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

Well the barn thing (my lease) ends this weekend. It’s starting to make me rather emotional and thus quiet I guess. Closure whether I like it or not. I have lots of items I’ll need to put up on Craigslist or store somewhere. I should be doing that.... uhm... right now. I’ve been there for over a decade (mostly as a boarder before I assumed the lease).. LOTS of stuff… -sighs- Soooo of course this brings out the need to throw myself into art instead. Lol! (I suppose that’s a good thing at least)

I’ve been painting a LOT. No photos yet. Sorry! Dapples mostly and I’m not 100% satisfied on most pieces yet enough to share. I am pretty tickled at how a dinky duke in dapple gray is coming along tho so maybe I’ll share him soon. He wasn’t working out in fleabitten. You couldn’t see the fleabites in most lighting. Hrm… not good to do “lightly” on minis.

This new arabian gal got a lot of rough handling too. Neck cut/shortened a tad. Back cut/lengthened a tad. Some leg proportioning happening now also. I do so have fun with her. I only just noticed today that my poll ended with a vote for girly winning out over there. I’d started a few days ago in feminizing. There are a lot of areas I think I could still use (a lot!) of work on proportionally still just in basic anatomy though…

I guess it's time for some general updates...

2009-02-20T05:52:00.000-08:00

So above is the direction I'm thinking of mane/tail wise for this... gal I suppose (unless the poll changes drastically in the next few days!). It maybe looks farther along from those pics but the off side isn't remotely flushed in yet (just blobs) and really really... lots of measuring & calculating needs doing. That part isn't so fun so yes, I'm just trying to have fun with it at the moment. :)

DONKEY HAS A HOME and he really seems to be doing well there. He left Sunday (we walked him down the road). New owner and I aren't entirely certain of one horse in his new herd... NOT all horses like donkeys. Some can be really mean to them.. fortunately this horse isn't the alpha (the alpha one loves him and they place lip games over the stalls)... donkey may or may not go out with them all ultimately depending on how that goes over time. The bottom line though is that he has a dirt paddock & shelter if need be to share with a friend... or he can go out to run with everyone (the 3 boys) in the field. She's a very diligent new-longear owner and has been reading up on them. Precisely what I'd hoped for. Someone (else -lol!) who would be sure to keep on top of his weight issues & make sure he was in a good spot without being in danger from herd tussles (or mare hormone issues).

All the boarders are gone. My lease ends at the end of the month. I will only be out at that farm now in the capacity of working for the riding center (I still work out there on the other side of the property a few days a week). Lots of horse care belongings to liquidate. Fortunately a tack auction is coming up locally. :)

I've gotten a preliminary pathology report back on my horse. It makes me sad to discuss so far (because he hurt himself on that last day - wacked his head). Anyhow, it's "inconclusive" so far but there are *some* endocrine and brain anomalies. Just not clearly pointing to a specific disorder / pathological issue with a name as of yet. That sucks (that he hurt himself primarily). As I said I'm not ready to go into detail & more tests haven't come back/been written up. I wasn't expecting miracles from it. I want to hug my friends who are biology trained in various fields who've been putting up with discussing it with me. ((tx guys))

In brighter news I've (aside from packing all the time - lol!) have tossed together some medallion ideas as well, and have been getting to know my studio more again in general. It's so funny how easy it is to get up and go run off into it earlier than I used to be able to get myself going most mornings. I guess that's always a sign of not-loving your job when you really drag your feet to get in there. Mostly for me it's something about having to rush out into the cold... although that doesn't explain my plodding in the summer months. It probably also just has to do with the fact that I don't like to drive until I've had at least a big huge cup of coffee coursing through my veins for a while too. NOT a morning person. Just never was.

Someday I'll have my own property and I can keep animals again in an easier to manage set up & simply walk out (coffee in hand even!) and feed. Having horse-house-sat in the past, I have to say *that* is the life for me. ;)

And with that I have a big Post Office day today so I hear my own slave driver whip a cracking! Must get back to work...! :)

Making a poll for this one...

2009-02-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

So please vote & help me decide while it's early enough to make the sexually dimorphic traits true to the gender..

Do you find this pose BELIEVABLE for a mare's behavior? Playing/striking like this...

I know (from torn fencing) ;) that they do strike a good deal and high like this when meeting up or when in heat (teased out etc). Also that they certainly have no hesitation in rearing either (just like the boys) ... I just have to wonder what collector's views on this are... I kinda like the feminine squealy/giddy type playful attitude better from a sassy girl perspective rather than just another Arab stallion being fiesty/hormonal. I mean it sorta seemed expected at first when I started that it should be an Arab stallion .. but they are soooo common in sculpture and a petite mare being really animated would be a lot more fun for me I think...

???

Feel free to share thoughts too (morgen AT one-horse.net) or comment here.

Let's see if I can get that poll running now...
(edit - got it! Plus well I should add here that I've only spent about 12hrs so far playing with this work... it's really still just an "expression".. truthfully I barely measured anything and I'm cringing to see what the #s tell me when I'm ready to face the music there. For now, it's just fun to play and say "what can this be?". Call it creative therapy. ) :)

I made a funny for Valentines day...

2009-02-16T07:04:00.000-08:00

Well… funny looking for sure…

By the end of last week I really needed a break from reality & this is what I whipped together for my poor poor boyfriend for Valentines day. (His gift to me was more vehicle work and he actually found something serious and dangerous wrong with my ‘rear end’.. ok, that makes me giggle to say…but it was serious! Metal ring broke loose and was sloshing broken chips around .. just waiting to get one fully stuck in the posi-gear teeth & lock up my tires better than an e-brake could.. a ticking time bomb really). He’s still waiting for the right part to come in.

Meanwhile, I just slapped this together and called it a “gift”. I’m a pretty damn lazy girlfriend actually. He also made me some of the best steak ever for dinner. I slapped together some veggies, potatoes and cheese/butter/onions and pretended this was an au gratin of sorts. Also took no time at all. Meanwhile he’s outside cooking in the dark on a grill in the cold.

Ok, in all seriousness? I should really find a market for my little sloppy gesture art sculpts. 1) I love doing it… 2) it takes no time at all since it’s ALL feeling and no real measuring/planning/refining… 3) people SAY they love them. (Mind you 'love em for how much money' is always the question... do people REALLY want to pay money for my sloppy silliness?? lol!) It always seems to me like they should be semi-functional. Book ends or candle holders or .. I dunno.. Something. Etsy would probably be a good place for them but…??? Thus I haven’t done many over the past recent years because I gave them as gifts to family members and I have a big family so it was quite a project to do 20 or so at a time... Some of my faves are here on my "Bio/ Portfolio".

I know there are fun paints that leave stone-surface type texture/variegation. I suppose I should look into it more. They’re very therapeutic to make. I like to give them shy or wry little expressions of mischief. Some are just butt-ugly and strangely cuddly for that reason. And yes, they aren’t for everyone. I’m a big gargoyle fan though. Obviously. ;) Chuckles.

Closing down my boarding biz – clearing out & my donkey are the big priorities now

2009-02-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

At the risk of repeating myself since I’ve posted about it here before… I have a donkey. (Gallery here; http://www.artbymorgen.com/galleries/gleep_n_friends/ ) I took him when a friend closed her boarding situation down next door (where the therapy program now leases) after a decade long relationship ended and she didn’t have the means to keep her farmette/boarding op running where it was. The donkey “Gleep” came over with a boarder… a challenging horse to keep weight on and handle – for example he really liked to bolt off when being led – the donkey was like a giant mental anchor to him. I had hoped that if the boarder left she might take the donkey with her. That said, I always knew little Gleep would have a companion in my own horse (and hoped someday that would be plural horses) as they’d been together half their lives. The boarder did finally decide to move closer to home late last year (she lived/worked an hour away sooo it wasn’t entirely a surprise with what gas went up to) but Gleep stayed with me. Now that I don’t have any horse of my own for companionship it could be possible to keep Gleep with or alongside other horses.. but it’s a tad trickier than just that. Nevermind that he’s been alone since my horse suddenly got too rough/cruel with him a few months ago. Annnnnd now that I’ve decided to close down the boarding biz (more in a sec on that), he’s about to be alone potentially. He will be terribly distressed by that to say the least when the 3 remaining horses around him leave in the coming weeks. He is a rather unique donkey lacking the confidence they usually have. Most animals aren’t happy alone but most also don’t have the ability to alert people for miles around about it like a donkey does. Hmmmm… so I’ve been pretty much spending a great deal of my free time contacting a lot of homes & people who have suitable means to see if they are interested in a loud braying animal. It’s just time consuming really as there is a lot to explain.

Ok, the boarding biz. Well… I can honestly say to anyone considering it that unless you have great reasons (like I did with my semi-retired horse with turnout needs), AND the ability to make additional income elsewhere… it’s not going to make you more than a few dollars an hour at best (every year I’ve operated at a loss – I don’t give lessons and that seems to be key to making money around here). And you will find yourself drained not just financially, but emotionally, unless you’ve got a great reason to be doing so (on your own property or because you have several horses/breeding/training/showing etc). Now I don’t have any great reason except Gleep of course, who isn’t exactly happy right now .. being by himself. And since one boarder decided she’d move her horse home a few months early (was planning on late spring/summer) I suddenly found myself in a position where on March 1st I’ll be paying out of my pocket more than the cost of Gleep’s upkeep just to keep my doors open.. well, it makes just no sense for me anymore. To stay open for the remaining few boarders and solicit for new boarders (not easy and takes months), would mean I’d have to go ahead and buy hay now. Good hay is a disappearing commodity this year and I’ve wasted an awful lot of my hay funds buying premium in the last few months trying to get my horse to eat anything. I’d actually planned in January to get my shipment that lasts until mid-summer when new hay is typically ready … good thing I hadn’t. It’s several grand of costs up front that you hope and pray you make this money back on board. With all costs increasing so fast I’ve barely been able to make that back every six months… so it’s like I’m constantly coming up with the capital to operate the biz on my own (through art and part time work). Or before, it was like I was essentially paying for my own horse’s food in six month blocks, because I never made a profit over his own food costs.

Nothing clearly wrong has come up in the autopsy yet either. We weren’t exactly expecting it, given how bizarre it all was and how it didn’t fit most equine issues that cause pain and lack of appetite and changes in mental state. An obvious brain tumor would have explained some things but in horses I’ve seen get them they don’t tend to happen quite so suddenly. Also there was a distinct lack of some other very typical symptoms (lack of balance and symptoms like that). Cell changes and toxins are what they’re delving into finding now. If you’ve ever known a human to suddenly have psychiatric issues, you know how much of a challenge it can be to diagnose in them… the tests are extensive and not all are possible on horses (at least on dangerous ones) plus humans have the added benefit of being able to explain symptoms and say when it started usually. These contribute to why I don’t want to keep the farm open as well. When people ask me, I can’t say why or say with honest certainty there is no risk to their animals. Whatever happened to my boy was clearly a really unique thing.. but in staying on I’d be constantly paranoid of it happening again. Even though, considering the history and current herd’s health, it’s all very unlikely.

My I just say here too that I’m so tremendously flattered that all of my boarders stayed solely because of me. They all have closer and less expensive places to keep their horses at that they’re going to. It really does mist me up to know/learn of this. The new gal taking over the boarding operation won’t have immediate income though, and I’m sad for her about that, however she also won’t have the immediate challenge I did of paying several grand up front to take it over (and hope she makes the money back which I never was able to accomplish).

Why not stay is a question a lot have asked me… since eventually in a few years I’ll probably want to get another horse…Weeeeeeellll… It’s all haunted with my boy’s memory and will always likely be a big mystery to me. Very likely to have been a fluke that will never be repeated but still.. what would ease my mind and make me want to stay there is what I’ve been asking myself and researching online / via local agencies in all my spare time lately… Primarily #1 concern to me is that it’s not my land and thus the environmental testing costs to ease *my mind* in the absence answers would be quite high (more thousands I’ve learned). I’ve read a lot of research papers lately and the # of things to be testing for in ground/soil/etc etc or for the pathologist to try to find in certain types of tissues are huge. And the brain is a mysterious organ that can be set out of balance with pretty small changes. Environmental and genetic. A small blood clot for instance, endocrine changes in tiny amounts, a tiny group of plaques due to outside or inside influences..… all these are things they might find in humans because they’ll invest the effort on months and years of tests (like MRIs & EEGs for example) that they don’t or can’t do with large animals. I can’t expect something on the order of CSI devotion and depth being put into his case. :( I knew this before I put him down too… you can’t exactly put an animal in a psychiatric hospital when it gets dangerous to handle. Not a large animal anyhow.

No one else is really worried though, there really is no reason to be, and all of the other horses are doing great with no symptoms remotely like my boys. Whatever happened could’ve been the result of anything. I just will forever wonder. I do hope I get some closure on that. The horses have all returned to their normal vocal selves too – I hadn’t realized how quiet they’d gotten around feeding time, I guess out of consideration for him. None of them were any less enthusiastic about their food to eat, just no typical bellowing whinnys until shortly after I put him down. Isn’t that weird? I strongly suspect he spent his last month or so with a raging headache half the time though. –sighs- They’re a great bunch of horses too (not just because I suspect they were humoring him), I will miss them all. :(

Meanwhile, it all means essentially that I’ll be freed up to just work part time at the handicapped riding therapy center caring for their horses and have whole days off in my life in the future. And not have to worry about how to finance the next big batch of hay, shavings, grain etc etc. The relief over that stress was immediate and huge once I’d made my decision to close the doors in.. uh… 22 days now!
I won’t miss having my income so badly affected by the strange seasons we’ve had these past few years. That’s for certain. Finding quality food has been such an extreme challenge. Even storage has been a challenge with the freakish amount of rain we had this year. I sure have learned a lot though and when I’m ready to keep animals on my own property someday there’s a loooong laundry list of considerations I’ll have.

I will really miss just hanging out at the farm and enjoying sunrises and sunsets and picnics/parties and simply having friends over there. I’ll still be there with the therapy center of course but just those quiet and social event times alone will be gone. At least I get to do it gradually. And at least I get to look forward to going away to shows to see hobby folks again more in my future now.

And I have a couple of options of places to keep Gleep until I find the right companions for him to be turned out with… and just as this was being typed the best placement home option yet has come in. SOooo he might very well have a great loving home in short order. I’ll keep him around until the last horse leaves of course.

People always say boarding farm managers are crazies.. I laugh – it’s a chicken / egg scenario. I personally think someone smacked me over the head with a clue stick and gave me the blinding insight that it would be totally insane for me to continue on and shell out my personal artwork income to fund the next 6 months of it. It’s certainly ranking up there by being both one of the highest physical and financial risk way to be involved with horses. I can have more sanity in my life and appreciate them better other ways right now. Everyone tells me ‘things happen for a reason’. It’s a strange painful comfort but it certainly seems to be true in my case anyhow. :(

Annnnd looking forward…Later this year I might take up lessons or something to refind “fun” in horses and not just be cleaning after them still. A farrier who came by this week was trying to talk me into doing UConn’s polo lessons. I’d probably really like it. My boyfriend pictures all the snobs you see though in movies (like “Pretty Woman”).. had to remind him that the dressage scene is about as stuffy as you get (he said he was “trying to overlook that” – lol!). He reminds me that I was really fascinated by mounted shooting & archery (I don’t even know the NAME of what the archery sport is – it must have a specific one eh?). Ahhh well… someday. Right now I’m barely able to scratch another horse without tearing up so it’s gonna be a while before I’m even ready to ride others. I’m a one-horse horse owner kinda gal. Hence my old biz name (one horse productions). I don’t ride to ride. I like the bond.

Righto.. well some bittys have just come in and I’ve got to update my yahoogroup about that. Shipping to commence shortly!

Rest in peace Mango (2001-2009)

2009-01-23T09:50:00.000-08:00

Well this is one of the harder posts I’ve ever had to write here.

I know many of you have seen me talk about my boy over the years, he’s been a big part of my life and brought me great joy. As such a great deal of my life has revolved around him as well.

This past Monday, after several months of frustrating efforts and watching him decline, I made the decision to put him down. He was pretty clearly getting worse on a daily basis and more and more dangerous to himself.

You can read the full story of the chronology of efforts to figure it out and make him comfortable basically here in this vet forum thread on a dressage board. Several vets (not there but consulted) just didn't have ideas on what this could be however. The vast variety of tests for metabolic and similar chemical malfunctioning diseases were not easy to chose from (and not all simply to do on a horse so excitable) and his rapid cycling downwards in the last week alone when more observable neurologic symptoms started to appear left me little time to decide on a course of action. I hope to gain more answers from his autopsy and sample screenings. Thus far the overall autopsy show absolutely nothing obviously wrong (including visible brain tumors) which is somewhat a bittersweet relief to myself and the vet as a clear cause probably wouldn’t have been found in time before he became in need of exceptional nutritional support and stimulus removal.

Basically he stopped eating more and more and started running around like a manic at the slightest thing (literally a breeze blowing something). He also began becoming exceptionally aggressive which made testing and handling him very difficult… nevermind asking for help to even find out what was causing this severe anxiety and depression.

I’m relieved to at least say (as I’ve discussed it in depth with the vet and boarders) that there are no remotely similar signs in the rest of the animals on the farm. Rabies has been ruled out. It was like that scenario for me though; I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch Old Yeller now.

Despite his extremely uncharacteristic and excessive aggression and reactivity I want to add, to his credit, that he tried his damndest not to hurt anyone even to the very end.

He was such a good boy at heart. Poor kid. He couldn’t tell me what was happening to him and I tried so hard to find the cause it just breaks my heart not to have found the answer or potential solution (one probably didn’t exist, that much had been getting clearer).

Before I let him go, as he pressed his head against me (his way of hugging) and I reminded him over and over what a very good boy he was. I intend to pursue the cause of his pain and torment to hopefully prevent this from ever happening to another horse if I can. Everyone who knew him in person is surprised to hear of his wildly uncharacteristic change in personality. Unfortunately when they aren’t obviously related to typical diseases in specific organs the diagnosing of them for horses is so hard. Especially if the horse is being dangerous to handle. It was a very hard decision to decide that the answer needed to be found post-mortem (in autopsy) rather than let him suffer any further or hurt himself as he was pursued by his inner demons.

It may take weeks or more to find out. The answers may never be certain. At the very least I have the sad comfort of knowing he went out “in style”. On his last day he was dangerously overstimulated and disoriented but exceptionally “high” feeling. He left the world a proud and mighty horse.

Rest in peace dear boy.

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Waiting for and the arrival of my boy, the real character from the start;

http://artbymorgen.com/babypics/

Some silly days playing with his friends;

http://artbymorgen.com/babypics/balloons/

http://artbymorgen.com/galleries/boys_gone_wild/

Mango in his glory days as a green riding horse before the hip issue (injury) started affecting him the following spring when he grew a little more;

http://artbymorgen.com/mango_in_training/5mob/at_5mo_b.htm

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