Quietly Very Busy

Sometimes, when I go quiet on here, or on my social media accounts, I'm not up to much. 

Oh, who am I kidding, I'm ALWAYS up to something, or a bunch of somethings, but I suppose I mean model horse type stuff, in particular. 

Lately, however, I have been up to a LOT in that category.  

The year started off rough, I was quite sick for a couple of weeks and it was hard to go from having so many plans for the New Year, to not being able to do, well, anything.  I feel like I've more than made up for it with a flurry of activity over the two weeks.

I have prepped about 50 horses for paint... seriously.  Usually, I dislike prepping, greatly.  My biggest problem is that it never feels like it's done.  I feel like you just have to reach a point where it's "good enough".  Once in a while, though, I get in the mood to prep and when that happens, I try to do a bunch of it.  As a result, this time around, I've done initial prepping on about 50 horses, mostly stablemates, but a few traditionals, too. 

That's a Zafirah, Duende, and Constantia.  I have colors picked out for all three of them.  The horde of stablemates...  not so much, yet.  

I'll be washing and priming the prepped herd in the next several days and then looking them all over again.  I've also got a small herd already in primer that will join the flow for prep round two.

My plan is to start painting next week.  

Speaking of next week, I am signed up for my first Heather Bullach oil painting workshop.  For February, she is offering a workshop on painting black (one of my favorite horse colors, probably no surprise there).  The cost to join was less than her usual classes and so was the material list.  Not that her other workshops aren't worth it!  I have been wanting to take one for a while now, but kept talking myself out of it.  I didn't want to buy a bunch more stuff and learn (even more) things that I might not use again... which was a big deal, and realization, for me.  I couldn't turn this one down though.  My first supply order, and also my very first order from Dick Blick, came in yesterday.  One more supply order is due to arrive anytime (several brushes were sold out at Blick, so I think I found them elsewhere) and then I will be ready!

Oh, I need to prep a horse for the workshop.  I'm thinking about using the Constantia...  I have had plans to paint her a liver chestnut, but I do have two of her to paint, so... 

NaMoPaiMo is a different format this year, it's much more relaxed.  I don't have a horse picked out for it yet.  I definitely want to participate - I haven't missed a year yet, despite lots of bad things happening in February...  So far, my only theme has been to paint a resin, since otherwise I used to be intimidated by them.  I don't think I am anymore (thanks to Jennifer and NaMoPaiMo!).  However, I had been trying to focus on Breyers with this prep marathon.  I do have some resins to pick from, if I want to stick with my "theme", so I'll have to think that over during the next few days or so.  

Also, the last couple of weeks, I have been working on stablemate blankets.  When I started finally feeling a bit better, I decided to try something interesting and look for some random inspiration.  I have a horse-themed planner that I'd bought for this year.  I turned it to last week and the picture was of a horse wearing blanket.  Blankets, it was!  I have been mostly sold out of blankets for a little while,  so I figured a restock was in order anyhow.  I also have a bunch of fun new fabric I wanted to try.  So, I have cut out, sewn hip darts, and made straps for around 40 stablemate blankets!  They are basically done, except for putting the straps on.  

Check out the rainbow polka dot pattern on several of them!  When I found this fabric, I couldn't wait to use it.  I think these blankets are going to be SO cute.  

Whew, well, that's the latest!  As always, I hope to post here more often.  We shall see.  If you made it this far, thank you for reading!  I apologize for the sporadic posting.  It's not that I don't have anything to talk about, I actually have a ton, but often sitting down to write a post and format pictures just seems too much.  Or, I forget.  Life has been crazy lately, a really, really good crazy - I'm happier than I've been in a long, long time, but still... crazy and busy (in mostly good ways).  Thanks for hanging in here with me!