One custom slot available

I've had a few productive weeks and am very nearly finished with all of my backlogged custom orders, so I've decided to open up my books for just one more horse at this time. I've had several requests, so to be fair to everyone, I'm just going to put the slot up for bids on eBay. All the details are covered in the auction. Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230371244675

"Cold Snap" a new medallion

This may not come as a surprise, but August in Texas is miserably hot. This time of year makes me long for winter, and not the 70-degree-highs-in-February type of winter that Texas gets. Oh no, in my heat induced delusional state, I find myself wishing for the below-zero-for-weeks-at-a-time-in-February kind of winters that I grew up with in Michigan. Over the course of this hot summer I have knitted a lovely, thick, bright yellow scarf that I'll probably never get to wear and I sculpted "Cold Snap" a medallion that celebrates the first blush of winter.



I made "Cold Snap" just a tiny bit smaller than my other medallions in the interest of keeping him affordable. He measures 4"x4". He'll be cast in-house and limited to a two mold run in unpainted resin. I hope to cast him in ceramic as well in the future (more on that soon) and designed him with this in mind. At this time, pre-orders are being taken only on the resin version. He is priced at $25 including shipping within the USA. Shipping outside of the United States will cost just $5 extra. He's available to purchase on my website:

http://eponastudio.com/coldsnap.html

(The scarf though, is not for sale. Sorry.)

Ravenhill and a new/old technique

The Pre-Raphaelite painters of the Victorian era were known for the way they made the skin of their subjects seem to actually glow with life. I've always been more than a bit fascinated with the art of this period, and in the course of my research, found that they achieved this effect by painting on a "wet, white ground". No one is certain exactly what that ground was, but the common belief is that they would press the excess moisture out of white oil paint and lay that down on the canvas before beginning to paint. The science behind the technique tells us that the paintings seem to glow because light passes through the upper layers of glazed paint (more on glazes here), hits that white and reflects back through the same upper layers.

I find I can get a similar effect by using a cream colored base coat (the cream gives more warmth to horsey browns than would white) on my model horses. On the horse I just finished, Tumlinson & Hurley's Ravenhill, I took the idea one step further. Whereas in the past, I would create a copper chestnut by using (surprise!) metallic copper paint, I've come to feel that the look is too garish for the modern show ring and it's preference for very soft colors. Ravenhill has a coat of very pale gold metallic paint just on top of his cream basecoat. There are very few places where you can actually see anything metallic though, all of the upper glazes hide it...but they glow.

I'm offering Ravenhill first to my blog readers and yahoo group subscribers, before the world at large gets a crack at him. He's available for best offer of $1400 and up. Time payments can be arranged, so don't be afraid to ask. Email cara@eponastudio.com for more information.

16 Aug 09 - Current high offer $1400 with terms - Pat M.