Custom Glazed Pieces
Here is a selection of newly finished custom glaze mini pieces completed on August 20th, 2006. Most of these are pieces started a year or more ago but are some tag ends I was not able to complete before one of our relocations. The above piece is a new one from start to finish, the bone china mini foal called "Eira" to a dark brown-black tobiano Spotted Draft or Vanner colt in gloss finish. Eira was sculpted by David Mayer of England. This little fellow has some nice, subtle detailing in the white areas of his coat that do not show up in my photos... touches of hair pattern in pale grey and a tint of dirt in the feathers on his lower legs. He is complete with a blush of pink in the appropriate areas especially between the back legs and underneath his tail.
This piece is a very minor claybody custom (new forelock) of the AAA bone china mini Dartmoor sculpted by Donna Chaney of England. A custom ordered piece, he or she has been completed to a dappled bay with a small white star in gloss finish for Susan Natstchke. Because of some problems with my new, tiny doll kiln, I had to fire this piece several times after the gloss finish was applied to remove pin holes in the glaze. This unfortunately caused the piece to fade and loose richness in the color, some of the reds in the coat, and the greens in the base.
These next two photos are of a Pour Horse mini Hadrian sculpted by the ultra talented Sarah Rose and produced in earthenware ceramic by Joan Berkwitz of Pour Horse pottery in bisque. I have custom glazed this piece for Kitty Anderson to a toasty chestnut sabino with a slightly lighter flaxenish mane and tail in gloss finish. Overall I am pleased with how this piece came out!
Another Pour Horse pottery piece produced in bisque by Joan Berkwitz, this is "Limerick" custom glazed to a bay gone dappled grey. A custom order for Marcia Seelhoff, this piece demenstrates an older test technique I played with for dappling but am not likely to use again in the future. This piece came out really well but was very difficult to photograph! My stain glaze had gone sour so I had to do all of this batch in gloss finish. Never again!
Shown here still in progress but nearly finished is the AAA mini Tennessee Walking horse produced in fine bone china by Alchemy Ceramics and sculpted by Donna Chaney of England. A custom order for Brona Hicks, this is a minimal sabino with a small touch of belly white mostly up between his front legs, to a red roan with hair pattern/ticking in satin finish. And older piece I almost finished nearly a year ago, he has only to have his white-gold (silver colored) chains and shoes to be fired on - then I'll rephotograph him. Although a sligthly heavy handed coat pattern due to poor lighting in my studio at that time, he is otherwise an elegant piece I think.