And with that, I look forward to some new adventures in 2014. I am excited about some of the things I have brewing and hope to see come to life. Some of those I have alluded to in previous posts. One thing I hope to complete in the next few weeks is wrapping up the Sean Cooper horse kits I started a short time back. Please stay tuned!!
For now, I switch gears - a special interview with someone in the hobby whose customizing work I have come to love and in 2014 several new pieces she has done "surgery" on will be put to my brushes for new "clothes".
An Interview with the Plastic Surgeon - Shawn McNeely
Breathing New Life Through Extreme Make Overs
What made you want to customize models? When I was six my mother owned a ceramic shop where I learned to do everything from mixing slip to the final firing. Of course the little Duncan Arabians were my favorites despite how easily it was to ruin those delicate legs. I was pretty young but the skills stayed with me and I believe it was because of this that remaking has become my 'thing' in the hobby. Of course it wasn't what got me started on actual customizing but it did give me the desire and love to do so. When I began collecting Breyers at the age of ten I did what every child does; I played, made tack, and repainted them. I even got into photo showing at the age of 12. Of course, when the teen years came along I found myself too old for them and so my horses ended up in a box and one by one sold or given away. I only have a few left of what was originally a fairly large collection. I didn't begin collecting again until in my thirties when I walked into Toy and Model with my daughter and saw the Breyer display in the corner. There was that Breyer jumping horse hanging from the ceiling and all those pretty ponies dancing on the shelves! My old love for model horses was once again ignited and flamed with imagination! I began getting the JAH magazines soon after and saw an article done by Jenn Danza. Up to that point, I knew I could repaint them but found I didn't excel at painting. My work is good but by no means excellent or special. I have the skills but not the talent to paint. But when I saw what Jenn had done to a stablemate - removing the mane and tail and repositioning the head, and then painting with pastel chalks, of all medium! - I had to give it a try! It opened up a whole new area for me in the world of model horses and I've never looked back. I know that Jenn has been a huge inspiration to many customizers in the hobby and I personally can't thank her enough! Without her how-to tips and tricks I doubt I would be customizing today!