Feldman Studio Blog

Overdue Nationals Show Reports

2012-01-28T08:25:00.001-06:00

I am very remiss in not posting these earlier, I have show results for the North American Nationals and the Australian Down Under Nationals from 2011 to share with you. (and I updated the NAN page of the website, too).

Lyn Norbury's Summer Shades had a great show...

with a Top Ten in breed,

A Reserve National Champion in Other Costume (Western Sidesaddle)

and National Champion in Saddleseat!

Jeni Lambert's Dun In Squiggles earned a Reserve National Champion in workmanship

and Nancie Warga's Scribbles earned a Top Ten in workmanship

Congratulations ladies!

Then on the other side of the globe, Katrina Sterry reports on the Australian Down Under Nationals...

Friendly Skies was Reserve National Champion in Other Performance

Indiana Jones was National Champion in Parade/Other Performance

and Fool's Gold earned both National Champion in Western Riding/Reining

and Top Three in Western Pleasure

Congratulations Katrina on your wins with these lovely set ups!

Taking Offers on Push Comes to Shove

2012-01-26T13:51:00.000-06:00

Details about making an offer are here: http://www.modelhorsesalespages.com/view.asp?id=908147

And more pictures are available here: http://www.feldmanstudio.com/Showstring/Push.shtml

In Progress Commissions

2012-01-21T12:13:00.001-06:00

The last three commissions. I kind of feel like it's the end of an era. Granted, I haven't taken commissions openly in several years, yet somehow I always manage to have one or more models on the books for some incredibly patient people. This time two are for trades, one for a resin I missed out on during the original release, but really wanted, and the other for tack from a great tack artist. How could I not? I think my development as an artist has benefited greatly from taking commission work. Working with customers to bring their vision to life helped me see things from other perspectives. Doing portrait work fine tuned my ability to portray what I was seeing. And I've gotten to work with some really great people over the years. Going forward I will be creating for myself, if time allows and occasionally offering pieces for sale.

So here are in progress pictures of The Last Three.

Dapple Grey is such an elusive color for many artists, myself included. Each one is as unique as a snowflake. I have the privilege of working on two dapple grey Arabian resins at the same time. One is warmer and darker and the other cooler and lighter. It's been fun to work on them simultaneously and note the differences as I go along. This one is the traditional scale Nahar resin by Sarah Rose. Above he has had one "layer" of pastel work and then sealed with a matte fixative. Don't be fooled, I spent countless hours over many evenings with different shades of grey working on that single layer. This is more involved than my usual approach to laying down the first layer. I usually stick with one or two colors and do more of a blocking out method of the dapples, which is how I approached the Indian Silver below on his first layer, and what I demonstrated in my The Art of Pastel: Dapple Grey DVD.

Here is where the Nahar is now after additional layers of pastel to deepen the color and further define the dapples, followed by an acrylic layer to simulate hairs over the entire horse, followed by another pastel layer to pick out areas and deepen the dark areas. Somewhere along the line I fine tuned his face, lower legs and painted his mane and tail. A little more tweaking and this boy will be done. He has been the most time consuming of the three, so he is the furthest along. I try to work in groups to be more efficient. They will all get their final details, like eyes and hooves, at the same time.

The Indian Silver, by Deborah McDermott, is meant to be much lighter and cooler in color (more "blue", less brown). This photo shows the initial blocking in of dapples in just a few shades of grey. Taking your time at this stage will lend for a more realistic dapple grey "pattern" in the end. I also leave the face and lower legs for fine tuning after this stage.

And the Indian Silver after the acrylic stage, followed by more pastels. I also painted the mane and tail a slightly mellow color to stand out against the body and I'm really pleased with it. Still trying to figure out how I want to shade it though. I also want to work on the dapples a little and the color transitions. I think I'll do another layer or warm white acrylic to meld the transitions again. He needs a little more tweaking. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the two side by side to document the differences between them.

And here is sweet little Pixie, by Sarah Minkiewicz. I was given artists choice on color and I have always wanted to do a baby bay tobiano on this sculpture. My own Pixie I did in a silver grulla. This is one layer of color to block in the pattern. Same technique that I use in my The Art of Mixed Media: Chestnut Tobiano DVD.

Pixie has come a long way since then, with acrylic to add more panagre, especially to the flank, but also variation throughout the coat to bring out the fuzziness, as well as pastelling all the white areas to create the warmth of flesh under the hair. I talk about that technique in my The Art of Mixed Media: Leopard Appaloosa DVD (another shameless plug :D). Next step will be to highlight all the white areas and work on the edges of the pattern.

I am so pleased with how these three are turning out. I will post finished pictures of them in a few weeks, after my second CPA is past and I have a short break. In the meanwhile, I will be posting some past-due show reports next weekend. See you then!

State of the Studio

2012-01-15T06:44:00.000-06:00

"Jax"
Imp resin sculpture by Sarah Minkiewicz
Collection of the Artist

The time has come to reflect on the future of Feldman Studio as I enter a new phase in my life. I am currently pursuing my CPA and Masters degree and will be joining a large accounting firm this fall to work full-time. While I am excited about this opportunity and what it will mean for my family, I also enjoy being a part of the model horse community as an artist and exhibitor. This is not an end to my involvement in the hobby, or at least I hope not!

~DVDs~

My intention is to continue to offer my series of instructional DVDs, perhaps adding a few more additional titles. Many people have expressed how much they've enjoyed them and learned from them, which makes me so happy. For the foreseeable future, I will have DVDs in stock, and I will be re-stocking those that have currently run out. The prepping and detail painting DVD should be back in stock in 6-8 weeks. You are welcome to pre-order them at this time through the website. All other titles are in stock and ready to go.

~COMMISSIONS~
Going forward, I will no longer be able to accept any commission work. I just can’t devote the necessary time to paint for others anymore. I love to paint and sculpt and may offer finished pieces for sale, so I hope that you will stay tuned for those opportunities. I am down to finishing the last 3 commissions and look forward to sharing them with you here. Next week, I'll post some in progress shots of them. Their owners have been very patient, it's been about a year since they were started. I am excited to bring them to completion and am thrilled with how they are turning out.

~SCULPTURE~
I do hope to finish sculpting Panache, the floating trot Warmblood, that I started last summer at the AAEA workshop. I will see if there is interest at that time in having him cast in resin. He still has a long way to go. And I have so many other ideas to put into sculpture. We'll see what time allows.

~GOING FORWARD~
Really, this is not much of a change from what you've seen come out of the studio lately. I have been in school for awhile now preparing to head down this path. My undergrad degree was in Dance from BYU, so switching to Accounting has been quite the journey. I have not been to a show in almost two years and I think I can count on one hand the number of horses I’ve been able to finish over the past few years. I guess the biggest change is my acceptance of the facts. My time is not what it used to be.

I do hope to stay connected with you, so I have set a goal to make a blog posting every weekend. I love to read your comments and would be happy to post any show successes you've had with models I've painted on the blog, as well as the website. I plan to post how-to's, in progress and finished pieces as they're made, maybe revisit some ideas, share show reports, and more. Just tell me what you would like to see posted and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks for reading. I hope you'll stick around!

More Dry Pigments for the Palette

2012-01-10T12:37:00.000-06:00

The last blog entry featured a rather extensive list of the pastels that I have. There are, of course, other dry pigments out there that can be used in the same manner as pastels and I've begun to add them to my palette as well. Hopefully this will help you take the guess work out of picking new colors to add to your palette.

Earth Pigments

Jaime Baker introduced me to these at Breyerfest one year and I finally got around to getting a small starter set from someone. Sadly, I still haven't had the time to actually try them out. I like the idea that they are non-toxic. So many art products can't say that. The colors in my current palette all look promising, they are:

Light Yellow Ochre
Dark Yellow Ochre
Clay Brown
Natural Sienna
Brown 610
Brown Ochre
Burnt Sienna
Burnt Umber
Titanium White
Black 318

Charcoal

I did include these in my pastel list, but they are actually a different medium than pastel. I use black charcoal interchangeably with black pastel. It covers really well, but it also messier. You can also find white charcoal to use as a mix with other colors. I tend to work from light to dark, so don't often need to mix my dry pigments on a palette. I do like the white charcoal better in pencil form though.

Pearl-ex Powders

These are metallic and interference colors that can be added to your normal dry pigments for a bit of sheen. I have the 32 color set, which includes all the blues, greens, reds, purples, etc. The colors that might best lend themself to equine artistry are:

Interference Gold
Mircro Pearl
Macro Pearl
Pearl White
Sparkle Gold
Sunset Gold
Antique Gold
Super Bronze
Antique Bronze
Antique Silver
Silver
Antique Copper
Sparkle Copper
Super Copper
Red Russett

PanPastels

Another product that I have added to my palette, but haven't yet used much are PanPastels. Granted, these probably should have been included in the pastel list, I overlooked them because they aren't in stick form. Instead they come in a pan, which have the convenience of stacking one on top of another by screwing the bottom of one on top of another. They sell a wide variety of sponge tips for application, which I work for some people. They have a nice consistency and of course, don't require shaving to use. Just rub your bursh, qtip, or sponge over the "pan" to load pigment. I bought a wide selection of these hoping to get all their best equine-amenable colors, thought I might have missed a few. Here they are:

Black 800.5
Titanium White 200.5
Yellow Ochre Tint 270.8 - bright, but mellow yellow
Burnt Sienna Shade 740.3
Burnt Sienna Shade 740.5
Burnt Sienna Shade 740.8 - nice pale shade for bascoats
Red Iron Oxide Shade 380.3
Red Iron Oxide Shade 380.5 - may be too "bright"
Neutral Grey Shade 820.3 - cool grey
Neutral Grey Tint 820.7 - cool grey
Neutral Grey Tint 820.8 - cool grey
Payne's Grey Tint 840.8 - cool grey
Payne's Grey Tint 840.7 - cool grey
Payne's Grey Tint 840.3 - cool grey
Raw Umber 780.5 - too green, skip it unless you're looking for natural grass stains
Raw Umber Tint 780.8 - really light, but use with caution as may cast green tone

Pastel Palette

2011-12-30T17:48:00.014-06:00

Several months ago I received a request asking what colors of pastels I use. When I pulled out my bins, they were all such a mess I couldn't even read the labels on them. So, I wiped them all down, scrubbed my bins, and sorted and made a list to share with you. Yay, one step ahead for New Year's resolutions!

Some I barely use, a few I've never used, and some I use regularly. I placed an asterisk by my favorites. Some of the Derwents I've had for over 20 years and I think they have a new naming convention, but I included them here anyway. Also, both the Derwents and the Grumbachers are hard pastels. This means that the stick must be shaved to get pastel dust suitable for application. The others are all soft pastels, so I just rub my brushes over the stick to load the brush with dry pigment. The Great American Art Works and Unison sticks are the newest additions, I like them quite a bit, but they are too fat for my bins! I still might indulge in trying some more colors in these brands, but first I need to find a storage solution for them.

I am always looking for good, staple colors such as good base colors, good dark browns, yellows that make believable buckskins, you get the idea. This is why I dabble in different brands. I purchase my pastels open stock, which means by the stick. Since I order online, I don't always know what I'm getting. That would explain the range of pinks I have! I do most of my purchasing from http://www.jerrysartarama.com/. They usually have sales going on, but it is easy to load a shopping cart quickly with so many tempting pastel selections.

REDS

Dark Reds

Sennelier Brand:

046 – really red

076

075 – more burgundy

265 – red

460

Orange Reds

Derwent 64B

Sennelier Brand:

084

462

194* or

195*

434

458

Winsor Newton Brand:

Caput Mortuum Tint 5*

Burnt Sienna Tint 5*

PINKS

Sennelier Brand:

093 – dark

083 – bright

085

095 – paler

088 – really pale

GREYS

Dark Greys/Black

Black generic sticks

Sennelier Brand:

515 – dark

513

816* – shimmer

426 –dark warm grey

517 – dark warm grey

Great American Art Works Black Pearl 318

Charcoal in black*

Cool Greys

Winsor Newton Brand:

Payne’s Grey Tint 2

Payne’s Grey Tint 1

Grey tones from generic sticks set

Warm Greys

Winsor Newton Brand:

Davy’s Grey Tint 2

Sennelier Brand:

431

432

415

416

417

428

440

PEACH

Great American Art Works Brand:

Cinnamon 140.4*

Chestnut 135.4*

Sennelier Brand:

825 metallic

818 shimmer

817 shimmer

020* - base color

011* - base color

Grumbacher 4039

YELLOW/PUTTY

Unison Brand:

Grey 25

Grey 23

Grey 21 – good for buckskin

Derwent Brand:

Golden Brown 59

Brown Ochre 57

Burnt Yellow Ochre 60

Sennelier Brand:

106* - medium

613 – straw yellow

512 - dark

104 – dark

120 – dark

824 – gold metallic

819 – shimmer

820* - shimmer

BRONZE

Sennelier Brand:

107* - base color

063* or

062*

819 – bronze shimmer

Winsor Newton Brand:

Raw Umber Tint 2- use with caution, raw umber can give greenish tinge

Raw Umber Tint 3 - use with caution, raw umber can give greenish tinge

WHITE/CREAM

Sennelier Brand:

346

021

132

126

108*

440

065

821 – shimmer

801

Derwent Chinese White 72

White Charcoal

White generic from set

BROWNS

Great American Art Works Dark Brown 810.1*

Grumbacher Brand:

4051

253P

Derwent Brand:

66B

79B

54B

Sepia 53

Sennelier Brand:

001 – burgundy/purply brown

456 – dark

058*- dark

190*

192*

060

436* - dark red

003 – dark red

061

003

439* or

438*

Winsor Newton Brand:

Burnt Umber Tint 4*

Burnt Umber Tint 5*

Pay It Forward

2011-12-06T11:08:00.005-06:00

During the holiday season, I think it is especially important to "pay it forward" with acts of kindness. Etsy sellers are offering many lovely things as "pay it forward" items and I thought it the perfect opportunity for me to list my very first items on the site. I have listed all available DVDs at holiday sale prices ($10 off each!), as well as one DVD title at a "Pay It Forward" price of only $5! My hope is that by purchasing one of these DVDs, you will take the opportunity to pay it forward to others with acts of kindness. I also hope you will take a moment to post in the comments ways you have been the giver or recipient of "pay it forward". Let's spread the holiday cheer!

Click here to go to my Etsy store.

Top Ten Ways to Overcome Artist’s Block

2011-08-05T14:19:00.010-05:00

Top Ten Ways to Overcome Artist’s Block

By Danielle S. Feldman

All artists experience artist’s block at some point. The following are some suggestions to get you creating again.

1. Try a new tool or mix some new colors

Ordering some new tools or new colors always gets me excited to try them out. See my article on the “Top Ten Not-so-obvious Must-have Very-affordable Tools for the Artist” to give you some ideas. Experiment with new colors. Try mixing non-horse-like, complimentary colors for some rich tones. Play around with the color palette and let loose a little.

2. Clean up your workspace

An organized and clean workspace can motivate productivity, whereas a dirty and messy one can stifle creativity. Take some time out to organize. Invest in some see-through bins to store your supplies, Try hanging up some peg-board to tack up your reference material. You may find you go through several organizational revisions to create a space that really works for you.

Our tiny, two bedroom apartment didn't stop me.
A card table doubled as a kitchen table and a workspace.

Even a tiny space can be organized. I use different containers to separate my pastel brushes from my acrylic painting brushes and my oil painting brushes. I have clear bins to seperate prepping items, sculpting items, and finishing work items. A crate holds my bottled acrylics and different art containers hold my tube acrylics, my pastels and my oils. It’s a little dusty, but everything is within reach.

3. Take a nature walk, Exercise, Stretch

Look to nature for inspiration; take a nice relaxing walk. Or get some exercise in and a good stretch. Releasing endorphins will boost your mood and get you energized. Sometimes just being outside will clear my mind enough to see through to the solution of an artistic dilemma. Other times, fresh ideas may abound.

4. Browse the galleries of your favorite artists, Read some of that reference material that’s piling up

Sometimes I like to browse the galleries of my favorite artists for inspiration. Not too copy their work, but to learn from it. Look through the stacks of magazines for real horses that might inspire you. Or sit down and read some of the reference material you’ve picked up, but not found time to read. That will keep you productive, even if you’re struggling to feel creative. You can find a comprehensive list of reading material in Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig’s Reference Library Listing, published here, courtesy of the Model Horse Gallery. Sarah posted some highlights on her blog, starting with this one and then continuing to newer blog posts.

If you’re like me, you have an accumulating pile of reference material waiting to be read that can spawn creativity or improve your understanding of the equine subject.

5. Make something with the purpose of destroying it when you’re done

It is so hard to let go and just create with no end purpose in mind. Time is such a valuable asset that every working moment is reserved for finishing up models. Don’t let this trap stifle your creativity. Take some time and make something with the plan to strip it or squash it when you’re done. Chances are you’ll take some risks along the way and maybe discover some new techniques. At the very least, the pressure to be perfect is gone and that alone might topple the crippling artist’s block.

Head Study, Status: Destroyed!
(helps that it started oozing brown stuff from a reaction between the wires and clay)

6. Turn on the tunes, or maybe a movie

If you don’t usually work to music, give it a try. Or if your favorite tunes aren’t doing it, try a movie instead. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite when I have a good long block of time to work. It makes the time go by faster. I don’t really watch it, as much as listen to it, so I wouldn’t recommend trying to paint while watching that new movie you’ve been waiting to see. Better to choose an old favorite.

7. Reward yourself

It works with my 4 year old! Make a rewards system for yourself. If stickers won’t do it, try a chocolate bar when you finish a really good session. Or maybe a Starburst if you can just finish up the eyes on that model that just doesn’t want to get finished. If you’re not food motivated (or like me, are trying to be good), try putting a dollar in a jar for every horse in your back log that you finish to buy yourself that special something. Whatever motivates you.

8. Do a project for yourself

It may seem like a guilty pleasure, but if you’re so overwhelmed with creating for customers that you’ve lost interest and maybe even quality, then it may be time to do a little something for yourself. Taking the time to be true to your own vision may revitalize your work, which then benefits your customers. It’s hard to do, but taking a break from commissions may actually turn out to be the right thing for everyone.

9. Work in a different medium or technique

If you always airbrush, try your hand at pastels. If you always pastel, try working on a sculpture instead. Just try something different. Even kneading a loaf of bread can be therapeutic. Some different ideas include flatwork in pencil, charcoal, pastel, oils, watercolor, oil pastels, or try making a collage, sculpting with play doh or sculpey in fun colors, making holiday crafts, wood working, scrap booking, sewing, crocheting - the skies the limit… Creating outside of your normal venue can be so refreshing! If you're looking for some help on trying out pastel technique, I know just the thing.

10. Set a block of time aside, sit down, and push your way through it

If all else fails, sometimes you just have to push through. Sometimes the very act of doing will get you going. This has worked for me on more than one occasion. If you find your not getting results instantly, start with a practice body until you find your flow. The point is to persevere. Good luck!

AAEA Workshop Day 5 - Faces

2011-06-24T16:52:00.006-05:00

I really had the best time all week, the time just flew by. What a privilege it has been to learn from Kathy Friedenberg (below). I have long been an admirer of her work and have always hoped to be able to attend one of her workshops. Her pieces are not only accurate, but so dynamic and alive! Click on her name above to visit her website. Her work is so inspiring!

And not only is she a great artist, but a great teacher as well. She understands the anatomy and how it changes with the movement of the horse and is able to explain it so clearly. I only wish I was able to absorb it all more quickly.

I did make significant progress on my piece throughout the week. I can see how years of customizing models has given me some exposure to the equine form. And I appreciate my human anatomy class, if for nothing else to help me remember the names of muscles!

We focused on heads for our final day and mine is still very, very rough. I find the clay I'm using, Classic Clay, to be a bit sticky compared to the Apoxie I use to customize models. The texture of my entire piece is very rough and I found it difficult to work in detail, which is fine while blocking in the structure. Kathy taught us not to sculpt with our fingers, but to use our tools for a more professional finish. Of course, bronze sculptures have a very different surface desired than do resin sculptures.

I'm not completely sure how to proceed after this point. Of course, I need to finish the head and refine the legs. My proportions are pretty good and I'm happy with the head and leg placement finally. I think I might try putting the whole thing in the freezer for a bit to stiffen up the clay before trying to work on the detail and smoothing out. I've heard Goo Gone can be used for smoothing, so I might give that a try. I'm still a far way off from finishing this piece, but I do have every intention of finishing him. He is in the suspended stage of the extended trot, so will require acrylic pegs to stand. And I really have no idea how I'll go about getting a hard copy made once I reach that stage! Oh well, that's a long way off yet. We will be moving next week and then I will be back into real life school, family and work.

I hope you have enjoyed the journey with me. If you ever have the chance of attending a workshop with the American Academy of Equine Art, I highly recommend it. This is the second workshop I've attended and I find them to be an amazing experience for the aspiring equine artist.

AAEA Workshop Day 4 - Foundry Tour

2011-06-23T19:17:00.011-05:00

One of the best parts of attending a workshop near the artist's home is the ability to visit her favorite foundry. We had the immense privilege of a personal tour of Laran Bronze with Larry Welker, one of the owners. They are established in a wonderful, old building in Chester, PA. All of the employees are artists and wonderful people. After going through the myriad of steps it takes to produce a bronze, you will understand why they are so expensive. And every step along the way requires skilled labor. I will try to recap what I learned, but forgive me if I leave something out.

After the clay sculpture arrives, it is gradually covered with multiple layers in a kind of rubber substance. This will capture all of the detail in the original clay sculpture. Above you can see how it is brushed on. On the sculpture below it was airbrushed on and drips off, repeated multiple times.

The rubber mold is than covered in a plaster-like casing, which is then cut apart into multiple pieces. The pieces are bolted together to receive the wax. The wax is poured in and swished around on the inside and then the excess is spilled back out on the floor to be reused after it is cooled. The purpose is to create a hollow wax version of the sculpture. A solid-cast piece in bronze would be too heavy and expensive, so the wax mimics the end result they want to achieve in bronze.

I believe this is Allen showing us how the vents and sprues are created in the wax casting. There are pieces cut out that will be cast separately that allow him to vent to the inside, leaving less clean-up work. If the original clay was cut into pieces for ease of mold-making, it is often reassembled at this stage. Any pieces not reassembled at this stage, will need to be reassembled in metal.

Once the wax sculpture is prepared, a specially formulated casing is created around the wax. First it is dipped in liquid, then in sand. Because of the hollow nature of the piece, the sand is blown and the sculpture dipped into it. This allows for an even coating. It takes four hours to cure, then the process is repeated as many as a dozen times or more.

This is an example of the finished mold with the addition of some chicken wire in later coatings to add strength. The wax sculpture is inside this shell. I have no idea what it is.

The next step is to heat the wax to something like 1400 degrees in less than a minute. Larry explained that you have to cause the wax to melt before it can expand or else it will crack the casing and it will not be able to hold the molten metal.

Once the wax is melted away, which they recycle by the way, the outside casing is ready to have the molten metal pored in. Above Larry is showing us a brick of bronze, which has a special blend to allow for long-term outside exposure. They also do aluminum castings.

The final step is to add the patina, which is brushed on, then blow-torched to set. The patina reacts chemically with the metal.

I am just blown away by the skill that the people of Laran Bronze have to recreate sculptures. And if that weren't enough, they also offer 3D scanning and enlarging/shrinking. Above Chris is digitally capturing the sculpture.

After they have the image scanned, they can recreate it larger or smaller in foam with this machine that cuts it precisely. Some artists will then sculpt a thin layer of clay over it, but it is possible to use a high density foam that can then be painted as the finished product. Amazing.

But that wasn't all we did today, Kathy brought in a real skull and a cross-section of a real forelimb. You don't get to see things like that everyday!

There wasn't much time for sculpting today, but this is where I was this morning before our trek out. I have been playing with the headset and the stride, going back and forth. After this evening I am pretty content with the leg placement, if I can just keep them from moving! Hard to believe tomorrow is the last day...

AAEA Workshop Day 3 - Fore!

2011-06-22T19:48:00.007-05:00

Day 3 of the workshop (see Day 1 and Day 2 in the previous posts) focused on the front end of the horse. Above Kathy is demonstrating how the elbow pops out when the leg is flexed. The horse modeling for us today is a 19 year old part-Mustang. It is fascinating how horses are put together. She pointed out that the lack of muscle below the knee and hocks allows for greater efficiency and contributes to the athleticism of the equine (as opposed to the elephant, who does not have the equivalent of elongated phalanges that the horse does).

She also brought in some bones for us to study. Above is the hock joint. I am fascinated by the angle of the joint, which allows for the movement of the stifle around the barrel. This is why the hind leg is not on a vertical line from the hip to hoof when viewed from the back. Very cool to see the actual physiology in the joint itself.

We also got to watch the farrier work a bit. You could really see the stifle pop out from the barrel when he drew the leg up - just look at the rotation of the hock and the stifle popping out in this extreme position:

I only managed to get pictures mid-day, but I brought the piece home to work on after the kids go to bed. He did manage to get his forelegs on before I brought him home. I am still trying to get the headset and stride right according to my reference photo, which is not the photo seen in the bottom picture.

He is still very rough. I am resisting the urge to try to smooth and add detail until I have all the structures correct.

AAEA Workshop Day 2 - Hinders

2011-06-21T19:29:00.005-05:00

Day 2 focused on the hind end. (see Day 1 here). Kathy is demonstrating the range of flexion on the real thing. These horses at Thorncroft are so patient with us flashing our cameras every which way. This kind fellow allowed me to take pictures from below, behind and above without blinking!

Here I am mid-way through the day. I added a temporary base to stick my wires in so that I could work on the legs. Biggest lesson today: I need to learn some serious anatomy! Kathy is a wonderful teacher and really knows her stuff. With a deft flick of her tool, my lumps and bumps now look like a believable hindquarter! I really like her approach to block things in by muscle groups, I just need to understand them better.

By the end of the day (okay, about 2 hours later as I got a little distracted after lunch taking pictures in the barn), I've at least blocked in the lower limbs. Not sure what to do with the hooves since the ends of the wires are stuck in clay for stability... But I am glad to say I am happier with my egg from yesterday!

AAEA Workshop Day 1 - Egg with Sausages

2011-06-20T20:11:00.006-05:00

This week I have the privilege of attending an American Academy of Equine Art workshop with artist, Kathleen Friedenberg. It is being held at Thorncroft Equestrian Center, in Malvern, PA, where they offer therepuetic riding. All of the horses and ponies, like the one above, have been donated to the program. I am thrilled to take this workshop with Kathy!

I will try to document my experience here, so come back every day this week to see the progression of my sculpture.

Before the workshop, we were given instructions and asked to prepare the armature. I used Apoxie sculpt to firmly attach mine to the T-joint. It is wise to err on the side of too much wire, then too little wire.

Kathy gave an informative lecture, complete with slides, over-viewing proportions, bony landmarks, movement in the joints and all kinds of juicy tidbits. She then instructed us to make an egg shape for the ribcage using our sausages (rolled bits of clay). This is what mine looked like half-way through the day. My egg shape kept filling out the more I worked on it.

Here we are at the end of day 1. He is starting to look more horse-like, but there is a long way to go. I still haven't even perfected my egg yet...

Land of Little Horses

2011-06-19T22:26:00.008-05:00

Also during our visit to Gettysburg, we stopped by at the Land of Little Horses. It's a neat place with lots of animals - pygmy pigs, goats, calves, chickens, peacocks, rabbits, turkeys, alpacas, a couple exotic cattle breeds, and more. Lots of equines, from minis to a Shire. They do some breeding, but I spoke to one of the helpful workers (below) and she said many were rescues (all of the dogs were from the local shelter) or were donated.

They had some fun attractions, including a mock western town complete with saloon, general store and country church. Here is Andy in jail. They also had a nice playground that was near impossible to get him to leave.

And of course, the very important pony rides.

Audrey getting and giving some pony love.

They sell feed pellets and nearly all of the ponies
and minis were very good with little fingers. Just look at
that face! Some were quite the characters, banging
and carrying on until they got their hand out.

Audrey fell in love with this big chestnut.

They put on a half hour performance, complete with llama kisses, a piano playing pig and some pony performers. This trio performed at liberty. It was a memorable visit and one I would highly recommend if you're ever in the area.

Gettysburg!

2011-06-18T21:51:00.009-05:00

These pictures were taken off of a reproduction of the Cyclorama at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum. I didn't even try to take pictures of the original without the flash, but I probably should have tried. It was very impressive in person, not only in size, but also in detail and emotion. Unfortunately, these are dark and the only ones that came out clear. My camera gets blurry when I turn the flash off.

There is a nice drive around the battlefields and numerous monuments have been erected. These bronze reliefs were on monuments for some of the cavalry corps. The cavalry played a significant role in the Battle of Gettysburg.

Inside the museum, there was a nice display honoring the "Horse Soldiers". Here are several shots of the display. I was thinking of all you great tack makers out there when I took these.

In Progress Customs

2011-06-15T13:20:00.003-05:00

These are several of the pieces I have been working on lately. I've been posting daily updates of sorts on Facebook of what I've been doing in the studio during my interim time between working and the move. Normally, I would wait until these were completely done and prepped to share, but they are as far as they're going to get before the move. And they will likely wait months after we move until they get any more attention. The one above is a mini Working Girl by Sarah Rose into a hunter-type. She still needs braids.

This is a Carol Williams' Valor resin with a Brigitte Eberl Replay head. Love this guy! The Valor head went on a headless Victrix body, but it's still too scary to share.

Another Working Girl in a western pleasure headset. This one is a trade commission with Holly McFarland. I am so excited to finally get some of Kevin's work!

Another Sarah Rose sculpture, Lonestar, with a new neck and mane/tail. I've been wanting to make a portrait of the horse I had in high school, Bookaboo. Of course, he was not a show horse, so I'm on the fence whether or not to paint this one like Boo or not. The body type is the closest I've seen, so I might go ahead anyway. Boo was a pale grey and I have a Darla Curtis WP doll in lavender I've never even used...

Brigitte Eberl's Lina pony with a new look.

Another Eberl pony, Austri. He will be a child's mount and still needs his braids. Jennifer Buxton has made him a bridle to go with a Parklane saddle. It will be so cute!

Rose's Miss America into a country pleasure type. You might recognize her from the Customizing DVD. I decided to give her a lower tail set and add a forelock.

Eberl's Large Trakehner with a new "do". Gave him a nice cresty neck with braids. I plan to paint him as a leopard Knabstrupper.

And of course, there are a few more that aren't this far along. Most of which will (knock on wood) be featured in the second customizing DVD. It covers all new topics, like head transplants and creating necks from the wire up. It still has a long way to go before it will be ready. My focus now is on finishing up the commissions, hopefully before we move in 2 weeks!

Let There Be Light!

2011-06-14T17:08:00.004-05:00

The long-awaited, lantern-style fences have been finished (well, the one I'm keeping didn't get finished, but I figure that doesn't count). These were incredibly tricky to engineer. I went through a couple different assemblies before it dawned on me how to put them together. First there was getting the columns attached to the walls, then there was getting the lanterns into the columns since I couldn't remove the base without damaging the wire, then how to get the column toppers around the lantern pole. I've always believed that problem-solving is inherent in creativity and this cements it.

Only 3 fences were made in this style - the grey stone (top & bottom), the neutral stucco (above) and a red brick (for me). The grey stone has already found a new home, but the stucco is available for $150, plus postage. All the unsold fences will be getting packed up shortly to make the trip to Connecticut. So speak up now if you want one right away.

The grey stone has alternating finials and lanterns. I have a ton of finials left, but not sure I have the energy to make any more fences...

More Devon Horse Show

2011-06-04T16:51:00.007-05:00

I will definitely miss the Devon Horse Show after we move. I have really enjoyed going these past two years. This year, we enjoyed seeing the gaited breeds under saddle and harness. And I met Kathleen Friedenberg, who will be instructing the AAEA sculpting workshop I will be attending at the end of this month.

We also saw the Wells Fargo coach.

I think my favorite was the roadster ponies. Look at that action!

And of course, the all important SKEE BALL!

Devon Horse Show 2011

2011-06-02T21:55:00.004-05:00

I took the kids to the Devon Horse Show tonight. I chose this evening as there were a few harness and Saddlebred classes. Last year we saw hunters and ponies, so I was looking for some variety to offer in the reference collection I am putting together. I am pleased to say I was able to capture enough decent shots that the gaited breeds will now be better represented.

Of course, keeping Andy happy was the challenge. I downloaded Angry Birds onto my phone part way through to give him something to do. We did ride the ferris wheel, the "motorcycles" and the carousel, so it wasn't all misery for him. On the other hand, I don't know if I have enough energy to go back for a second day!

Memorial Day Cowgirl

2011-06-01T12:49:00.004-05:00

We had a great weekend up in Connecticut. Beautiful weather, wonderful people, very relaxing.

We were invited to a barbeque at the home of one of my husband's coworkers. The CEO runs a working cattle ranch in Wyoming and he brought a roping dummy and lariats to the event. Audrey took to it like a duck to water. She was at it for over an hour before the skin started blistering on her hands and I made her stop. Guess what she is asking for this Christmas? I guess if you can't have a pony, a roping dummy is the next best thing!

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

2011-05-25T18:17:00.021-05:00

I finally finished a few fences to share. The one above is the one for me, but I decided to make several more to offer for sale. These are just quick photos; the lighting is a little washed out. I still have the lantern style ones to finish, as I had to order more supplies. I am posting these here first and sending the link to Facebook, so if any readers of my blog/Facebook would like first dibs, drop me an email at danielle@feldmanstudio.com. Price is $150 each, plus shipping.

All fences are hand-crafted with support pegs for strength. They are assembled in one piece and do not come apart. The faux finishes are textured to resemble actual stone/stucco and have been sealed with multiple layers of fixative. The miniature flowers are crafted in clay to resemble real flowers in miniature, in perfect scale for traditional scale model horses. They are permanently attached to the base, but the stems are bendable to reposition slightly as needed. Fences are reversible with a non-flower side on the back for a simpler presentation. With the exception of the stucco fence, all trim wraps around with mitered joints. "Wrought iron" is actually plastic and should be handled with care. These are not toys and should be handled appropriately to preserve their beauty.

You can click on an image for a larger view - then hit your browser's back button to return.

Rosy Slat & Irises Fence - Finished in a slat-style stone finish in a rosy color. Flowers are pale blue and yellow irises on tall stems, and pink, yellow, and white poppies in a bed of green ferns. Very fresh and spring-like color combination. 6 inches high, base is 22 1/8 inches long, 1 1/2 inches wide.

Grey Stone & Blue Bonnets Fence - Natural grey stone with large white trim. Flowers are impressive blue bonnets, white frilly flowers, and two shades of pink daisies in a bed of green leaves. 6 inches high, base is 20 inches long, 1 1/2 inches wide.

Stucco & Forget-Me-Nots Fence - Multi-tonal stucco in warm earth tones with extra white trim on the front only under the ledge and along the bottom. Blue forget-me-nots, white daisies, pink pansies, and an assortment of other pink shaded flowers on a bed of green leaves really compliment the stucco finish. 6 inches high, base is 20 inches long, 2 inches wide.

back of fence:

Red Brick & Geraniums - Red brick with crown molding trim and ornate wrought iron. Perky red and white geraniums on a bed of green leaves give this a classy look. 6 inches high, base is 22 1/8 inches long, 1 1/2 inches wide. THIS ONE IS SOLD.

I've been getting questions about what the lantern style look like, so here is an in progress shot. One is the stone finish and the other is a cream over black stucco with baseboard trim and the ornate irons. (The red brick lantern style will be staying with me). Price on these will also be $150 even though they were much more complicated to construct.

MOVING SALE on DVDs - While Supplies Last

2011-05-24T06:09:00.004-05:00

MOVING SALE on DVDs -

Free Shipping when you buy 3 or more.

Package deal when buying the set - get one FREE.
Also, The Art of Pastel: Bay is still on sale for only $15.

~While supplies last~

http://feldmanstudio.com/store/page3.html

Order directly through the website at the link above, sale prices will be automatically calculated for you during the sale.

Project-itis

2011-05-23T06:48:00.007-05:00

This is the current state of my studio - yikes! There just isn't room to work on so many projects at once or chaos ensues - resin dust gets into epoxy and pastel dust gets all over everything! You can see my video set-up, including the high powered photo lamps. It gets so hot working under them I can only take it a little at a time. And I had one bulb blow up on me once, so I am a little leery. I have the scar on my forearm - the things we do for our art.

I've decided to finish up the fences (they can be seen on the far right). This will give me some table space and some mind space to pull something else out. I don't like to allow anything to interfere with work on commissions; I detest having people wait on me. However, I've learned that the artistic muse cannot be denied and forcing myself to work on something when I'm not inspired (or inspired in a totally different direction), can be counter-productive. So, the fences win this time. Really, though, they take up a whole table and I need to sell and ship them before we move.

Each fence is one-of-a-kind, so I am thinking of selling them on Etsy. I think it might be a fresh new venue for this kind of thing. Thoughts?

And a good portion of the resins in my cabinet have been posted for sale on MH$P. Take a look.

Back to work!

2011-05-20T20:56:00.002-05:00

Back from my first grad class. It was a week in-residence at the lovely (albeit rainy) campus in Storrs, CT. I have classes over the summer online, and the move to get ready for, but I plan to get back in the studio on that long list of projects I posted last.

Freedom!

2011-05-06T16:00:00.004-05:00

It has been a long and grueling semester and is now behind me. We are moving to Connecticut at the end of June, but until then (minus the packing and planning), I will be creating! Oh the joy!

I have some lovely things in progress for some very patient customers: a dapple grey Nahar and Indian Silver, a pinto Pixie and a custom Working Girl.

And I have those fences I mentioned in an earlier post. It has been a learning experience trying to make some of them with working lanterns and realistic stone and brick finishes. I found some lovely in-scale flowers to adorn them with. There are different styles, lengths and colors and no 2 are alike. At least 5 or 6 will be offered for sale. They still have a ways to go and I think I might need to order some more trim, but it is has been a fun side project that I could play around with without the worry of perfectly rendering realistic equine coats.

The demand for quality DVD instruction is still there, so I hope to offer a few new titles on some new subject matter, as well as additional instruction on some old favorites. You'll just have to wait and see. The reference photos project is still on the bench. I will be snapping oodles of photos at a couple events this summer and then hope to wrap that up to offer.

Sales pieces are also in the back of my mind. I have a slew of Weather Girls, some other plastics and several resins that may hit the workbench. I got a new micro airbrush and air turbine dremel that I have yet to try out!

Right before our move, I will happily be attending an AAEA sculpting workshop, almost in my back yard. I have so many ideas I'd love to see produced in sculpture. I'm sure this will reignite that flame!

Of course, my ambitions always exceed my actual abilities to finish all these projects, so wish me luck!

2011-02-13T20:32:00.004-06:00

Top Ten Pitfalls for an Artist

By Danielle S. Feldman

The following are some pitfalls that an artist can fall into that can easily be avoided. All suggestions are based on my own experience, but will hopefully work for you as well.

1) Unrealistic Epoxy Clumps in Hair Texture

Stroke on rubbing alcohol (for Martin Carbone gapaxio) or water (for Aves apoxie sculpt) with a soft paintbrush after you’re done sculpting to smooth out those little clumps left from your sculpting tools before the epoxy cures. I’ve heard you can use Goo Gone to remove clumps from non-hardening clay, but have yet to try it myself.

Example of clumps in a tail that should be smoothed out.

2) Seam Lines in the Mane

Use the Rio Rondo carbide scraper with a pointed tip to recreate hair texture, following the direction of the hair, all along the crest of the mane to remove the seams as you go. Look up and down the mane from different directions to make sure no seam lines remain.

Seam lines that were missed during the prepping process

3) Wobbly Horses

If it’s a minor wobble, taking an emery board across the bottom of the longest leg to level out the hooves will work. You may find you need to build up the bottom or edge of a hoof on a short leg with epoxy. If you find a warped leg is causing the trouble then gently heating the warped area and moving it gently back into place to cool may solve the problem. And if all else fails, you can always make a base, using epoxy around shaped aluminum foil.

4) Air beneath standing hooves

A floating leg is just not realistic. If you see just a little air underneath a standing hoof, you may be able to sand the other, longer hooves with an emery board to even things out. But, the best bet is to add epoxy to the underside of the floating hoof. Make sure to apply a little epoxy over the edges, so that when sanding flush (with an emery board), you don’t end up with rounded toes.

5) Unrealistic Dapples

Dapples are more like a jigsaw puzzle than connect-the-dots. They should be irregular in shape, size and placement. Avoid round, evenly sized and evenly spaced dapples. Refer to pictures of the real thing. Dappled grays, dapples in sooty coats, and dapples created from the bloom in a healthy coat will all have differences that the artist should strive to capture. The other pitfall is star dapples that look like perfect stars; keep them irregular instead. On the forearms and gaskins the starbursts actually occur in the skin over veins; keep this in mind when rendering them.

6) Sticky primer

Sticky primer can best be avoided by spraying under the right conditions in light layers on a properly prepared surface. Humidity seems to be a main contributor to the sticky factor, so try to stick to drier days, not too hot and not too cold. Applying the layers too heavily, or not allowing layers to cure (dry) completely between coats can also cause sticky primer that never fully cures.

Another source of trouble is what lies underneath, causing a chemical reaction. Is it a newer plastic model? These can take a long time for the primer to cure. It’s best to start by roughing up the surface lightly with sandpaper and spraying one very fine misting layer that barely coats. Allow to cure completely, and then apply one more very light misting layer to cover a little more. When that is completely cured, you can generally proceed to primer as normal. Was an OF paint job removed with chemicals? Maybe a painted model wasn’t stripped beforehand? Or the stripping agent wasn’t completely washed off? These could be the sources of a chemical reaction.

If you find yourself with sticky primer, just set the model aside and let it sit for a long time in hopes it will cure. If you still have sticky primer months later, your best bet is to strip it and start over. Adding layers of paint, pastel and fixative will not make sticky primer go away.

7) Less than Stellar Markings

Nicely done details will enhance even a simple paint job. On the other hand, careless details will ruin an otherwise gorgeous one. Use multiple thin layers of white to build up to an opaque white marking. This will eliminate brush marks and build up if done right. And don’t stop before that marking is opaque white, there’s no such thing as a transparent white marking on the real thing. You don’t want any body color showing through. And pay attention to the edges where the marking meets the body color. This area should be tidy and your intent clear. Are you mapping the edges with a thin area of wash? Are you doing individual hairs? Maybe several edge techniques on one model? Just be sure to make your intention clear.

8) Hair Going the Wrong Way

If you have markings, make sure you know which way the hair is going! This is true of fleabites, pinto mapping, and appaloosa spots. If your hair pattern doesn’t follow the hair growth direction of the real thing, you’ve just ruined the believability of your work. And isn’t realism the end goal?

Example of appaloosa spots following the direction of hair growth.

9) Lost Detail

If you’ve ever seen a sad little model that has been over-primered, you know what I’m talking about. This can happen quickly to a mini during prepping, but larger models aren’t immune, This occurs when primer is applied too thickly or with an excessive number of layers and the primer runs into the subtle details of the model. Poor little critters – don’t do this to your models! Tamiya brand primer offers a fine white primer that is excellent for retaining details. It was created for metal miniatures, but I have had success with it on mini resins to retain detail. Try googling Tamiya primer to find a supplier.

10) Copying Other’s Work or Ideas

I left this one for last, as I think this is a huge pitfall that strikes a chord for many. A new and upcoming artist can put a blotch on his or her reputation when she copies a model done by another artist. The original artist will likely be offended, as could admirers of that artist’s work. The innocent new artist may not see anything wrong, after all, isn’t imitation the most sincere form of flattery? But I caution strongly – don’t do it. A lot of time, energy, and creativity goes into each piece that an artist creates. Their vision is uniquely their own and trying to reproduce it for yourself, whether for your own enjoyment or for monetary gain just isn’t right. So no matter how much you admire a resin, don’t try to customize your plastic model to match it. And no matter how much you love that custom and want one for yourself, resist the temptation and find your own unique voice in creating models.

Muse - Friend or Foe?

2011-01-19T18:20:00.005-06:00

I received an email some time ago from another artist and she commented on how distractions get her going in a million different directions. I think every artist struggles with creativity, invention, and getting stuck behind problems.

The muse is a fickle friend it would seem. At times I can lose track of hours zoned in on a project. Other times, I patter around looking for inspiring reference material, surfing the internet, or otherwise wasting precious time that could be better spent creating. Of course, this refers to those rare gems of time I have carved out to work in the studio. So what have I done with the holiday, snow day and sick day that made up the last three days? I got out my power tools and cut wood to make props. Yup. In my defense, I did finish the prepping I had planned to have done for the last few commissions beforehand. But did I work on that exciting new drafter? Nope.

These props I have had on the back burner since summer and I got tired of looking at the pile of wood downstairs. I think they're coming along, but it's taken me forever with lots of trial and error. I think I have it down now and I'm making up some extras to offer for sale ... some day ... when the muse strikes again...

New Project!

2011-01-14T06:41:00.003-06:00

I nabbed this big fellow recently (he just got here yesterday) and I am so excited to work on him. He is a Wixom with an entirely new head and neck by Tierney Reid. He has a way to go to fix his proportions and tweak a few things, but I say he's got potential. What a lovely face!

I'm not sure if I want to keep him trotting, go for a different stage of the trot, or make him cantering. Any thoughts? I will need to cut apart his legs to lengthen them and maybe reset them under the body - especially the hind legs since his bottom will be getting much bigger. I'd love to hear some ideas on what position you'd love to see him in!

Thought of You - by Ryan Woodward

2011-01-07T20:16:00.000-06:00

DVD Clearance Sale

2010-12-28T07:07:00.005-06:00

I have too many of these in stock, so am offering a clearance sale on

The Art of Pastel: Bay for $15 each

The Art of Mixed Media: Chestnut Tobiano for $20 each.

To order, go to my online store:
(it will calculate postage for you and take you to PayPal for payment)

Feldman Studio Online Store

Jellibaby & Toot Sweet Commission

2010-12-28T06:35:00.003-06:00

Toot Sweet & Jellibaby Resins

Recently completed commissions of the real minis of Painted H Ranch, Lucky Four Imperial Intrigue and PHR Jean Grey as a baby.

Bram'll Blue Boy For Sale

2010-12-27T16:07:00.003-06:00

Recently completed Bram'll Blue Boy!
Little bit scale resin by Lynn Fraley
Finished by Danielle Feldman
in a dapper chestnut leopard appaloosa with tiny halo spots, mottling, roaning on the forehand and tiny green & yellow ribbons.
Asking $400 ppd (add $10 for international)
More pictures here

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T10:27:00.002-06:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas filled with light and love.

Holiday Sale on DVDs - Save $5 Each!

2010-11-27T17:54:00.002-06:00

Holiday Sale - All DVDs only $20 each.
(A savings of $5 per DVD!)
While supplies last.

One week only! Sale ends December 3, 2010.

Feldman Studio E-Store

The Bram'll Blue Boy pictured will be available for sale soon!

Oodles for sale...

2010-11-26T19:27:00.003-06:00

Just listed oodles for sale on Model Horse Sales Pages (click here). Many lovely unpainted resins, couple top quality scenery items, OF Breyerfest models at great prices and even lowered the price on a couple mini resins. Time payments available and trades considered (see my wish list through the ads). Time to pay the tuition bill!

How To Prep Resin & Plastic Sculptures

2010-11-24T07:32:00.004-06:00

Prepping Instructions for Resin and Plastic Sculptures

by Danielle S. Feldman

Prepping a resin model for the first time can be quite intimidating. For me, it took having two of the same model before I would even attempt prepping one! This article is intended to walk you through the process step-by-step. And for those experienced with prepping, these instructions may give you new ideas.

Resin and plastic model sculptures need to be prepped in order to properly prepare them for a paint job. Lack of prepping will show through even the most beautiful finish work, so it is an important step toward creating a quality piece. It will also insure that the paintwork adheres properly to the sculpture, aiding longevity of your creation.

Supplies needed include…

Sandpaper in several grits, I recommend 120, 240, 320, 400, and 600. The higher the number, the finer the sandpaper. Start with a rougher paper and proceed down the numbers to a finer paper as you work. Not all models will need the courser papers, I reserve those for removing large areas of epoxy, major flashing (resin or plastic excess along seams), or other hard jobs.

On the average horse I start with 320 sandpaper on the rougher spots and proceed to 400 for smoothing. The 600 paper I usually use only to remove imperfections after the model is in primer, as the 400 grit can leave tooth marks.

I tear off small squares of sandpaper at a time and fold it over so that my fingers are on the back side pinching it together, then I rub the sandpaper that is exposed in a circular motion to avoid scratch marks. When that part of the sandpaper gets gummed up, fold over a different portion of it and use the fresh part to sand. I find this saves my poor fingers from getting raw.

Wet or dry sanding is a matter of preference in my opinion. I only dry sand as I like to get comfortable on the couch for a sanding session. Be sure to wear your mask and don’t worry, your Significant Other/Roommate/Friends will get used to seeing you in it!

Carbide Scrapers available from http://riorondo.com. I’ve gotten to the point that I can’t prep without them. If you are serious about prepping your own models for painting, I recommend investing in the set. If you can’t purchase the entire set, they offer the availability to buy the handle and the rounded tip as a package. This is the tip I use the most and is well worth the investment.

Liquitex Medium Viscosity Modeling Paste is the perfect filler for gouges, pinholes, and misaligned seams. It is white, so you don’t waste extra layers of primer to cover up red spot putty. Keep the jar covered up while you work as it will dry quickly. When kept fresh, a small bottle lasts for a long time, making up for the cost. Look in your art supply section for this product.

Use moisture, on your fingertip or brush, to smooth modeling paste when wet and a fine grade sandpaper, 320 or 400, to finish off when dry. Bondo Spot Putty is a suitable alternative, but it’s red, which drives me nuts. Another medium for filling pinholes that I have not yet tried is IBD Brush on Resin Gel.

Baking Soda and Super Glue (not the gel variety) are another source of filler for repairing raised areas (ear tips, nostril rims, tail and mane tips) and large depressed areas. Apply a bead of glue to the area and drop a pinch of soda on it. It will harden instantly to white. Continue the same process drop by drop until you have the shape roughly that you want. Or the inverse also works, fill a small hole with baking soda and drop glue into it. Build up large areas slowly. A dremel or jeweler’s files can be used to sand down the area, followed by sandpaper to refine it smooth. This is a stronger repair solution for larger areas or raised areas than modeling paste. But it is harder to sand, so I don’t prefer it for air holes, seam depressions, etc.

Gapaxio (Martin Carbone Epoxy) or Apoxie Sculpt are another medium for rebuilding missing ear tips, mane and tail tips, larger depressions and filling in repairs. Also used for major resculpting and customizing, it is a must have on the shelf of every customizer. It sands easier than soda glue, but may not be as durable when applied in layers. If you are going to do any resculpting to the piece, this needs to be done prior to the primer application.

Rubbing Alcohol for smoothing out the epoxy edges. Also use with a soft brush when you are finished shaping to remove epoxy beads and for final smoothing. Too much rubbing alcohol will cause the epoxy to pull up from the plastic or resin, so use it sparingly.

Rustoleum White Sandable Primer is my preferred choice. I always use white as I start applying pastel directly on top of the primer. Other brands work great, another choice is Krylon for resins, but not plastics. You may find certain primers work better in your area than others due to humidity and other factors. It is best to use primer on dry, warm, windless days. Of course, this isn’t always practical, so use your best judgment.

If you shake your primer thoroughly (up to 5 minutes or more) before applying, you are less likely to get primer that will not cure (or spatter or crackle). And always allow your models to dry outside, if possible (keep in mind drying temperatures should be warm, not too cold or hot). I have shelving set up in my garage and in my basement covered in aluminum foil for models to dry on. The out gassing is terrible on primer and matte sprays. And always spray outside. Never, never spray inside. Do not fool yourself into taking a short cut on primer and spray use, your health is not worth risking.

Always wait overnight for primer to cure completely before sanding or moving on to painting. If you find your primer just won’t dry after several days, it will need to be stripped and reapplied. I recommend Easy Off Oven Cleaner for stripping primer and paint.

Mask to protect yourself from breathing the resin and plastic dust created when sanding.

Disposable gloves to protect your hands from primer.

Jeweler’s files are good for filing down metal support rods if they are protruding out of the resin.

Emery boards are great for leveling out the bottoms of hooves on tipsy models or club footed models that need shaping.

Comet cleaner, or similar scouring product, and a scrubbing sponge and old toothbrushes are the perfect way to wash off the residual mold release on your resin model.

Dremel Mototool with various heads. Most prepping does not require one, but all major customization will. Ideal for plastic carving of details like nostrils, ears, and hooves. It is also handy for the major shaping of soda glue repairs.

Now to get started…

Washing the model is the first step for me, otherwise I forget to do it! Other artists like to wash theirs after sanding to also remove dust. I wipe dust away with a cloth. Whenever you decide to do it, I recommend doing it before you use fillers (modeling paste or spot potty) as the scouring may remove it or cause deep scratches in it causing you to refill that area.

Sprinkle some Comet directly on the model, add water to create a paste, and scrub, scrub, scrub with your sponge and old toothbrushes. Get in all the nooks and crannies, under tails, between legs, in nostrils and ears, as these areas are likely to have residue from casting left over. The reason for washing is that this residue may prevent the primer from properly adhering to the resin sculpture. I skip this step on plastic models. And as an aside, I do not strip paint from original finish plastics either. Be sure to rinse the model thoroughly so no Comet remains and set aside to dry on a towel. Or go ahead and sand during this phase if you prefer to wet sand. Just use caution in sinks that fragile ears, tails, and legs do not get bumped! And keep a firm grip so you don’t drop a wet model.

Repair work is sometimes needed as part of the preparation process. Use soda glue or epoxy to repair broken ear tips and similar areas. Some artists will even use soda glue for filling pinholes and large depressions. Also look for mane and tail tips that are broken or have air holes on the tips at this time. Be sure to sand the areas around repairs so they blend into the model. More heavy repairs, like legs, and major resculpting are out of the scope of this article.

I will add here filing down metal wires that protrude from the sculpture. I use my jeweler’s files to sand them down as flush as I can get with the model, followed by filler to smooth the area and sanding. Sometimes though, just a little filler alongside the wire will be enough to fix it, especially on pasterns.

Also want to mention leveling of hooves on tipsy models. Set the model on a flat surface to determine which hoof is too long. Then hold an emery board parallel to the bottom of the hoof and sand it down until the model stands properly.

Seam removal follows. I use the flat side of my Carbide Scraper bit for running along seams (use rolled up or folded sandpaper if you do not have scrapers). Aim for scraping the seam flush with the body of the model. I start on the head, following each seam until it meets another seam, so as not to overlook any. There is generally a seam around the edges of each ear, in between the ears, and from the forehead straight down over the muzzle to the underside where it meets the neck. It continues down the neck, where there is a seam across the chest and down and up each leg, across one or both sides of the barrel, between the hind legs, up and down both back legs. Then under the tail to the tip, and over the top of the tail, across the back and up the crest/mane. Pshew!

To be on the safe side, I usually follow the seams again with 320 grit sandpaper to remove any etch marks from the scraper and any bits of seam that weren’t removed. If there are depressions along the seams, make a mental note, or pencil mark, of them as they will need to be filled in the next step.

Wrinkles, veins, and hair textures of the mane and tail and any feathers present a special challenge for seam removal. I use the pointed Carbide tip to scrape the seams from between wrinkles and hair grooves, trying to keep the original sculptural shape intact and removing only the excess flashing. Folded up fine sandpaper can also work parallel to the groove. Veins require special care as careless sanding can obliterate them completely! Go slowly and use fine sandpaper around that area. If you sand off a vein, careful application of modeling paste with a paintbrush can recreate veins.

For plastic models, now is a great time to do any additional nostril, ear, and hoof carving with a dremel and/or carbide scrapers. I sometimes use the round, tapered Carbide tip to gouge out hoof bottoms and hair like textures in manes and tails.

Filling depressions, pinholes, gouges, and the like is one of the more tedious portions of prepping I find, but one of the most important. Take your modeling paste or spot putty and apply a small portion into the depressed area. Use a little moisture on your finger or brush to remove the excess in an effort to smooth the area. This will save you sanding time after it dries. I used to goop it on and then spend forever sanding it back down before I discovered this time saving trick. I try to fill all areas at once in one sitting. It dries fairly quickly, so the first model will be dry and ready for sanding by the time I apply filler to a second model. I use 320 and 400 grit paper to smooth the filler. Use the sandpaper in a circular motion to help avoid scratch marks.

On plastic models, it is common to fill in the mold maker’s mark. However, I feel strongly that resin pieces should not have the artist’s mark/signature filled in. Resin castings are usually done in smaller runs, which qualifies them for protection under certain copyright laws. If nothing else, I think it is respect to the artist for their creation.

Prime the model with a sandable primer. You will start by shaking the can pf primer for about 5 minutes. The can will generally feel cooler when shaken properly. Don’t rush this as it may spatter, or worse, not mix enough in the can to cure on the model, causing you more work by stripping and starting over. Put on a disposable glove and hold the model by one body part. I like to use the tail first if I know it is reinforced with wire. Necks and legs work also. Go outside and hold the model away from you. Start the spray away from the model to avoid any initial spattering. Then apply a light, misting coat to the areas you’re not holding keeping even pressure on the nozzle. Don’t stop and start the primer while pointed at the model. Keep the spray going and move the model around with your other hand to cover all exposed areas. Don’t go right up against your glove either or you will create a line that will have to be sanded off. The first light coat will dry quickly, so apply a second light coat when it appears the first has dried, then set aside to dry. Come back later and when the model is dry to the touch, pick it up and spray the opposite end in the same fashion.

Do not apply primer too heavily as it may run, as well as fill in detail on the model. The exception to this is if there is a rough area on the model that would be more time consuming to sand out. Sometimes a little thicker primer will fill irregularities well. Use caution though and avoid losing details in other areas. Thicker primer will also take longer to dry, as much as days more.

Set the model aside to dry overnight before further sanding or painting. Subsequent coats will be added as you further inspect the model.

Checking your work is a crucial step. After the initial application of primer, bring the model under a bright light or in front of a window on a sunny day. You want to hold the model up and examine it entirely. You will be surprised at how many imperfections you missed the first time around. The primer gives it an even finish and the lighting will cast shadows on any imperfections. At this point, you may need to repeat any or all of the above steps (minus washing and repairs, of course). If you find that the sandpaper is gouging the primer, then it is not fully dry. Set it aside to finish curing. And keep checking your work after every priming session until the prep job is without blemish.

For additional tricks, tips, and to see it done…

I recommend a copy of my instructional DVD, The Art of Prepping. At $25 plus shipping, you'll be saving money after your first prep job!

Eye Tutorial

2010-11-11T20:18:00.006-06:00

Eye Candy

2010-10-31T07:56:00.004-05:00

Happy Halloween!
I thought I'd share a treat with you. These are all photos I took in Kentucky at this year's Breyerfest. I decided to focus on eyes for this post. I will be posting an eye tutorial soon, so check back again next week! (If you click on a picture, it will open up larger, click it again and it will super size it for lots of close-up detail)

Top Ten Not-so-obvious Must-have Very-affordable Tools for the Artist

2010-10-10T07:45:00.004-05:00

Top Ten Not-so-obvious, Must-have, Very-affordable Tools for the Artist

By Danielle S. Feldman

I’m a firm believer that no matter whether you’re building a bookcase or creating fine art, you will have a better end product if you start with the right tools. The following is a collection of ten somewhat eclectic and mostly not-so-obvious tools

and supplies that I find essential in my own creation endeavo

rs. I hope that one or two will strike a chord for you and bring your creation making to a new level of satisfaction. And the best part is they’re all affordable.

Here are the supplies mentioned in this article (minus the wire hanger). Hope they work for you!

1. Rubbing Alcohol

This tops off our list as it has two purposes. First, it acts as a smoothing agent for epoxy. Use this instead of water when smoothing out epoxy over a surface and to feather the edge where the epoxy meets the original surface of the model. Be careful not to over saturate the epoxy as it will lose the ability to hold detail and may start to crumble off as it loses the ability to adhere to the original surface. This is especially true of smaller areas, like ears, where you need the epoxy to have the strongest bond possible. The second use for it is with plastic. When used carefully, it will react with the plastic to smooth out, or even out, a rough spot. One example where this might be useful is the side of a hoof, where sanding with an emery board (see #2) has roughened it up and you want to get a smoother surface. You can use a Q Tip to apply a fair amount of rubbing alcohol to just that area. I would recommend rinsing the area with water afterwards to remove any residual alcohol before applying primer.

Where I got mine: the local grocery store in the pharmaceutical department

Cost: $1.59 for the tall bottle, $.87 for the short one

2. Emery Boards

Nothing beats an emery board for shaping hooves. So many plastic models have rounded toes and this just shouldn’t be so! Whether you add epoxy or just reshape the hoof will depend on the model in question, but either way, an emery board is ideal for recreating the proper shape of the hoof. Hold it at the same angle of the hoof wall or matching the plane underneath as if the horse were standing. I would advise using pictures of hooves as reference to yield the most accurate results.

Where I got mine: the local grocery store in the cosmetics department

Cost: $.89 for a pack of 15 count

3. Jeweler’s Visor

The first time I saw this useful tool was at a pastel workshop where a handful of students were wearing them. They look a little like safety goggles, but the lenses are magnified! They even have the ability to change the level of magnification via a little lens that can be flipped down. They can fit over regular glasses as needed and essentially allow you to magnify your work so that you can see details and tiny areas so much better. Who couldn’t use these? I caution not to do an entire model wearing these as you’ll want to step back and see the entire picture from time to time.

Where I got mine: EBay under a search for “jeweler’s visor”

Cost: around $12 with shipping

4. Super Glue & Baking Soda

This idea may not be new to you, but bears mentioning among this group of eclectic items. Regular super glue, not the gel variety, mixed with a bit of baking soda yields a strong substance that generally bonds well with resin and is sandable. Sarah Rose wrote a great article on restoring ear tips using this substance, that can be found on her website at http://rosehorse.com, as well as in RESS’ Technique Booklet 2. It can be dremeled, but do so in a well-ventilated area as it outgases terribly. It can also be used to fill small holes and air bubbles when prepping.

Where I got mine: The local grocery store: Super glue in the hardware dept and baking soda in the baking isle

Cost: Super glue is $2.99 for a pack of 4 single use tubes, which I like since mine always dry out before I get back to using the tube again. Baking soda only $.37

5. Dental Tools

Whether sculpting in a permanent medium, like epoxy, or in a workable medium, like non-hardening clay, a variety of tools are essential. One fairly affordable source of tools with an assortment of tips is dental tools. In addition to picks of different shapes and sizes, you can also find a wide assortment of spatula-type carving instruments. These were created for working with dental wax molds, so why not equine wax, clay or epoxy molds? Grab an assortment and play around with them to discover the different textures and shapes you can create with them.

Where I got mine: EBay by searching for “dental tool”

Cost: Approximately $10 with shipping for a set of 7 new stainless steel tools

6. Airbrush Needle

Now this one may seem like a normal artist’s item, but the way I use it, not so much. I took an already bent (and useless) airbrush needle, bent it into a smooth little hook and use the outside curve to sculpt with. I use this to create hair texture more than anything. It is ideal for creating braids in the mane and tail to keep them tidy and defined.

Where I got mine: Any local or online art store that carries airbrush accessories, http://Dixieart.com is a great site

Cost: $2.99 new

7. Kneaded Eraser

An often forgotten little artist’s tool, is the kneaded eraser. If you ever work with pastels or other dry medium, you’ll find this to be a must-have for cleaning up mistakes and for rendering techniques. I often use mine to remove pastel in dapple-like fashion to reveal the color layer underneath a recent (but not yet sealed) application of pastel dust. It’s also a lifesaver for cleaning up the neck when using pastels to color a mane. Form the eraser into a point and remove the pastel on the neck along the end of the mane.

Where I got mine: The art department of the local hobby store or art supply stores

Cost: $.99

8. Wire Hangers (and Floral Wire)

Here’s another two-purpose item. First, wire hangers serve as great support for broken legs and tails. They are the right diameter for traditional scale legs and are incredibly strong. Find a dremel bit roughly the same size and drill a hole part way into each side of the leg. Use the soda glue technique (see #4) to set the wire in place in both ends and then epoxy the rest of the area, sand smooth and finish as needed.

You can see a piece of coat hanger supporting the part of the mane where it lifts off of the neck.

Wire hangers can also serve as armature wire: whether inserted into a neck to help support flying manes (again, set with soda glue, see #4), inserted into the dock to create a new tail, or to act as the basic form when creating a sculpture from scratch. You’ll want to wrap floral wire around the hanger wire to give your epoxy or clay something to grab on to. Just keep spiraling the floral wire snugly around it until the entire length of the hanger wire is covered.

Where I got mine: The dry cleaner and the florist section of the local hobby store

Cost: Floral wire at $1.99 for 30 gauge, ¼ lb. on a paddle

9. Micro Brush Applicators

These are great for the pastel artist when you just can’t find a Q Tip small enough! There are different brands, different sizes, and different purposes of micro brush applicators. And for the equine artist, they are indispensable. I’m sure there are uses for them with wet mediums, as well as dry. The applicator is essentially a tiny, fuzzy tip on a hand-held, plastic stick. And I just can’t say enough about them!

Where I got mine: Online dental supply company, http://idsdental.stores.yahoo.net/index.html

Cost: 100 count for $5.99 (search for magic brush)

10. Beads or Faux Pearls

Now for this neat little tidbit, I give credit to Gwen Reardon, popular bronze equine artist. In her week-long sculpting clinic, she introduced the use of a bead or faux pearl to use as an eyeball when sculpting. Because it’s hard, sculpting the bony structures and fleshy nuances around the eye are much easier. A clay eyeball just gets squished in the process, but a bead will allow for manipulation of the surrounding area. Just find a bead the approximate size of the eyeball in scale to your sculpture.

Where I got mine: Jewelry making section of the local hobby store

Cost: $1.99 for package of 80 count

LABOR DAY SALE - Free Shipping On All DVD Orders!

2010-09-06T08:12:00.003-05:00

FREE SHIPPING TODAY ONLY!

To order go to:

http://feldmanstudio.com/store

Just fill your cart with your selections and choose FREE LABOR DAY SHIPPING for the drop down box for your shipping selection.

Boston!

2010-08-27T17:47:00.002-05:00

The family spent a lovely day in Boston a couple weekends ago. We walked the freedom trail and saw many wonderful sights from our nation's history. These lovely bronzes were very inspirational and I wanted to share them with you here.

We also spent time on a boat tour of NYC and an afternoon in Cape Cod, visiting the area where my father grew up. It was a quick trip, but nice to spend time with the family and enjoy the beautiful summer together visiting new places before school begins. My classes have started at Villanova University, where I am studying accounting and 3rd grade starts for Audrey on Monday. I will be busy, busy and not likely to post too often, but may have occasion here or there, so don't abandon me completely!

NAN 2010 Results

2010-08-01T18:16:00.003-05:00

Rose
National Champion CM Other Pure Ponies & Minis

This year my good friend, Marilou Mol, proxy showed several of my show string models for me. Considering that the majority were minis and one was even broken en route, I am really pleased with the number of top tens earned this year. And congrats to Lynn Norbury with Indiana Jones and Jeni Lambert with Dun In Squiggles for top tens in their classes. Here are some of the winners - the rest can be seen at
http://www.feldmanstudio.com/nan.shtml

Push Comes to Shove
Top Ten AR/OS Tennessee Walker/Spotted Saddle Horse

Jax
Top Ten AR/OS Spanish/Sport Foal
Top Ten AR/OS Workmanship SM/LB Appaloosa Pattern

Savoir Faire
Top Ten AR/OS American Saddlebred
Top Ten AR/OS Workmanship Pinto Pattern - Tobiano

Azulito
Top Ten AR/OS Workmanship AM/LB Dilutes

Newly Completed Commissions

2010-07-19T18:37:00.003-05:00

Mini Ravenhill Commission

Agatha Rose Commission

The flash was on in both of these shots, but you get the idea.

The Art of Detail Painting

2010-07-07T18:14:00.003-05:00

The Art of Detail Painting

BRAND NEW Instructional DVD
on finishing your model's details

Topics include:
Bonus Eye Tutorial
Brown, Blue & Mixed Eyes
Dark, Shell & Striped Hooves
Chestnuts, Shoes & Pads
Ermine Spots
Dun Factor
Dappling
Gloss

The Art of Detail Painting and The Art of Customizing DVDs will be available for the first time at Breyerfest. Stop by my booth in the Artisan's Gallery on Fri & Sat (July 24-25), 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM. And don't forget to enter the free drawing for a bin of art supplies!

The DVD is available for pre-order only at this time in the online store - if you pre-order, your entire order will ship after August 1st.

As with the customizing DVD, I planned to offer this DVD in 2 parts. I wanted to make it more affordable for everyone, so I've kept it to just one jammed-pack DVD.

The Art of Customizing

2010-07-06T20:08:00.005-05:00

The Art of Customizing

BRAND NEW Instructional DVD
on using epoxy to customize your model horses

Topics include:
Repairing Ears with Soda Glue
Repositioning Legs, Necks & Ears
(c0vers cutting, heating, filling, sculpting, and sanding)
Sculpting Manes & Tails
(includes building a tail armature)
Sculpting Braided Manes

This DVD will be available for the first time at Breyerfest. Stop by my booth in the Artisan's Gallery on Fri & Sat (July 24-25), 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM. And don't forget to enter the free drawing for a bin of art supplies!

The DVD is available for pre-order only at this time in the online store - if you pre-order, your entire order will ship after August 1st.

I had originally thought to do this DVD in 2 parts, but wanted to make it more affordable for everyone, so I've kept it to one. It is 2 hours long and full of instruction for anyone interested in customizing resin or plastic models.

Kitty Woes

2010-06-13T14:16:00.005-05:00

This is Chloe in her cone and kennel post-surgery. She doesn't care much for it, but we need to keep her in as clean an environment as possible and keep her from getting to her wounds. I've listed several items from my show string and unpainted resin stash to pay for her huge vet bill.

If you feel so inclined, here's a link to my sales on MH$P.

And here are pictures of some of the models recently listed for sale.
I've also lowered the prices on models already listed, so take a peek!

Thanks!

Devon Horse Show 2010 - Day 10

2010-06-05T15:49:00.003-05:00

Devon Horse Show, Saturday June 5th
Here are some of the gorgeous hunters and jumpers that day.

All the Pretty Ponies

2010-05-27T11:51:00.003-05:00

Devon Horse Show 2010 - Day 1

I took my three year old with me, so we only stayed a couple of hours, but I still found lots of inspiration and took as many photos as I could. Of course, one horse I really wanted pictures of all came out kind of blurry - bummer... Nevertheless, there were lots of ponies to admire, including some babies!

A classic roan - he was fun to watch run around the practice ring.

I was glad my daughter wasn't there to witness this pair of friends on their ponies, I would never hear the end of it! They look to be about her age, too.

Lovely double dilute

Gorgeous Dapple Grey

And this beautiful roan I found very inspiring. Now to decide which resin in my curio would look best in this color...

Have a happy Tuesday!

2010-05-04T07:53:00.001-05:00

Commission Opportunity & Showstring Resins For Sale

2010-04-28T13:39:00.003-05:00

Tinkerbell - KOKO Resin by Fraley

Abuelita - Rose Nevada Resin Customized

Pepino - Rose Poquito Resin Customized

Commission Opportunity on Toot Sweet & Jellibaby Resins!

Rockwell Featured in DVD at Auction

2010-04-27T08:04:00.003-05:00

This lovely fellow is listed at body price with no reserve! He comes with a current NAN card in breed, as well as a complimentary The Art of Pastel: Bay DVD. Who wouldn't want a movie star in their collection?

Auction Link

If the link doesn't work, you can find him under the Artist Resin category on Auction Barn.

New DVDs Are Here!

2010-04-21T11:23:00.004-05:00

The new DVDs are here and ready to ship. And all titles are now back in stock. If you haven't had a chance to see these yet, consider adding one or two or all to your library. They offer a step-by-step tutorial on the topic covered. Additional titles will be forthcoming. Current titles available are:

The Art of Prepping

The Art of Pastel: Bay

The Art of Pastel: Dapple Grey

The Art of Mixed Media: Chestnut Tobiano

The Art of Mixed Media: Leopard Appaloosa

Order directly from the website: http://feldmanstudio.com/store

Postage will be calculated for you based on the number of DVDs you purchase, just choose your location from the drop down list at checkout.

Thanks to everyone who pre-ordered DVDs. They are mailing out today!

Studio Tour

2010-04-16T12:09:00.013-05:00

Studio in Malvern, PA

The studio has expanded over time, I added a bookcase this time around. That's a dangerous game to play. If you have shelf space, you will fill it! I did manage to go through my stack of reference magazines before we moved and tore out the pages that were interesting. Of course, now I have a stack of loose magazine pages that need to be sorted and bound in binders...

Other new additions are the indoor/outdoor rug so I don't ruin the carpet and the airbrush compressor I mentioned in an earlier post.

I wish I had more pictures of all the studio spaces I've set up over the years. I have pictures of the "basement studio" in my parent's house, but that would require getting the scanner set up... And I really wish I had a photo of the "corner studio" I set up in my college apartment. I had a private bedroom and found a neat corner desk at Deseret Industries (similar to Good Will).

And I don't think I ever took a good picture of my last studio space in IL, though you can catch glimpses of it when visitors came over here and here.

Studio in Bloomingdale, IL

This little nook of a studio was on the kitchen table in our little apartment. I had the one shelf where I left things out and everything else got packed away each time. Not the most productive time, but I also had a new baby while we lived here.

Studio in Terre Haute, IN

This was a built-in desk that I used and the shelves were great up high. Audrey was a toddler while we lived here and the horses survived. I've since invested in the magnetic tot loks for my IKEA bookshelves now that my second, Andy, is getting older.

Just goes to show that you can make do with whatever space you have available. I'd love to hear comments about how some of you have found creative ideas for making a space suitable.

Future DVDs...

2010-04-15T07:54:00.010-05:00

Castañateo
Collection of the Artist

So, now that the next 2 DVDs are being produced, I'm thinking ahead to what else might be of interest to all of you. I do have a handful started that need some additional footage, such as The Art of Detail Painting: Eyes, Hooves and Teeth. This one covers brown, blue, and mixed eyes, shell, dark, and striped hooves, teeth, chestnuts, shoes, and pads. I will then follow up with another detail painting DVD capturing other details, but am not completely sure what to feature - maybe dapples, fleabites, roaning techniques... Ideas? What would you like to see?

Another DVD that has been started is The Art of Customizing: Manes, Tails and Feathers. I may do a couple customizing DVDs as well. The first will be removing and sculpting manes, tails, braided manes and tails, feathers, and using armatures for tails and manes. I also would like to cover twitching an ear, rebuilding an ear, repairing a broken leg and maybe tucking a neck or moving a limb. What would you most like to see?

Some additional colors I thought about are The Art of Pastel: Dun. This would cover all the primitive markings, as well as dappling on a solid horse. Pastels really lend themselves well to duns, grullas, and other dilutes, in my opinion.

And I could do another mixed media DVD, maybe a blue rabicano roan sabino? Or varnish appy? Thoughts? Or would you rather see a compilation of many colors touching on the highlights of each, like champagne, silver bay, roans, etc.

Please feel free to post a comment here, send me an email or add to the discussion thread on facebook. I would love to hear from you!

DVDs Available to Pre-Order!

2010-04-12T13:49:00.003-05:00

Tobiano!

2010-04-06T14:00:00.005-05:00

Tobiano!

Finished up the bulk of work on the Tobiano DVD today. I am trying really hard to get these done before the Dell man comes to dismantle my computer again. Looks like they're really going to put out all the stops to get this laptop running stable again. But, I really don't want to lose the downtime until I get everything reinstalled now that I've gotten some momentum going.

I have the Bay DVD also just about ready. Tomorrow I'll start on the Details DVD. Andrew started day care, so that has been a huge lift to my productivity. Of course, a new job could be right around the corner any day (fingers crossed), so I'm trying to make the most of my time by finishing up these long over-due DVDs. Thanks to everyone for your patience. I hope they will be worth the wait.

Bay!

2010-04-02T07:55:00.005-05:00

The Art of Pastel: Bay

I have been editing footage for the next batch I will be releasing. The Bay DVD is just about done with work on two more to go. And believe it or not, Dell will be replacing my hard drive for the 3rd time! I really want to get these done before that happens. Wish me luck!

On a side note, I will be offering the Rockwell resin featured in the Bay DVD for sale in the near future. Sneak peek shot above.

Airbrushing with Tiffany

2010-03-11T17:38:00.005-06:00

Tiffany Purdy

Found the camera cable while unpacking, so I can finally post about my airbrushing session with Tiffany just before we moved.

Tiff is the best! She introduced me to an amazing compressor that is so quiet you can't even tell it's on! This is important if I ever want to airbrush while my son is around (he's afraid of the vacuum and refers to the dremel as "the noisy").

Some other tips I learned: keep a big bowl of water next to you and just immerse the whole airbrush in it and run water through it between colors, as well as spraying some windex/water solution in there and use a stiff brush to scrub the needle area.

And get the cone shaped paint filters from the paint department...

I'll have to find my notes as I continue unpacking and try to put it to practice. Hopefully I remembered all the important details.

This will speed up basecoating models a hundredfold and I'm sure I'll find other effects and techniques I like to use it for as well.

Thank you, thank you, Tiffany!

A Fond Farewell to Region 8

2010-02-21T18:48:00.002-06:00

GLC No Frills Feb. 2010

Attended my last show in the region (for the foreseeable future). Many wonderful friends were there (though not everyone joined us for the photo - and some weren't able to attend that day).

I'll miss you guys!

What do Snow, Anniversaries & Websites have in common?

2010-02-07T12:22:00.004-06:00

This past Friday was our 10th anniversary. I had made plans to join Jonathan this weekend, go to New York city and see Wicked. Jonathan saw the forecast for a huge snow storm and we decided that it would be best to cancel my trip. (Turns out he was right, that is our car on Sunday morning!). To distract myself, I decided to give the website an update. It has taken me all weekend, but I am very pleased with the new look. Hope you'll agree! Check it out:

http://feldmanstudio.com/

Sayaad Al Assad - Auction is Live

2010-02-05T22:12:00.003-06:00

http://myauctionbarn.com/auction_details.php?name=Sayaad-Al-Assad--OOAK-Resin-Arabian-Portrait-by-Feldman&auction_id=136671

Become a Fan on Facebook!

2010-02-04T18:54:00.005-06:00

That's right, Feldman Studio is now on Facebook. This is seperate from my personal page and will highlight studio happenings. Here is the link if you would like to become a fan:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Feldman-Studio/312884871807?ref=ts

There's also a logo to your left that you can click on at any time.

I still have my yahoo announcement list, if you want updates delivered directly to your inbox. This will cover sales announcements or major news . You can join here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FeldmanStudio

And DVDs are still available for purchase from my e-store at: http://feldmanstudio.com/store/

Only a handful of leopard appaloosa and prepping DVDs are in stock. I have not yet decided if I will reorder more. I did reorder the dapple grey DVD, so have plenty of those available.

As for the new titles in the series, it will be awhile still until I sit down to edit them. I've been working on models instead. Good news is the repairs are done and the commissions are prepped!

And finally, a quick note that Sayaad Al Assad (pictured above) will be offered on Auction Barn starting tomorrow evening. I will post the link then.

As always, thanks for reading!

Seeing White

2010-02-03T19:03:00.002-06:00

Prepping takes for-ev-er.

A Mini Portrait In Progress

2010-02-02T17:03:00.004-06:00

This is a commission piece for a friend of mine of her fabulous Paint horse. I did one of him as a weanling on an Okie Too resin and now I get the privilege of doing the grown up version. She shows him in Dressage and he's quite good, too, hence the braids. I always feel especially privileged when someone asks me to do a portrait of their real horse. I consider it a real honor. And I hope that I can do them justice.

What I'm Working On...

2010-01-27T22:08:00.002-06:00

One of my commissions required a new hairdo and I hate to work on only one model at a time, so this fellow got added to the queue. I'll likely paint him with the 2 commissions.

Change is the only constant

2010-01-08T14:52:00.004-06:00

Well, the computer is up and running, so we laid that saga to rest. Only to move to the next crisis mode of getting the house ready to show tomorrow! Ready to show!? Yes, we are moving again. Looks like we will be relocating to the Philadelphia area. I spent the greater part of Christmas break applying to new schools for my MAC degree. Fingers crossed!

I did manage to spend an afternoon pinning legs and hair prepping a couple models. I hope to start prepping next week after the house crisis is over (i.e. painting, organizing, shampooing carpets, etc.). Then we'll be driving to Philly to visit the area and get Jonathan set up to start work there. I'll fly home and get ready for the move (and finish the 2 repairs and 2 commissions in house). Beyond that, I make no promises. Now if it would please stop snowing so I don't have to waste anymore time shoveling...

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T15:28:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the lack of a photo - I'm typing from my husband's MacBook as my Dell has died once again. The hard drive that was replaced last summer is now dead (I always could tell it was wasn't quite right) and a new one is sitting in the package on the kitchen table. I'm trying to decide if I have enough oomph left after yesterday's battle with the computer to salvage some files to begin from scratch again, from the Operating System on up ... (Definitely going Mac next time!) This is the real reason I've been procrastinating work on the next DVDs, I wasn't sure the computer could handle it...

... anyway ...

Here's wishing a Happy New Year to everyone filled with light, love and happiness!

A Dozen Wise Men

2009-12-21T15:13:00.005-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

These were gifts our family painted for grandparents this Christmas. I don't think they'll be checking the blog before then... Everyone pitched in and it was a much needed creative release for me between my Calculus and Statistics finals (2 finals down, 1 to go!). Andy painted the hay for the cradle and the spots on the cows. Audrey painted the donkeys all by herself, as well as the crowns, and helped on lots of others, and Daddy even did most of the camels!

I wish everyone a very happy holiday surrounded by loved ones.

Alllmooost there...

2009-12-02T08:23:00.003-06:00

If my head has been stuck in the proverbial sand (or in a tree as this poor horse found himself - I think the story ended well for him), it's because I'm waist deep in quicksand ..er.. homework. Just finished up the last of my 8 midterms yesterday and now I have one more push to get ready for the 3 finals. I will be so happy to finish Calculus - that's what I'll be working on today. Next up (over the holiday break), editing the next batch of DVDs (that I wanted to have released last spring - yikes!) and some repairs and commissions (one for a friend and the other that was a trade I simply couldn't pass up!). If those all go well, I hope to finish up the Arab from the NAN 2008 auction so that he can go home with someone and a surprise sales piece I've been itching to do for a few years now (where does the time go?). Stay tuned...

Visions of DaVinci

2009-10-19T14:24:00.012-05:00

DaVinci's Horse (note Audrey underneath!)

Last school year, Audrey brought home a book about this amazing sculpture and we discovered that one of the two existing sculptures resides in Grand Rapids, MI...

So, this past weekend our trip to Battle Creek to see family and Ann Arbor for a football game was slightly diverted to the Fred Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. We arrived with only 30 minutes until closing, so we made a quick lap around a section of the sculpture garden after stopping to admire The American Horse.

DaVinci was never able to cast the sculpture himself during his time and the original clay version was destroyed. 500 years later, many artists and individuals came together to recreate DaVinci's dream horse. Il Cavallo resides in Milan, Italy and this one is right here in Grand Rapids, MI.

Right across the way was this sculpture by another artist.

I believe there may be a horse sculpture by Degas somewhere on the premises, so we'll be back someday...

Rose

2009-10-14T11:36:00.004-05:00

Just a quick break from homework to share the little SM pony I created for my daughter. She named her Rose.

Harvest Time & Rainbow Chili

2009-09-28T11:44:00.007-05:00

A few weeks ago the kids and I got carried away picking ripe tomatoes in my father's garden. The biggest, mutant looking tomatoes were ones that we had actually grown from seed (our first attempt). I really didn't think we'd see any tomatoes, especially after Andrew found the seed tray and was flinging the dirt out of it. We still ended up with more than a dozen plants, which we took to Papa's house to plant. What to do with so many tomatoes? I tried freezing them. It was actually very therapeutic to peel tomatoes after lots of studying. It was a bit messy, but not too hard to do. Now I have 2 big freezer bags full of skinned tomatoes, and 2 big bags of whole Roma tomotoes - way too many of them to peel them all!

I even made my own chili from scratch the other day. Once I convinced the kids to try it, everyone loved it! I call it Rainbow Chili (yes, I'm a bit cheesey!):

Rainbow Chili

1 lb. ground turkey, browned
2 small or 1 large green pepper, chopped
1 banana pepper (or another green pepper), chopped
2 heaping spoonfuls of dried onions (or chop up a fresh one - I can't bear to!)

-add the last 3 to the turkey while it's about half way done browning

3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 tbsp. chili powder (more if you like it hot!, this is mild)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cans tomato soup
1 can diced tomatoes (1 lb. 12 oz. size) - or chop more fresh tomatoes

Mix everything together in a large crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Yields enough to serve a family of four all week long. Next time, I think I'll freeze half of it. Though it was good on hot dogs and fries, too...

Enjoy!

What you might find...

2009-09-16T07:31:00.002-05:00

if a 3 year old finds your camera...

Fun with Friends

2009-09-11T11:42:00.003-05:00

A live show is always more fun with friends!

RESS Challenge Event

2009-09-01T10:35:00.007-05:00

A unique opportunity exists for anyone interested in having their finish work reviewed by myself. I will be the juror at the quickly upcoming RESS Challenge event at Meows and Minis Live Show in Itasca, IL on 9/12/09.

Show website: http://magmade.com/meow09/meow09home.html

Email Karen Beeson, RESS Challenge Host, at karbee9@aol.com to get the RESS Challenge Packet.

The event is less than two weeks away, but there is still time to enter. The model must be a mini (little bit/pebbles size or smaller). I’m not sure what opportunities exist for proxy showing, but you are welcome to drop Karen a line to ask. The best part - all entries will receive a written critique based on the criteria set forth on the score card. I have participated under other jurors and have found the critiques to be very insightful and helpful to my progress as an artist. I hope to offer all entrants the same quality feedback on their work.

Please consider entering!

New Member of the Family!

2009-08-20T19:48:00.005-05:00

Our first family pet, Chloe! We adopted her at our local Petsmart from one of the local shelters this past Saturday. Jonathan picked her out and even picked her name. She has the best personality and everyone is adjusting to each other as well as a three year old boy and five month old kitten can be expected to. She manages to disappear and sleep for hours at a time - what would that be like?! It's a decision that's been in the making for months (years, really) and now she's here! Welcome home, Chloe.

Play Date

2009-08-13T19:24:00.006-05:00

My very good friend, Karen Beeson, brought her two boys over to play with my kids today. Okay, truth be told, it's really a play date for the Moms. :) We have lunch, good conversation and work a little on horses. We both happened to be working on palomino minis resins. Forgot to take a picture of the horses, but I let Karen take a picture of me, too...

Four Little Letters that inspire dread...

2009-08-03T07:58:00.003-05:00

For me, this week, those letters are G-M-A-T. For others, they may be L-S-A-T or or maybe M-C-A-T. They are all graduate school entrance exams, and I will be spending all my time until next Monday with a final push in preparation. So, I'd better get to it...

Romeo's Auction

2009-07-26T21:06:00.004-05:00

Stacey is conducting the auction. Here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200367164287&ssPageName=ADME:L:LCA:US:1123

Breyerfest Sale on DVDs - FREE SHIPPING!

2009-07-17T08:25:00.003-05:00

Since we can't all be at Breyerfest this weekend, I thought I would offer a FREE SHIPPING sale on my DVDs. This offer applies to both domestic and international orders.

Sale is available now until Saturday, July 17th, at Midnight CST. Order early as my supply is getting low on a couple of titles. After I deplete my current supply, it may be 4 weeks before they are ready to ship. I will let you know if this is the case. The company that reproduces them does have a very quick turn around time, so it may take less time.

To order, visit my online store at http://FeldmanStudio.com/store - free shipping has already been applied to all orders.

And for those eagerly awaiting the next batch of titles, please be patient. As with most projects, life interruptions keep me from my overly optimistic timelines. I do hope to have them ready this fall. The next group released will include The Art of Pastel: Bay, The Art of Mixed Media: Chestnut Tobiano and the first installment of The Art of Detail Painting.

Valinor's New Look

2009-07-16T12:31:00.004-05:00

62% of those voting in the poll chose the braided tail, so here she is... I have some tweaking to do, and I may still twitch an ear, but you can get the general idea now. Let me know what you think. I'm open to breed and color suggestions. :)

Off with their heads (and tails)

2009-07-08T15:39:00.007-05:00

It started with the little pony and the unicorn in the front. The pony is for my daughter and the unicorn is for another little girl . Then I thought I'd work on a couple Eberl ponies that I'd planned to give new hair-do's. Then I pulled some out that needed head transplants. And thus it goes. I always have more ideas than I have time.

If anyone would like to chime in... The Valinor resin had her muzzle redone and I will be braiding her mane - thinking about flipping an ear back, too. But I'm really on the fence about whether or not to lop off her tail and give her a mud knot? I really like the original tail, but want to make her different. Thoughts? Please vote in the poll to your left. (You can click on the picture to see it larger, than hit your browser's back button to return to this page).

The Sunroom Project

2009-06-29T14:12:00.012-05:00

I am a very project-oriented person, I think that is partly why I was so drawn to our house in the first place. There were so many projects to be done. The latest was just completed today!

We had a 20-something year old hot tub in a vaulted sunroom right off the master bedroom. We had someone come out twice, but never timed it right so he could figure out why the GFI electrical safety was tripping. Basically, it never got hot enough to use before it shut itself off. Anyway, my husband made the big decision to have it removed when he found someone related to someone he worked with who was right for the task (and it saved us a little from having it "professionally" done by the spa people who we'd already paid plenty to just show up at our house twice and never solve anything, but I digress...).

Sunroom/Hot Tub Before:

After the tub came out, the real work (for me, anyway) began. There were cracks in the walls from the moisture over the years that I repaired first and gave the room a going over with paint. Then the old tile had to come out, especially since there wasn't any under the spa. So I rented a tile stripper. If you've never used one of these, consider yourself lucky. This was the worst part of the entire project. I guess we had thicker tile than usual, since it was non-slip and all. All I know is it took much longer than expected and I had the bruises to show for it when it was all said and done. Then of course, there is still thinset left behind, which is what secures the tiles to the concrete. So I rented a floor grinder. Not so bad after the tile stripper, but I did leave alot of swirl marks in the concrete. And of course, it doesn't go all the way to the wall, so I had to buy a little angle grinder. Nifty little tool, but even more swirl marks.

Once the floor was cleared and cleaned, I stained the concrete. There is this really cool semi-transparent stain I wanted to try that is supposed to help the finish look like natural stone. Unfortunately, the gallon I bought was more pink than tan, so I ended up getting a solid tan color instead. While I'm happy to have pink walls in my daughter's room, I don't think I'd like it so much on my floor... Oh, and I got to install a new fan, too! All sorts of firsts with this project.

Today everything came together and I moved in the furniture that Jonathan picked out and put in the new plants and pictures. Now, we can finally enjoy the view of our lake. (and I have to get back to studying Calculus...)

Romeo at NAN - Offers accepted...

2009-06-25T11:40:00.004-05:00

I just heard from Stacey that she will be taking the palomino Artist Copy Ravenhill that I recently completed (aka "Romeo") to NAN with her so that he can be seen in person. Photos just can't capture this guy well... She will be entertaining offers and may sell him to the right offer prior to ebay, so if you've been thinking about adding this handsome fellow to your collection, contact Stacey directly. Her website is http://www.tabaskeaustudio.com/ and there is an email contact link on the front page.

I will not be able to attend NAN personally, but wish everyone safe travels and lots of wins!

Pony Rides & Petting Zoos

2009-06-24T21:27:00.006-05:00

The kids and I had a great time at Prairiefest, which is Oswego's summer fair. The highlights were the *free* pony rides and petting zoos (one with "exotic" animals and one where you can enter the pen).

Andy enjoyed his first ever pony ride, laughing out loud spontaneously as we went round and round. His poor pony looked pooped. It was *hot*!

And of course, Audrey gravitated to all things equine and made good friends with this furry fellow.

Romeo - better picture...

2009-06-19T16:23:00.003-05:00

Well, a blue background suits him much better. He will be offered for sale soon. I'll post the link to his auction here.

Romeo - Artist Copy Ravenhill

2009-06-11T16:23:00.002-05:00

Here is a sneak peek of Romeo, the newly completed Artist Copy Ravenhill. He will be mailed to Stacey early next week and she will be handling his auction. I will post the auction info to my yahoo group, and can post the link here also.

These photos are not that great. I really need to rethink my photo set up. I use a tent and photography daylight bulbs, but can never get the true color and details I'd like. Maybe its the background colors... Hmmm... a discussion for another day.

Like mother, like daughter

2009-05-19T16:36:00.007-05:00

Audrey had her dance recital this past weekend. It wasn't her first, but she doesn't remember the one when she was three, so she was a little worried. She did a beautiful job. :)

For those that don't know, I graduated with a degree in dance from Brigham Young Univsersity. My emphasis was ballroom with a touch of modern dance. Being back stage with Audrey helping her get ready brought back a flood of memories. I loved performing. Seeing Audrey all dressed up and ready to perform made me a little misty eyed.

Art and Chocolate

2009-05-11T09:53:00.004-05:00

My dear husband was so thoughtful this Mother's Day. I have a weakness for chocolate and when he saw these artistic chocolates, he knew I would love them!

They are Godiva's G Collection. The tag reads "the fusion of art & chocolate." How neat is that?! They really do remind me of gem stones.

They're so pretty we haven't even tried one yet!

While I've been studying...

2009-04-21T20:50:00.006-05:00

... the horses have been out to play. My good friend, Karen Beeson, has been kind enough to proxy several of my horses for me this spring at some of the local shows. Here's a picture she just sent of my minis from one show (there are a couple new faces that I squeeked in this spring: the grulla Constantine and the appy Imp).

Thank you, Karen!

Pressing my luck...

2009-04-05T07:50:00.003-05:00

I should have known better than to post a packing technique article on April Fool's Day. The little AA model I repaired is being sent back for repairs again after his trip home... I used the packing materials that were sent with him, which is a departure from how I normally pack. Tsk tsk.

Packing Safely

2009-04-01T15:17:00.002-05:00

Here's an article I wrote awhile back for anyone interested. Most people pack fragile models well, but it doesn't hurt to share the information I've gleaned over the years.

That's a Tuesday resin demonstrating how bubble wrap can be used to build a support structure.

Here's the link to the article: Proper Packing Techniques - PDF document, 27 KB

Creativity isn't everything

2009-03-27T20:39:00.007-05:00

Orchestrating productivity in the studio is more about project management and organization than creativity.

For example, I was repairing an Animal Artistry mini resin's legs today (that's the picture of him before the accident). After inserting wire into his leg and sculpting over the repair, I had a tiny glob of apoxie left over. So I smooshed it in place on another piece that is in progress. Of course, the loss of a small amount of apoxie will not bring my productivity to a screeching halt (I have plenty of other distractions for that to happen), but planning ahead so that I always have an in progress piece in need of filler keeps things humming along. By so doing, that little model will be ready for sculptural detailing next time I go at it with apoxie, as the fill work is now done.

Another productivity saver for me is working in batches. I rarely work on one model at a time, especially when it comes to prepping. I usually prep in batches of about a half dozen models. They all get their seams cleaned, then all get a bath in Comet, and so on. Why get the mess out for just one model at a time? This is true when working with pastels, too. Pastels make such a mess of my work table, that I usually try to work in batches of about three models at a time (more than that is more distracting than helpful for me personally). They aren't all the same color (I'm not mixing batches of wet paint that need to be used up), but they all go through the pastel phase together. Then I clean up my work area completely and they all go through the detailing stage together, whether one takes 5 hours or 50 hours to detail. In this case, I am working with wet paint for eyes and hooves and I'm less likely to waste paint on those small areas if I have more models to use it on. And when I'm done, hopefully I have another 3 models already prepped from the last prepping session to start on.

Audrey meets Pal

2009-03-17T14:28:00.007-05:00

Audrey joins me at all the local model horse shows. This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending Show for the Cure, where I also had the privlege of judging the china divisions. And while we were there Breyer's mascot, Pal, stopped by and we got to say hello and snap this picture.

Audrey is my little mini-me. Here's a picture of her painting at 4 years old.

Sneak Peek

2009-03-16T09:52:00.005-05:00

This fellow has been in progress for well over two years. He is the demonstration model for one of the new DVDs I've been working on: "The Art of Mixed Media: Chestnut Tobiano".

Just wanted to share a sneak peek of him while I was taking pictures of some other things. I have plans to finish the next batch of DVDs this spring!

Mare's Milk!?

2009-03-05T16:07:00.003-06:00

I just saw this interesting article, dating the domestication of the horse back further than previously thought, to 5500 years ago. The conclusive evidence? They were able to detect mare's milk on the pottery!

Check it out:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/ap_on_sc/sci_first_horses

:D

Feldman Studio Blog

Overdue Nationals Show Reports

Taking Offers on Push Comes to Shove

In Progress Commissions

State of the Studio

More Dry Pigments for the Palette

Pastel Palette

Pay It Forward

Top Ten Ways to Overcome Artist’s Block

AAEA Workshop Day 5 - Faces

AAEA Workshop Day 4 - Foundry Tour

AAEA Workshop Day 3 - Fore!

AAEA Workshop Day 2 - Hinders

AAEA Workshop Day 1 - Egg with Sausages

Land of Little Horses

Gettysburg!

In Progress Customs

Let There Be Light!

More Devon Horse Show

Devon Horse Show 2011

Memorial Day Cowgirl

Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

MOVING SALE on DVDs - While Supplies Last

MOVING SALE on DVDs -

Free Shipping when you buy 3 or more.

Package deal when buying the set - get one FREE.Also, The Art of Pastel: Bay is still on sale for only $15.

~While supplies last~

Project-itis

Back to work!

Freedom!

Muse - Friend or Foe?

New Project!

Thought of You - by Ryan Woodward

DVD Clearance Sale

Jellibaby & Toot Sweet Commission

Bram'll Blue Boy For Sale

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Sale on DVDs - Save $5 Each!

Oodles for sale...

How To Prep Resin & Plastic Sculptures

Supplies needed include…

Now to get started…

Eye Tutorial

Eye Candy

Top Ten Not-so-obvious Must-have Very-affordable Tools for the Artist

LABOR DAY SALE - Free Shipping On All DVD Orders!

Boston!

NAN 2010 Results

Newly Completed Commissions

The Art of Detail Painting

The Art of Customizing

Kitty Woes

Devon Horse Show 2010 - Day 10

All the Pretty Ponies

Have a happy Tuesday!

Commission Opportunity & Showstring Resins For Sale

Rockwell Featured in DVD at Auction

New DVDs Are Here!

Studio Tour

Future DVDs...

DVDs Available to Pre-Order!

Tobiano!

Bay!

Airbrushing with Tiffany

A Fond Farewell to Region 8

What do Snow, Anniversaries & Websites have in common?

Sayaad Al Assad - Auction is Live

Become a Fan on Facebook!

Seeing White

A Mini Portrait In Progress

What I'm Working On...

Change is the only constant

Happy New Year!

A Dozen Wise Men

Alllmooost there...

Visions of DaVinci

Rose

Harvest Time & Rainbow Chili

What you might find...

Fun with Friends

Package deal when buying the set - get one FREE.
Also, The Art of Pastel: Bay is still on sale for only $15.