I’ve loved horses all my life!! According to my mother, after “Mama,” and “Dada,” the third word I said was “horse.”
I had a pony, Pal, as a kid and an Arab/ASB cross, Dynamite, as a teen. I had Dyanmite only in the summers because my parents feared he’d interfere with my studying during the school year.
When I began painting models, Dynamite was one I definitely wanted to create. He was always a little on the fiesty side, so this “Windwalker” by Kitty Cantrell looked like I’d seen him any number of times. And I’d ridden through these too.
And I’ve always been into art in one form or another.
The pencil drawing of St. George was done when I was in high school. More feisty horses …… seems to be a theme in my life.
After I graduated from UGA with a degree in commercial art, I worked as an artist and showed Appaloosa for the Neel family. Did a lot of different events from games to English equitation. I was most successful with Bo Mars Prince aka “Firecracker.” He looked more like a Lipizzan than an App, and when he was in the mood, he did Lipizzan moves, like walking on his hind legs. More feisty horses! He was just goofing off. He needed ridden a lot for pleasure or horsemanship showing. He taught me many things!!
I moved from NC to OK in ’68 to get a Masters in English. If I taught, I had summers off for horse activities!!! So I taught college for 31 years & was married to Gary McWaters for 25. Also raised and showed Apps then. I did a lot of research and made an entire Blackfoot fur trade era costume that I showed in the App Nationals.
That’s Arlene Hensley & her horse that I’m riding.
In 2001, I retired from teaching and discovered model horses!! “Tony Boy,” husband Gary’s do-it-all QH, was my first effort. I prefer working in oils because of their depth of color and durability. They do take me longer to paint than air brushed acrylics would.
In 2003, Gary and I moved to a much larger acreage in eastern Oklahoma although we weren’t raising Apps anymore and had just a few horses. We raised gaited mules until Gary died of lung cancer.
Smoking is a slow suicide.
I stopped live showing in 2009, and went strictly to resin models because I love their detail. Many thanks to the talented people who create and cast the resins. I also discovered photo showing with MEPSA! Photos added another dynamic to the whole model thing. Now I had to have good photos too!!
In 2012, I was blessed to get back together with the cowboy love of my 20’s, Charles Malcolm. We had 4 great years together. He died in October 2016 of lung cancer. Smoking again.
My daughter Frances and her husband, Bill now live on the ranch with me, along with 3 horses, 2 cats and 3 dogs. Cat number will vary!!!
I started out with MEPSA “halter” showing, began dabbling in performance and now love both!
As far as what I actually do, I research first. The internet has info & pics on breeds, colors, performance rules, etc. “Santo Spirito,” a custom Tenorio, has multiple dilution factors: bay base color with double cream dilute and champagne. He’s exactly the type of horse that the wealthy Renaissance nobility, like Italian Duke Este here, would be riding to impress his peers. Obviously I am a bit of a history buff …. at least history earlier than the 20th century.
Photography is extremely important in photo showing. First, the horse should be emphasized. He shouldn’t fade into the background or be overcome by its being cluttered.
Backgrounds need to be appropriate too. I ended up doing an oil painting like a Currier & Ives print because I couldn’t find a commercial snow scene that I liked. Lighting is critical and a study unto itself! In the sleigh scene I wanted to convey a gray, cloudy winter day…. not a sunny one.
Model showing is creatve collaboration: sculptors, castors, preppers, painters, tack makers, doll & prop makers, & photographers. And then judges & the many administrative organizers.
Again MANY THANKS to all who make this organization possible!!
And God bless.