vendredi 22 septembre 2023

Where is the edge? - the preview tour

Like last year, my september month came with a visit from my Canadian friend, Mégann.

 


It was punctuated with Amira departure from the stable we've been for a few years, to a new place.


But... mostly it was about exploring the surroundings... and then... take pictures because I've got so many I need to share and I cannot help to do some more :)
Here's a few stories about this trip photography session!



A misadventure (that doesn't involve modelhorses) at "les Clue de Barles" -place pictured with me bragging with my beachtowel- learned me it wasn't the best place to do pictures... too much flow. But I still wanted Daylight in such a rocky river.

Second place, "le pré de Mme Carle" -pictured with me risking my life over a stream for a photo- was perfect. I'm really glad I managed to get this picture ;)


This place is really incredible, it's not the first time I go but still...

How to resist?

"Le pré de Mme Carle" is in the heart of the Ecrin National Park.

The place got it's name from a local story about Mrs Carle that incured some jealousy and especially from her husband. He decided to thirst her mule for a few days (yes the story mention a mule, not a horse). Then when Mrs Carle got with her husband, riding, the poor thisty mule pounced in the stream and Mrs Carles dismounted and drown into it.


Sorry for the mule, that sculpt depict a horse but well... you can get into it and that's pretty cool.

I really need to come back with a mule now that I know the story behind the name of the place ;)

Talked about a stream? Showed you that stream? here's an additional cascade (at the same place)!

Hopefully, nobody drown, despite the fact that we encounted water SO MANY times.


-Serre-Ponçon Lake (if you follow this blog a bit, you start to know this lake, it's the biggest artificial lake of France)

 
 -Gorges du Verdon
 
 
Actually I did a past shooting in thoses two places. This time we didn't go with tiny horses.

Aaand you can add to the list, the famous Hot Water Sources... my absolute favorite shooting wonderland! I just cannot go there without a figure...

Also showed to Mégann one of my favorite mountain spot, the Devoluy. It wasn't a great shooting day, wadn't in the mood... but I enjoyed to get back there.

Really.

How not to love thoses dry mountains?

 
So now, it's up to me to show you the complete set of pictures... hopefully before I die?
Right now, I'm too busy taking care of the big beast... and working... wish me luck!
 

All pictures of me & without modelhorse landscape done by @chez.chunille on our 2023 tour.

vendredi 4 août 2023

The making off... Daylight!

Ever since Coralie have posted the latest commission she did for me, we have been taken by storm.
Post like this demultiplies...

And instagram reshare too...

We are both truly happy that Daylight please you.

And I really want to say my feelings is that in the hobby you've got several people involved... the first artist is the sculptor, who gave every painter a blank canva to work on.
So thank to Morgen Kilbourn, wich also shared her enthousiasm!

The second artist who's involved is, of course, the painter. It's the person who's going to put all it's talent to make the best paintjob they can. Painter can paint horses on their own idea or following a commissionner idea.
In this story, we got Mule Deer Studio that I commisioned because I knew she was the one to paint somethin' as difficult as a wet horse.

And in the end, you've got the owner.
Who, in my case, is using their figures for photography purpose.
I've stated long ago that I loved better to own horses painted by other artists (in fact what I love with the hobby is to be able to own many different way to paint a horse) than keeping my own paintjob.
Every picture is my own way of contributing to the hobby.


So now that I've expressed my feelings about the artistry in our hobby, let's talk a bit more about Daylight painting process.

It all started several years ago, when I joined a French Appaloosa forum. Following the posts, I falled in love with a New Caledonia purebred appaloosa filly, Daylight. She grew up to a beautiful, near white looking few spot appaloosa and believe me, when she got on sale... I had a heartstroke not beeing able to buy her (1 - she was too far from me, 2 - I already had Amira and was more than happy with her).
But I saved pictures because I knew that one day, I'll own a miniature figure of her.

I'm sorry, I would not share that much pictures of her, as I'm not the owner of it.

The years go by and I never forget that wish I had, but also I never really found "the model" that clicked. Until... Xlurpie was released. I bought it in a heartbeat, knowing for sure it would be "my" Daylight. And I immediately got in touch with Coralie, to talk about my project: having a wet few spot appaloosa painted.

Coralie was enthousiastic about it, I shared her picture of the mare, luckily I got plenty of the mare dry and wet.

Photo credits to Daylight's owner.

We talked a lot about the project, I explained to Coralie that I do not wanted the horse to be completely wet but more wet in some area as it would have bathed/splashed. We got on the run for reference of wet splashed horses, I found some...

We discovered that it was easier to see splashing on a MUDDY horse :')

And also, while browsing again the appaloosa forum to found more angles, I get by this picture of another horse on the post...

Photo credits to Daylight's owner.

I and Coralie went nut about that splashing tail mark and decided to kept the idea. It is probably one of the thing MOST of people liked best about the custom...

Also, Coralie did several schemes to understand (and show me) how to process with that painting...

Caption say:
Really wet, mostly transparent
Really wet, not transparent

A bit in between there.

Photo credits to Daylight's owner.

Caption say:
+ or - dry
Middly wet
Really wet

She started painting, sending me every step and we kept talking in the making. Then it was time to gloss the paintjob and I got another scheme plan...

Caption say:
Not transparent
A bit transparent
Totally transparent

Transparent area intensity in painting

Wet area to gloss

Total


So you can see every step was planned to archieve that perfect wet look, with the most natural and realistic taste.

Daylight full album at Mule Deer Studio page 💦

I'm really, really glad everyone loved this project, that Coralie's work have it's own spotlight. She's talented, like many other EU artist... but also, beeing international is more difficult to be known.
No matter what you do in the hobby, if you're in EU, it's more difficult to be seen.


Speaking of France, we got really little liveshow and our artists lacks of viewing, their horses does not travel a lot. I probably should do a blog post one day about our artist, because all of them deserve a spotlight too.

Hope you loved this post. I want to inspire & be inspired, I want to never stop modelhorses pictures or project (only my wallet can stop me right now)!
I really loves how this hobby combine several artistry. As an artisan myself, I'm always glad to see artisan's success.

dimanche 30 juillet 2023

Daylight

Daylight
Artist Resin Custom (paintjob by Coralie Journoud) on "Xlurpie". Painted in 2023 and sculpted by Morgen Kilbourn.. 
Colour: Bay, Few Spot Pattern // Breed: Appaloosa
Gender: Mare.

vendredi 28 juillet 2023

Some more pictures from the liveshow!

Even if I got more pictures with my camera this year, I still collected pictures of my horses from other entrant...
As it's a great way to show you a bit of the fun. Most artistic pictures, share others hobbyist accounts...

@Manghorse_Modelhorse want to steal my horses... not a good idea to write it in publicy... because now I know 👀

 @StudioMoonRise_ did a set of beautiful portraits... I don't even know when... but thank you, I love them! 💖

Caption says "Every collector's dream..."


@Surimixeurinator took some horses in pictures...

Unless in fact she mostly took the judges in pictures? 😂

Caption says: Intense judging, @alponabycoldruru who works hard and me who does not.

This was too much shared between her and @Kelly_Breyerhorse 😅

@Adi_modelhorses did some really cool collages of her pictures... it really immerge you into the show...

 This one is probably my favorite of Valentine Kiss 💕

@a.lot.of.models also liked him, he got a spotlight out of my table picture... 💦

@Rubtouche did wonderfull pictures too, some of thoses might be my favorites... 💘

@Wanderers.photographs also got a portrait of Spotify... she's a stunning girl for sure...

Really great shots... 👌

@Thetimecavalry that masters tack had a shot of mine 👇

And some more views from @Amber_s_figures 👏

We'll finish on @AGrassStory that honored the mule 👍


Thank everyone for all thoses wonderfull pictures, they are way nicer than mines and I love them!!