How in the world did we get to October so fast? What the?...am I the only one who's thinking the little time gnomes are crankin' on their gears faster each year? Me thinks we need a Time Summit. I demand more hours in a day!Anyhoo -- Hubby and I have to go down to the local The Costume Shop to ferret out some costumes to wear to the annual biker Halloween party held at our friends' house this weekend. Last year I went as a gorilla, in a big, black, furry gorilla suit. I'd expected the weather to be the usual chilly October kind, so I thought -- "Hey great! I can be costumed and stay warm all in one go!" But it unfortunately ended up quite warm! So there I was -- in a big, black, furry sauna. It was fun though -- no one could guess who I was, which was half the fun! This year, I want to go as Godzilla, or something like him, and I suspect the night will be properly chilly at a predicted 42˚. I hope I can get something with eyes that light up red or green with big teeth. It's funny!
I'm well aware of the holidaze around the corner. I usually have mixed feelings about this time of year -- while I enjoy the change of seasons and the idea of hunkering down for the welcomed hibernation (read: eagerly-anticipated intense work in the studio), the distraction of the "stuff" involved during this time of year is alternately wonderful and distracting (read: a bit frustrating at times). I've yet to master balancing my desire to spin that grindstone in the studio with the distraction of the festivities, and I find myself on a rollercoaster of "yes!"...."no!"...."can't wait!"...."dang it!" until Jan 2. Hey, what can I say -- I'm an admitted workaholic. I tested as a Bernese Mountain Dog in the quiz, "What Dog are You?". Not bringing the ideas in my head into existence is kinda like not breathing. It's uncomfortable to hold my breath for long. Creative apnea can cause me to "freak out," as my Hubby puts it.
But along those lines -- many of you have cried out for more small scale sculptures, and I've heard you, loud and clear! It makes sense in this economy. So I might as well give you a sneak peek on three minis I've armatured-up in the past month -- a Criollo stallion (top) (approx. 4.5 inches at the ear), stock horse stallion (middle) (approx. 3.5 inches at the ear) and an Arab gelding (bottom) (approx. 4 inches at the ear, and who'll be on a base). These critters have been knocking around in my head for some time, so they need to finally "come out."
Many of you have wanted me to create a stock horse for some time, so surprise! Don't worry -- I'll be creating larger-sized stock horses eventually. In fact, I actually have a Stormwatch-sized QH mare in the wire armature stage, but she'll have to wait a bit. Now the Criollo might be an eyebrow-raiser, but I happen to love this breed. They kinda combine all the best components of Quarter Horses, Iberians, Morgans, Barbs and Cobs into one tidy, utilitarian package -- and they come in all sorts of colors! I definitely plan to sculpt more. This fellow is in that stance we're all familiar with -- that "holler back" stance (yes -- he's going to be whinnying!). I wanted to play around with that fun way horses hold their front end and forelegs (and the rest of their body) when in that sharply bent position -- Dar so often did it when he turned his head around from his hay feeder (mouth full of hay, munchin' away) to watch me mucking around behind him. The stock horse (middle) will have a swishy tail and a tousled long mane, rather than the trimmed short mane. I'm looking forward to sculpting his muscles. It's such a challenge not to "overdo" muscling on a stock horse and I want to see if I can properly rein it in, to create a natural look that doesn't veer into exaggeration or stylization. As for the Arab, this happy guy is obviously full of himself, like Dar was in happier days. He'll be on a base, inclining to the right a bit, as though he's about to turn. Lots of fun stuff to play up on him, too! I actually really enjoy sculpting "minis." They're like popcorn! They're also a design challenge to try and keep everything in scale but still sturdy enough to cast well or hold up. So there you have it. A mob of minis from Mink Studios.
"As you work, the mood grows on you. There are certain images which suddenly get hold of me and I really want to do them. But it's true to say that the excitement and possibilities are in the working and obviously can only come in the working." ~Francis Bacon