I'm way behind on getting this blog going, but better late than never, I guess! My goal with this blog is to provide a window into Red Dog Studio so you can see what I'm keeping busy with. Along the way, you'll read about some of the techniques I use in painting and sculpting and you'll have the chance to give me feedback. I'd also like to hear what you want to read about, so don't be afraid to share your suggestions.

I've been pretty busy this entire year because I was preparing for a new baby, and now that she's here, she keeps me on my toes! It makes it more difficult for me to produce pieces, but I'm still slowly creating new stuff for the hobby. I'm also trying to find the "sweet spot" of what my customers want me to create for them. I've produced just about everything -- custom models, painted resins, original sculpture resins, original finish models, original finish china, custom china, resin bas reliefs... I think that's everything, but I may have left something out. Anyway, it's hard to get a feel for what collectors really want from me, so I'm hoping this blog will give my customers a chance to point me in the right direction.

I would also like to share the work of other artists in the hobby that I think deserve mention, but in many cases these artists might be new names to you. I think it's easy for hobbyists to get hung up on collecting pieces by "famous" model horse sculptors and painters, and in the meantime they overlook artists that aren't "famous" but are just as talented. I'm a notorious bargain-hunter, so I find that reasonably-priced work by lesser-known artists is far more appealing to me. As a model horse live show judge, I'm always excited to see amazing pieces created by people I've never heard of. To me, that's like discovering a nugget of gold while panning in a river. And when those amazing pieces by lesser-known artists do well in the show ring, telling those artists about the wins is so much fun!! They are always thrilled to hear about their creations' accomplishments.

So if you have comments about what you'd like to read in the 'Blog, please share them. I hope this becomes a place where you can laugh, learn, and think about model horses in a slightly different way. ~~Kristin

Pictured above, mini Nahar in black chestnut tobiano. Completed June 2006 for a friend.