Neck Problems

This past Friday I experienced one of the worst neck spasms that I've had in at least 4 months. I was in extreme pain and had nausea... I'm glad it held off until after the Arabian horse show but it really slowed me down.

I'm doing my neck excercises more regularly again and trying not to stay on the computer too much. (Which is difficult for an internet junkie like myself)...

I got some decent pictures at the arabian horse show on Thursday. Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY is my picture taking nemesis. I finally re-read the manual on my camera (duh) and figured out how to make the shutter speed faster. I got some good motion pictures but some are really grainy when blown up despite the fact that I had the camera set on 5meg pictures. I have bought a "solar flare" flash but thats not going to help me when I have to sit up in the nosebleed seats this coming friday and saturday. I also bought a zoom lens which I hope to gawd will be here this week before friday.

Anyway, here is one of my horse show shots.... I always forget how incredibly exquisite an arabian horse is until I see one in person...

Growth ?

Over the las t month or so, I've felt more indecisive about my miniatures. I feel alienated from the model horse hobby and fairly under-appreciated. I guess like any social group, it is sometimes "clique-y" and I suppose I feel like I don't fit into any of their cliques. I've always felt like this about social situations.. Like I'm too much of a 'tard to really understand what everyone else does.

Very recently I've had an experience that makes me more grateful for my close friends and for my husband. I can't get into details but suffice to say that it's made me rethink my involvement in the model horse hobby.

It's also making me think about selling some of my collection and to focus on my miniatures as art instead of pleasing my hobby.

Maybe I'm just out of touch because I haven't taken orders in so long? The pieces I do offer are not very in demand, although I feel like they are some of the best. Again, it could be the "clique thing" or hype or maybe folks think I'm just weird?.. LOL

I wonder if all artists feel this way.

Today I should be able to get back up into the studio and work on my current saddle. My camera is still in the shop so I can't take any new pictures which is driving me crazy!

Busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest!

OMG Things have been so busy.. but not really artistically.. just general life. My camera needs repair. My new "Solar Flare" of a flash revealed that somewhere, in my camera is dust and it makes it look like everything I took pictures of this past weekend was haunted... (you know.. orbs.. ? ok.. sorry.. obscure reference).

ok. Not EVERY picture.. but the some of the ones indoors. The guy I spoke with Presicion Photos on Goss Avenue seemed very knowledgable so at the very least cleaning my camera is a good idea.

I'm almost done assembling the roping saddle but I have more to figure out with the stirrups. Roping folks have these new, nifty slanted stirrups so that when they stand in the saddle to throw their ropes they are more balanced. I worry about doing this on a custom order because of some uneducated model horse judges and versatility of the saddle set for other performance setups. THats not to say that all model horse judges are uneducated.. but sometimes one runs into someone that doesn't know about western events.

I am definitely going nuts without my camera though. I made some progress last night on the saddle set and I want SO BAD to take pictures of it!

The selling of the photo cd's has slowed down considerably. Actually, no body wants any this week. I have to work on getting the site into the search engines but Gallery 2.0 is new to me so this is going to be a chore. I'm trying to sling shot it off of my other sites in hopes that people will find the photo cds and want to buy them.

This weekend is the St James Court Art show! It's the second largest art show in the country. It is at least 6 blocks of art show and features some of the best artists in the country! Folks have to be juried in to be able to sell there. Some day, I'll have enough inventory to sell at that place, I just know it!

VERY Cool!

It seems as though the Picture CD's are a hit! I'm pretty thrilled! (As is my husband - anytime my creative endeavors actually generate revenue he's happy - poor man, he's very patient)

Work on the roping set has been slow but being so slow and careful has really made a difference in quality I think.

There is a AQHA show this weekend at the Kentucky Horse park. I'm going to try to get all of my "Chores" done and make it out there on Saturday... Maybe..

Frustration

I don't know if other miniature tackmakers have the same issues as I do when doing the shoulders of their saddles but to me, it's the hardest part. I have yet to find a way of covering the saddle swells and shoulders precisely the way that real saddle makers do. I keep working on my pattern though. This is what I have so far...

Also a friend of mine has set me up with the photo software "Gallery 2.0" where I am now going to upload my pictures and offer CD's of them to the public. I have to figure out how to configure the software to use a shopping cart first though.. I was short-sighted on the domain name but I'm gonna use it anway. http://photos.modelhorseshowphotos.com

Unfortunately work has been unusually draining here as lof late so I haven't been working as dilligently at night as I Normally do. Anyone wanna donate about $30k a year to me so that I can just do art for a living?

And Another of Magnatli

This is another of Magnatli

More Beautiful Tekes.

Below is the Black Stallion "Salam". This is Magnatli, A three Year old colt.

The Akhal Teke - A tribute

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to go to the 2006 Akhal Teke Symposium at the Kentucky Horse Park. I had been excited about seeing a "Real Live" akhal teke horse all week but nothing could've matched actually seeing one in person! They are nearly cat-like in their movements. They are light and airy on their feet!

I met many wonderful folks who breed and own "tekes" and I learned a lot about their heritage and bloodlines.

I also got a great close up look at their traditional necklaces, breastcollars, and hand held silver whips that are native to turkmenistan. I've taken detailed pictures so that I can eventually recreate them in miniature!

I'll attach a few of my photos of the horses that I saw there...

More Lovely Teke horses!

Akhal-Teke Horse

Since I still can't friggin post pictures with my other posts, I'll post a picture of a Teke here. This is a famous OLD picture of a teke from the 60's. This horse is palomino but because of the metallic sheen, he looks golden!

Health and Horses

Health

I've been fairly ill this week. My shoulder/Neck problems have resurfaced because I was not doing my excercises as diligently as I should. (read that as "only when I hurt"). This means that my neck has again gotten weak and has been causing me problems. I've lost at least three days to this this week due to pain, which of course, puts me even FURTHER behind.

I'm hoping tonight, and this weekend will be better nights.

Teke Horses

Saturday Afternoon I will have the rare opportunity to see real, "honest to gawd"
Akhal Teke Horses at the Kentucky horse Park. Since these horses reputedly originated in Turkmenistan (or around there) in ancient times, they are very rare in the world today. Only about 1500 are estimated to exist world wide. Only about 300 are in the U.S. and the majority of those are in Texas on one russian guy's farm.

Akhal tekes are as old as arabian horses. The arabian people will tell you that arabian horses are older and the teke people will tell you that Teke's are older. And gawd help you if you start that conversation with a teke person or an arabian person!

Both breeds are desert bred and developed and both breeds have incredible endurance. Tekes are longer, and slimmer than the arabian however. Many people think that they're ugly, but they remind me of an "art deco" style of horse, very elegant.. only living and breathing! The most wonderful thing about akhal tekes are their coats. They have a metallic shimmer to their coats because of how the hair has developed over the centuries. I don't know a lot about it scientifically, but its very cool to look at!

The story of the leading akhal teke breeder in their native Turkmenistan (which used to be a part of the USSR but is now it's own country)

Geldy Karyizov is a very sad one. The current ruler of Turkmenistan is the usual Dictator story and because Geldy's teke herd threatened the government's control over Teke horses, he's been imprisoned. His family's land has now been seized by the government and they are going to build a chocolate factory. (Turkish Chocolate!?!)

The horses are in dire straits as there is no money coming into Geldy's family to feed them. (You know.. that whole "Women have no rights" in that country thing)There is a lady here in the U.S. who collects money and sends them what she can to help sustain the horses but that is barely enough. I've given her money on occasion. I wish I could do a lot more. If you'd like to help, you can join the Akhal Teke Yahoo group here:
http://goups.yahoo.com/group/Akhal-Teke/
And then read through the archives or post asking how you can help.

I plan on taking as many pictures as possible!

U.S. Arabian horse Nationals tickets

I bought tickets for the U.S. Arabian Horse Nationals today. This is the last year this show will be held here in Louisville, KY. Apparently the Arabian Horse association bought all of the reserve seating tickets for the last Friday and Saturday Night classes which means us poor schlubs that don't own arabian horses are SOL.. Thats ok, as long as I get to go and there are 10 days worth of classes that I won't be missing!

And can I just complain about Ticketmaster? OY that was painful.. two $10 tickets ended up costing me $28! And lets not talk about the 4 $10 tickets... (Ouch!)

But at least I've gotten tickets and I'll be able to go!

Saddles off!

Black Saddlebred

There is something romantic about Black horses. I just love em!

Picture of the New Saddlebred National Champion

For Some reason I can't post pictures with my other posts. So I'm posting a few pictures without actual blog entries.

IF it's not one thing.. it's another

I now have a new ache. My lower back has been hurting a lot over the last three days. I have no clue what I've done to it. I've not been sleeping well.

I've still been plugging away at my latest saddle however.