12/07/2026
Gridlock is easing around here and as horses are being delivered space is opening up! A few horses have gone in the past couple of months, and once another few go I will finally have room to work on something for myself... after 16 years!!
This is Smoke, who went home today.
Smoke is an early No 4 Roebuck. I was asked to get her as close as possible to the horse on page 300 of Patricia's book. I did my very best, although I used other images for dappling reference. I had planned to dye then wash out the ribbon rosettes (see caption on page 299 of the book, the reference horse originally had cloth rosettes) to simulate faded ribbon, but the dusty rose worked and I didn't want to risk the slippery ribbon coming loose. I also spent a ridiculously long time looking for the cross rosettes seen on the original, but there's only so much time you can spend going down rabbit holes!
This horse was a rare one (for me) that didn't need any remedial work, once the red paint was off the stand - which took AGES. Her owner was a sheer joy to work with and for. Thank you for entrusting me with your dream of a rocking horse and giving me freedom to interpret how to translate the image from the book into reality. This has been a particularly rewarding project.
Tartan chosen and arranged by owner, I can't take credit for that part. š
PS... of late, my policy has become not to share pictures of completed horses until owners meet their horses in the flesh. This is so that responses to the real thing are fresh and real and not pre-programmed expectations from images, comments etc. There's a special private magic in people really seeing their horse for the first time that deserves to stay magic š¤©. More are coming and will be shared once owners have met their horses :-)
