Dafydd goes to Oz

Dafydd is one of my all time favorite molds, this snotty little Welsh stallion has what it takes to carry a paint job either fancy or sublime.

Here's a sooty dapple buckskin tobiano Dafydd, who has already arrived at his new home in Australia. I'm very tickled with him!

The kiln is firing again tonight, with the last of 2010's horses. Then, a couple of weeks to clean out the workshop; make new molds; finish a few old projects; and give the kiln a tune-up (it's been firing reliably for 15 years now, with nary an adjustment... it needs some wires tightened and a temperature calibration to start its sixteenth year)

Joanie

Callahan, the Small and Mighty!

Adalee Velasquez sculpted Callahan, an Irish Draft stallion, and has glazed one in a gorgeous, meticulous bay appaloosa which is on My Auction Barn right now. Addi's appaloosas are so amazing, that if you haven't seen one is person, you haven't seen how far the art of glazing has come. He's Little Bit scale but you can't tell from his personality.. he thinks that he is Traditional!

Go and check him out, and see more photos at the auction site. Right here!

After Addi marries and moves to Washington State, I am very pleased to be able to say that Callahan will be a Pour Horse... and will come in the first OF run since Otto! It will be a small run, 50 pieces, so that I don't run screaming or develop a nervous tic, (no more 300 piece runs, ever again!) and it will be available first to the people attending BOYCC. He's an awesome little horse and I am very happy to be able to offer him. Of course, there will be customs too, but Addi's custom glazes are so incredible that I only hope that I am up to the challenge! She is doing a limited number of custom Callahans this fall, so watch her list or MHSP for details.

Little Welsh Jewels

Thomas Bainbridge has some little Welsh beasties, sculpted by Laura Behning and cast by Donna Chaney/Alchemy, that I was privileged to glaze recently. A truly international effort, Cardiff and Colwyn are finally being seen in their finished form. When Tom asked if I would like to glaze them, I was happy to comply...a new sculpture always carries the excitement of Christmas morning! See his blog for more info:

Thomas Bainbridge Studio

Cardiff in lilac roan gloss

Colwyn in palomino gloss

There were a total of twelve Welsh stallions in this batch, six Cardiffs and six Colwyns. The last three are in the kiln as this post is being written.
While it is always enjoyable to play around with new molds, it is even more fun to work with an old friend, whose past commissions paid for my big workshop (casting and glazing the Seneca run paid to build my big studio and got me out of the garage!! HUG to Tom)
Tom, I will be happy to do any work with you in the future... and I hope that these little Welsh stallions bring you joy!

Yesterday's kiln load...

Yesterday's kiln load was full of fun... and this guy is the class clown of the lot! He's a chestnut splash Dafydd... splash isn't something that I commonly do, but I happened to find a whole website full of splash Welsh ponies and it inspired me!

 He's not the same type as they are (I think they are Sec As and I think he is more like a Sec C?) but Lesli says that she does have a photo of a splash in the larger 'horse' type. Anyway, he has a lot of work on his mane especially. That layering took three firings to get the colors right. Each color (starting with the darkest and deepest) was applied, then removed in areas, applied again, removed again, until it was built up to the lighter color which was sprayed over all. His face also has a lot of depth in the pinks, accenting his super crispy detail. He was the third or fourth casting out of the new mold, so he's as nice as they come!
He is looking for a new owner over on MHSP ! (update: SOLD!)

What's Old is New Again

Hadrian was one of the Pour Horse minis, produced in 2003. He was sculpted by the incredible Sarah Rose, and is a delightfully well behaved Dales Pony. I did a few hundred of them, give or take a dozen. (have to look up the stats later and do a post on the OFs) He was a lot of fun, but I didn't do many glaze customs, in proportion to the bisques and OF bays. Here are photos of one custom Appy that I did a while back.

What breed is this guy? Heck if I know. The owner liked him, that's what counts. She can figure it out!

Joanie