Long Time, No Saddle

It's been a while! Since I put my books on pause, I've been working to get my other projects prepped and launched. I got married (whoooo!), and so in January my partner and I will officially be launching our joint business The Snazzy Bear to handle our photography and the human-sized things we make.

I'm going to keep Zafirica Studios strictly for miniatures now! I also started an Instagram page for Zafirica Studios, too (search zafiricastudios to find me!)

I have an old-timey Santa Fe style saddle set in the works; planning to keep it and show it on my Hazel once I get her fixed up and painted.

Here's some pictures of my tree-painting process! The idea is to have smooth, semi-translucent color like a real rawhide tree.

 

Grey automotive primer over the sanded resin.

Light base coats of acrylic paint.

Finally, a poured-on (and darker) coat to elaminate brushstrokes!

Now it's just a matter of waiting for it to dry and carefully removing it from the wire stand!

Pony Set and a "Big" Commission Slot!

Phew! Lambing season is over and I'm back in the studio! I've been a spectacular flop with the Copperfox 10-day challenge, so I'm going to call that a failure and move back to my regular blog posts!

This is a pony set made for this little unfinished (and squeeeeee cute!) resin, with two saddle pads. I finished it a while ago but haven't gotten around to posting it!

This was such a fun little set to make! I couldn't help but smile every time I saw that cute little pony!

Now, since it's that time of the year (taxes, yay), I'm scrambling a bit to make sure I can pay all my bills, so I'd like to open one commission slot for a "big" ($450+) piece, either paid in full or paid half-now-half-when-finished. "Big" things include harnesses, full sets with some extra bells and whistles, "aged" tack sets, specialty sets (like trickriding, cavalry, portrait pieces, etc.), a decked-out Portuguese set, or other off-the-beaten-path sort of commissions. A full-sized (actual, real-and-breathing horse-sized) bridle is also a "big" commission item!

Email me if you're interested in a "big" commission (preference given to PIF), and we can talk specifics!

Rifle + Day 3

 Yay! I made it to day 3! Hahaha... I'm the worst ;)

Day 3:    Be a Model Horse (#CDCday3)
Imagine yourself as a model horse. What colour would you be? What mould would you be created on? What scale?

Hmmmm. This is hard. I'd probably be some short little pony with a decidedly unruly mane...  maybe a very spotted Toot Sweet!

And now for some pictures! This is the rifle I made for the working western set. I'm so happy with that simulated wood grain!

And I forgot just how cute the bottom of this saddle is. <3

Apparently I Fail at Blogging

Wow, missed three days right out of the bag!

Oh well, this'll be a slow version of the 10 day challenge!

Day 2:  Name your model or barn

Whoops! Should have saved Humpty Dumpty's naming for today! I've started to refer to him as HD around the shop, so that can serve as his "barn" name for now. Instead of the naming (since I spoiled that last time!) I'll put up some pictures from his gruesome customization. 

 At first, he spent four years in my body box in a few pieces.

 And then, with the help of a lot of wire...

 ... a heat gun...

 ... and lots of Apoxie Sculpt...

 ... he finally...

... started...

 ... to come together!

 His chest was basically a big mush of plastic shards and needed a lot of work.

(Note: For some reason the italics function won't turn off for this section. Weird, blogger. Weird.) I was going to keep the factory tail, but it broke off mid neck-sculpt, so I decided to make him a new one.

 It kind of works as a counterbalance to his heavily-re-sculpted chest.

 In one piece... finally! I'm pretty happy with the final result, although I do wish I could have moved that elbow just a little closer to his body. His dock could also use a little elegantifying. (And "elegantifying" really ought to be a word)

 Here he is in primer! I don't have any nekkid pictures of him yet, but I will eventually. (Phrasing, boom)

 He served as the fitter and model for the working western set. Here he is in the hackamore!

 Super happy with that patterned braid!

 He's still a bit rough, and needs lots of sanding, but someday, I'll get around to painting him. Someday. :D

P.S. Sorry again for all the italics, I don't know what is wrong with blogger today! More blogging challenge coming tomorrow! Or the next day... you know. Someday. :P

Western Accessories and Copperfox 10-Day Challenge

Wow, I haven't blogged all year! Haha, new-year jokes never get old!

 I've finished the extra accessories and bosal for the buyer of my most recent working western set! Yay! I was worried that all those extra things would look tacky (get it?) all together, but I was pleasantly surprised that it all went together swimmingly!

 I had the darndest time finding a rifle and canteen in a passable 1/9 scale, so I ended up making them myself. Learning new things every day!

 However, I'm the most proud of that bosal! The first one was so bad I just couldn't justify sending it to a customer (no really...

... the first one was reeeally bad!), but the second one was a lot better! I still have a little years of work before I can begin to imagine making bosals as gorgeous as Susana Bensema Young's, but I'm still pretty happy with only my second eight-strand braid!

 This horse started life as a second-quality ISH casting from Peter Stone, and was promptly chopped into pieces by myself in my dorm room one night with a hacksaw, an exacto knife, and a hairdryer. (This was before I realized there was more of an art to customizing than just hacking and slashing!)

He earned the nickname Humpty Dumpty as he sat around in pieces for about four years. When the buyer for the working set mentioned that the saddle would end up on an ISH, I just had to put him back together again for fitting and pictures!

Of course, he isn't white anymore, but the name has stuck, regardless. I'll probably paint him a light grey when he's all finished, just for fun. :D

There is a hackamore, too, but in my usual fashion, I forgot to include it in the photo shoot! Soon!

On an unrelated note, I realize that I'm a few days late to the party, but why not? Copperfox put up a 10-day model-horse blogging challenge. Maybe this will help me get back into more regular blogging!

Day 1: Inspiration day!

I find inspiration in a lot of places, but really, most of my inspiration comes from the noble beasts themselves.

But most of all, I'm inspired by my own semi-snuggly Land Dragon, the fabulous, grumpy, and mostly-lame Mr. Par. <3

I'll be back tomorrow for day 2 of the 10-day blogging challenge! And, hopefully, that'll set a larger trend for myself of more regular blogging! Happy 2016 everyone!