Works in Progress

"Tolte"

"Tolte" is my newest work in progress, a commissioned portrait of an Icelandic mare with her owner riding her. This piece is 1/4 life-sized (about 25" high by 28" long, IIRC), the largest full-bodied horse I've made so far. I've chosen to use a different kind of armature for it in the hopes that it will be stronger and more secure when it's shipped to the foundry in Oregon. You can watch the progress of this piece on my blog, Lynda Sappington on Writing and Art

Building up the wax armature

Adding clay

Clay from the front

Showing layers of added clay

Progress as of 22 Nov 09

A day later

After several weeks off while I had H1N1, I'm back at work on 28 Dec 09

View from the front

The toothpicks mark the depth I need to make the clay in the early pics, and where the joints and eyeballs are in the latter pictures. I measure bone to bone for accuracy and use a caliper to make sure I'm getting the measurements right.

"Horseplay"

The sculpture of the horse on the left in the first photo was begun three or four years ago, then torn apart and redone when the armature didn't hold him in place properly and I got disgusted with him. I started him again a year or so ago, setting him aside as "paying" jobs came in, since this is my horse Jack playing with my hubby's horse, Pepper. I started Pepper at Equine Affaire in West Springfield Mass. in the fall of 2006 and didn't work on them all winter, due to working on novels instead (this sculpture is of our horses - nobody's paying me to do them, so they can wait). At the Ohio Equine Affaire in the spring of 2007, I got a lot more work done on them, but then I got the commission for "Friesian Elegance" and had to set them aside again. I hoped to finish "Horseplay" during the winter of 2007, but more commissions got in the way. Once I get "Tolte" finished, I will finish this one as a memorial to Pepper, the horse on the left, who died 26 Oct 09 from gas colic. He was 28 and we'd had him 18 years. The day before he died, he was playing just like this with my horse Jack. They played like this a lot and were best buddies. Jack, the sorrel, is a Quarter Horse gelding and is now 18. Pepper, an Appendix Quarter Horse (meaning he had Thoroughbred in him) acted this goofy until the day before he died The pose is from a photo I took of them playing a few years ago. Anyone who orders the bronze will get a copy of the photo to prove to doubters that yes, horses really can rear that high! (I've had some folks who didn't believe me until they saw the photo!)

PRE-CASTING SPECIAL PRICE!

$3000 rather than the $3500 it will cost at full retail. It will be a limited edition (I'm still deciding on how large the edition will be, but it will be a small one, either ten or twenty, probably.) The horses will be patinaed in the colors of the real horses, sorrel and bay, or you can order it done in a traditional "brown" bronze patina if you prefer. Contact me for ordering details.

Questions? Email me: info@thesculptedhorse.com

Page last modified 31 Dec 2009

Artwork, logo, photos, text are all Copyrighted by Lynda Sappington. All Rights Reserved. The Whimsy Hill Studio Logo is also TRADEMARKED by Whimsy Hill Studio. No copying or reproduction in any manner is allowed without the express permission of the artist.