Clay models

*Click on pictures to see bigger version*

I have a collection of model horses and I have had this little horse for a while.  Originally, it was a Pinto horse with black, tan, and cream spots.  I got the idea to paint it after I started collecting ceramic horses from the "The Trail of Painted Ponies".  I didn't see a horse on their website that had a red, white and blue, and all american theme, so I decided to paint my own pony.  :-)  I started out with a dark navy blue that has a little bit of shimmer to it as the base coat, and worked my way from there.  It has 7 red stripes, and 6 white, 25 stars, and I am working on painting the other 25 stars onto it.  When that is done, I will post different pictures of it. 

I bought this clay bobble head type model of a horse and painted it to look like a horse that is very close to my heart but has passed away.  His name was Dancer, and I miss him very much.  He looked exactly like the model in the picture.  The dry clay on the model was surprisingly powdery soft.  I was able to use (believe it or not) a metal tipped dart from a dart board game to scratch lines like horse hair into the surface before I painted it.  I mixed paints over and over until I achieved the right shades of browns and blues to paint the suface with.  I didn't have to paint the white markings, because that was the color of the clay.  I just painted around the shape I wanted on the model (like the star). 

This model is made to look like my dog, Sugar.  Or as I refer to her occasionally: My Precious Princess Pooch Sugar.  :-)  All of the animals in my life hold a special place in my heart, especially my Sugar.  She is always there to catch my tears, play with, take walks with, heck, I do everything with her.  The only thing she hasn't done with me is ride a horse! :-)  She has a pink zebra collar, so I thought I'd include that on the model, and what the hey, throw on a cute matching hat.  :-) Her ears are shaped like large tortilla chips that lay flat against her head, but the model I bought had huge, round, poodle like ears, so I chiseled away at them (on the model, not my dog) with the dart again until they were the shape of Sugar's.  I also used the dart to scratch fur marks into the clay, and personally, I don't think this could have looked more like my dog.