Well it's been over a month since my previous post (not all that long by my usual standards!), so I thought I should post. Although I've been pretty busy lately there is still frustratingly little I am able to share:
The Babysitter - the prototype has now been posted out to Barry in the US for casting, it should be with him any day now and he will get cracking with making her mold and getting casting as soon as possible. For those who have already ordered a copy from the US edition the wait shouldn't be much longer!
I've already set up one exciting Guest Artist for the new edition and await to hear back from another. I hope to have a piece painted by a US artist in a few weeks but until then will use images of my own copy painted by UK artist Deb Brown.
Just as an aside, check out this copy, painted by UK artist Amanda Greaves, shown here taking care of her Very Little One, also by Amanda:
Very Little One - Considering I've failed to actually advertise this little model at all this year, sales have been consistent and the model is gently heading towards sell-out. I'm not planning on advertising again for this model until the TB Broodmare is released, provided there are any left to offer by then of course!
TB Broodmare - Not started yet (sooooo far behind schedule but hey-ho, that's how I roll!), this little lady will make her debut in Spring now, I will be dismantling a Babysitter model and reassembling into a pre-or-post foaling broodmare.
Medallions - I am currently working on a cool new medallion for a Live Show in the US next year. The model is themed and I am exploring new styles as I sculpt it. Sadly I can't share photos or info on this just yet but I hope to as soon as I have the go-ahead from the person that commissioned it. I have just today got the OK to produce two variations on it though, which I am pretty excited about!
Breyer Hullabaloo - I will be producing at least one model for this UK event, I am absolutely chuffed to bits to be involved in this from the start.
Jasper - no progress to report, but the medallion I am working on has helped me with a few issues I was having on him so though no physical progress has been made, he should be even more realistic when he does finally make production!
Other activities - I've not been too quiet in the studio, I've taken on a few projects with other artists this month. One of which was for UK sculptor Sarah Hopper involving making a mold of a part-sculpted model to enable her to complete it from a resin model. I've also found myself sharing a great deal of information regarding sculpting and casting - I don't consider myself an expert in sculpting at all, but I hope I've given some inspiration and guidance to those that are just starting out. Of course trial and error play a large part in the learning process (now I AM an expert in trial and error!) and these budding sculptors will find their own paths, but building new bridges between the UK (and ex-pat) community is helping me to build up my own confidence and analyse my mistakes that much better - these guys think I'm helping from the goodness of my heart, well not entirely! ;)
Off topic - well I simply have to shout about this, meet Roland!
Ignore the piles of mess surrounding him, this photo was taken just after I got him. Also I think I need a better stool (this one was borrowed from my studio and is a little too high!). Here's the reason I'm so excited about it:
Growing up, my Grandparents had (and still have) an old, not-very-in-tune boudoir Grand Piano. Once a pianola it provided great entertainment for me and my 4 siblings as we grew up. Grandad plays and my (fostered) Uncle also played when young, but none of use really took it very seriously, mostly using it to make as much noice as possible, climb on/up/over/under or play with our toys on (Weebles were great fun to slide up the lid!). We were quite a rowdy bunch!
My Grandad. Born 1921 and still going strong!
I had a few lessons in my teens but nothing came of that, until I was offered a piano by a friend who had a restoration company, they basically said it was beyond their help but I could have it if I would like to, so it was insalled in my parent's dining room where it lived for about a decade.
7 years ago, it became just too bulky for my parents to keep and as I'd moved a few years prior to that (I would play when I visited them on a Sunday morning while Dad cooked) I agreed that it really should go.
Since then I've been piano-less :o( I grabbed every opportunity to play wherever I saw a piano, some live shows even found me disappeared to tickle the ivories after the clean-up was done. Looking back it must have seemed pretty odd, but such is the need to release the musical energy and so inviting those pianos looked, I simply couldn't help myself!
So, with the arrival of my Roland F120 digital piano I am hoping to reawaken my musical abilities (which were never exactly great!) and this time do things a bit more properly.
