Four New Completed Customs

The aim at the moment is to be completing on average a custom every day. We are definitely not hitting that target but I am painting far more than I have been previously and we are getting a fair few completed, so that is something!

I've been trying to work through lots of the unpainted resins and pewters as well as doing a few other customs. Whilst I usually keep most of my little resin and pewters for the micro army I am also trying to be discerning and rehome a few of them as the situation is getting slightly out of hand (you know things are bad when you literally cannot fit in any more micros).

Last week I got four models completed, apologies the photographs aren't very good I had a killer migraine yesterday and was trying to take the photos with said migraine, which was maybe not the brightest idea I'd ever had!

Anyway let's go through them:

CRS Economy Plus (Turbo)

Turbo is a Maggie Bennett Turbulence micro pewter. He is one of the micro club subscriber models (I think he's actually from this year). I really love this little rodeo horse but he was definitely living up to his name whilst painting.

Firstly he is a bit of a wobbler, but kept luring me into a false sense of security by looking like he was stable, allowing me to spray sealant and then flipping over once I'd left the room. Helpful. So he ended up having to have several repairs done on his coat.

That said I was so happy when I finished him and went to do his final seal. And then the nightmare happened (for once it was not me accidentally spraying him with primer). The sealant did the white dust. I did my best to recover the situation, gave him a bath and sprayed another coat but he did have to have extra pastel added and some repainting. He very much lost the richness of his colour on his show side (of course it was his show side I sprayed first). I don't think it ruined him as he's a snowcap spotted so you would expect some dustiness in the coat, but it really annoyed me. I'd been so happy with him.

Anyway he has been painted to a chestnut snowcap spotted. I went for a red halter and then put his initials on the noseband in white (similar to a horse I'd looked at for reference). He will be shown as a Grade Draft as that seems to suit the general draft mix rodeo horse that he is sculpted to be (and frankly I can't be bothered to come up with an exact mix). 

Named Economy Plus after the Kaj song which has been stuck in my head since it came out and his name made me think of aeroplanes which made me think of the song and got it stuck in my head again (which it now is again because I've written this). Also it worked well as a name that could be abbreviated down to be put on the front of the halter.

Maybe It's OK

Maybe It's OK is the 17th Teeny Tiny Night Heather resin that I've painted. As this was the last one that I have I wanted to go with a traditional Fell Pony colour. I had thought about keeping her but I do have my super small one who is painted to a Fell Pony and two black Fells on essentially the same mould seemed a little bit much (space people, space). So I've decided to rehome her, just like the other 16 of them (yep I've never actually kept one I painted). I made sure to make her a decent purebred Fell Pony by ensuring she had no white markings. I did give her lots of depth and shading in her coat though.

She's available here: https://chestnutridge.co.uk/products/maybe-its-ok

Numb Encore

Numb Encore is another Maggie Bennett micro. This is Ducat who was released in December 2020 along with his brother Dosh. Dosh has been painted up already and joined my collection as a lovely light bay Clydesdale with heavy white markings. For Ducat I went with another bay but this time used a reference of a much darker foal with some lovely contrast shading. I wanted to go with a Clydesdale again so added typical heavy white markings on the legs and face. He turned out really nicely.

Again sense has prevailed (I have so many ARC foals) and he is going to be rehomed. I do feel a bit bad separating him from Dosh but maybe you have a Dosh in your collection who needs a Ducat to be friends with?

He's available here: https://chestnutridge.co.uk/products/numb-encore

Bisexual Pride Necklace

To finish I have a really cute little unicorn necklace. I absolutely loved painting the rainbow unicorn with gold mapping and wanted to spend some time doing some more models with a similar technique in different colours. I decided that doing a range of pride flags would be a really cool way to do this and obviously started with the one with the best colours, the bisexual pride flag.

I used the same technique as the rainbow unicorn, using Maskol to map the markings and then airbrushing the colours. I maybe should have thought more about the pattern used in that the purple is quite hidden but I'm really happy with how the colours turned out.

The model had already been prepped to be a necklace so I kept that and added a purple cord with gold hardware to match the model. Every collector needs a Mini Whinnie necklace and why not also have one that has your pride colours on?

He is available here: https://chestnutridge.co.uk/products/bisexual-pride-mw-necklace

Three New Resins

I've been busy painting recently and have started to try and put a dent in all the unpainted micros. Probably pushed on by the fact that I literally do not have any more space for unpainted micros (although it is worth noting that I also don't have any space for painted micros so we are in a little bit of a predicament).

I've got three finished over the last few days, two heavy horses and a Morgan. I prepped these models over a year ago with a plan to take the Shire to Recycled Live. But, like many things, when I fell pregnant again that got pushed to the bottom of the todo list and nothing got painted until I went on maternity leave seven weeks ago!

So let's go through and see what I completed

First up we have CRS White Marble aka Pierre.

Pierre is a Maggie Bennett Donner resin from 2017 (yes that is how long some of these horses stand unpainted on the shelf for, I'm pretty she he is not actually the oldest one). He was sculpted as a Boulonnais and as I don't actually have a Boulonnais in my collection I decided to go for a standard grey and keep him.

He has been painted to a fleabitten grey. His base colour was done with pastels and then he has hand done fleabites with pastel pencils across his whole body. He was finished off in hand painted acrylics. I went with a heavy metallic grey for the base to contrast his light body colour.

Second we have CRS Blakemore

Blakemore is a CF Micro Pewter Shire (Winston). I purchased the full set of CF micros when they were released, this is the third one to get painted and joins my Exmoor and Welsh D. 

He has been painted to a traditional Shire black with four even white socks and a white stripe. I really just wanted your bog standard traditional Shire colour for him. He has plenty of shading and some lovely sunburnt highlights in his mane and tail. Blakemore is also staying with me as I didn't have a single ARC Shire before I completed him.

Finally we have 'On My Own'

As the name suggests this is the only sales piece of the batch. He was painted with the intention to sell but I fell increasingly in love with him the more work I did on him. I very much want to keep him but he was done as a sales piece and I think should probably be sold. I have, however, put him in my micro cabinet and can't say I'll be disappointed if he ends up staying with me for some time!

On My Own is a Maggie Bennett Armstrong micro pewter. He was sculpted as a very angry Morgan Stallion. I love how much character he has and I think the fiery chestnut really suits his personality.

He was painted in airbrushed acrylics with pastels and pigments for shading. He was finished in hand painted acrylic with white flecking across his flanks, four white stocks and a white blaze. I think this dramatic colour works so well for such a dramatic little horse.

He is available now at Chestnut Ridge priced at £100. Click here to give him a new home.

Which is your favourite from this batch? I hope you like the colour choices as much as I do!

Celebration of Breyer Live Prizes & Raffle Prizes

I am very proud of myself in that I got everything for the show finished tomorrow. My horses are all packed, certificates are all cut out, prizes are all painted. Everything is packed and sorted. All I need to do is collect the food this evening and we are all good! This is a level of organisation I don't normally achieve so I'm feeling quite smug about it.

With less than 24 hours to go I thought I would share with you some of things that I've created for the show.

We are going to start with the section champion prizes. Each section champion will get a custom Breyer stablemate. I tried to pick slightly unusual colours for each one. I haven't decided which section will get which and will just pick random ones on the day. I know the MFT is definitely the most popular (I actually thought about painting another because I wanted to keep him so badly)! Let me know which one you want to win!

Anyway, here they are :D

First up is a Breyer G4 Paradressage to a bay blanket spotted (probably a pintaloosa). This mould works so nicely as a stock horse and I love this colour on her.

Next we have the only decorator in the bunch. I mean I had to do at least one unicorn! This is the Breyer G5 Warmblood Mare (unicorn variation). She has been painted to a black and pink unicorn. She actually has pink shading in her coat if you look carefully. Her hooves and horn are in a metallic pink paint.

Next we have a G2 Standardbred. This guy has been painted to a max white overo. I love how pink he is! You just know this horse is going to be a nightmare in the sun! He's a really unusual colour and something a little bit different for your show string.

Fourth is another extensive white pinto. This is a G2 Saddlebred that has been painted to an extensive splash white. I went with purple for her ribbon to pick up the blue in her eyes.

And now everybody's favourite, this is a Breyer M1 Missouri Fox Trotter that has been painted to a gorgeous shaded black sabino. I picked a reference I'd saved because of the horse's face marking. Although the horse in the reference was bay I went for a faded black instead and then copied the markings. I adore a black sabino and this guy is to die for, he is just gorgeous. He's definitely the one I want to win!

The final prize is a G3 Stock Horse that has been painted to a silver dapple with white markings. I wasn't too sure about this girl at first but I'm actually really happy with her. The shading is just beautiful.

I have also painted two models as prizes for the raffle. The first is a Breyer Paddock Pal, although I went with a very simple shaded black colour for this guy I thought it was quite cool to offer a custom Paddock Pal. You don't see many custom Paddock Pals around so I thought this would be a fun thing for someone to win.

Secondly, I wanted to offer a painted resin or pewter micro. I was going to do another piece but I had already decided I would probably sell this girl and thought instead I would offer her for the raffle. This is the Maggie Bennett Escape Foot Callie pewter. She has been painted to a lovely dun colour with no white markings.

All of these models will be available at Celebration of Breyer Live tomorrow. I always like to go all out for the shows I run and this one has been no different. Which one would you like to take home?

Meet Susan

 I told myself that I would finish five of the little resins and pewters I had been painting for Hen Party Live. I was a bit apprehensive that I would not be able to because, you know, life but actually just an hour or so painting yesterday and I finished off the first one!

This is CRS Satanic Bible (aka Susan). We are back on the 'banned books' names hence the slightly unusual name for this girl! Although I do think the name suits this little girl! That face! Bambi pulls this exact face all the time.

Susan is a 'The Warden' pewter micro by Maggie Bennett. She is an Arabian mare although obviously this little girl is going to be a PBA. I don't have many little resin Partbred Arabs (I have a fair few purebreds) so I thought partbred would be better. I also don't have a buckskin micro so it seemed like the right choice of colour!

She isn't perfect but she is kinda cute and she does look nice in photographs. I'll definitely be after another of this model to paint, I think she needs an equally angry sister!

Also I put her in the moss on the side whilst I was setting up the blanket and she looked so pretty! Like a tiny little fairy horse, especially next to this little flower. So I took like a THOUSAND pictures trying to get one that was perfect (my camera is very much on its last legs, as is my lens so they aren't great)!

I also managed to finish the gorgeous pinto Warmblood so I'll pop some pictures of him up tomorrow!

Meet Jerry and Tesla

 I started both of these little pewters a very very long time ago! But they are both done *yay* ready to enter some shows in 2023.

Both are micro subscription horses by Maggie Bennett

First up is CRS Prófið aka Tesla

Tesla is a Lyskra pewter and is a cute little Icelandic in silver dapple. I am really upset with this model, her colour was amazing and then when I put a layer of sealant over the grey it turned yellow!!! I will at some point repaint that bit, but it was so pretty before the yellowing :(

Second we have CRS Jeremy in Love (Jerry)

Jerry is a Timken resin that has been painted to a chestnut pinto. I do not own a resin paint horse so I was determined that this guy had to be pinto. I'm actually so happy with the colour, the white is beautiful, there is some lovely shading on the chestnut and he has a cute pink nose and blue eyes. Most adorable.

Achilles and Patroclus

A couple of weeks ago I completed this Maggie Bennett Blitzen resin:



He was named Achilles because apparently every horse must have a Greek name at the moment



But then I felt kinda sad because I didn't like the idea of Achilles being all alone without Patroclus.

So it wasn't long before the next micro I was working on was nicknamed Patroclus. And not too long after that that the name stuck.

He is a Jessie pewter micro by Maggie Bennet (and yes I know not a stallion but we will ignore this).

Say hello to Patroclus:



They actually look really cute together! They now live together on the shelf, next to Persephone (I told you the Greek thing was getting out of hand)



So they can spend eternity together :)