Christmas Pony

So this is going to shock all of y’all.

In 2018, I finished painting a model. From start to finish. 

I know. It’s shocking.

For the past few years I’ve posted pictures of in progress models. Very few were actually finished.  My lack of ability to finish a model can be blamed on two things. First, usually as I go along my technique gets better, so I end up with this:

If one half of a model is semi good and the rest is trash, it’s real hard to call it finished. 

The other reason is the ugly phase. Every piece of art goes through an ugly phase. Tack goes through an  omg this is terrible buttttttttt I’ve made enough tack-ish things to know that it’ll come out well if I push through. 

But with finish work, it’s a no.

BUT I FINISHED A MODEL.  

My trainer, who is also Penn State’s IHSA Team, lost her heart pony in 2017. Comet was a willing gray mare that was constantly half clipped because of her thick fur. She died the morning after I took this photo. 

Myself and another barn friend decided to give my trainer a portrait of her favorite pony. 

It took a year for me to do her. Comet 1.0 didn’t come out right. But with Christmas 2018 creeping up I knew I had to push through. So Comet 2.0 began. 

I painted Comet in a mix of pastels and acrylic. 

When searching for a photo to include I discovered one I’d forgotten about. What better way to remember a beloved pony than a picture of her with ears forward, looking over her stall guard, ready to welcome whoever had stepped through the barn door? She ran the barn, even after she stopped being ridden.

I framed the photo and both items were given to my trainer.  I’m really happy I finished painting her and shut up the inner critic. 

Now to figure out what I want to paint for National Model Painting Month!