Collectors Vs. The Holidays: Survey

Here at the studio, we notice a change in hobby activity between late October (about Hallowe'en) and February 1st. When I lived in CA, the hobbies steamed forward year-round, due to the mild weather. There, model horse shows and sci-fi conventions were held year-round, almost every month. A quick glance at the CA horse show calendar seems to indicate that, with the exception of a quiet July during BreyerFest/NAN, this continues. 

Sales were not tainted by weather too cold to ship breakables, nor waiting for roads to be safe to drive to the local Breyer dealer to choose the latest releases, and the local economy ensured at least some significant sales, even close to the holidays. Likewise, the sci-fi sales drop around mid-November because formerly-single collectors have gone on to become parents, and they now have to budget for Christmas action playsets for their kids, not for themselves. Partners and co-parents look askance at a spouse spending the house payment on a toy for themselves, when the offspring needs a new Christmas bike for his commute to school!

Why does the hobby buying pick up in February? This is about when early tax-filers are getting their tax refund checks, and they do a little shopping. Big shows also pick up again in late March/early April, which means interest in new (or new to them) horses to add to the new year's show string. Also, the post-holidays expenses have been paid off in January, and breathing easy commences.

I've been in the Mid-South of the USA for over a decade, and winter weather and local economy surely hamper major hobby activity. Some hobbyists manage winter collection tours or visit each other locally, but wide-ranging travel is subdued and individual. Our weather is unpredictable and can close roads in a matter of minutes with downed trees, power lines, ice, or flash flooding. Here, formal NAN-qualifier shows drop off after November; even my own show was moved up a month to avoid wild weather. Hobby sales over the holidays are thwarted by both a weak regional economy and, online, it's a Buyer's Market- lots of awesome competition! It's a hobby deadzone for us, with the exception of commercial art jobs, which peak at this time of year and have zero-tolerance deadlines. (And people wonder why we don't travel!) One of my artist friends assures me that it is her busiest direct-to-collectors sales time of the year. Her products are not holiday-themed, so it's not time-sensitive. This opposite dynamic puzzled me, and I wondered if it was also present from the collector perspective. 

For myself as a collector, I see less of what I collect (granted, I collect only certain molds and The Weird and Unusual) coming available as the winter months progress. I used to say this was because flea markets here close until March, so no one was finding Ugly Horses (and tiki) to sell or trade!

Wanna Hippopotamus for Christmas?

Twenty-four asked to participate in time for this post (that were visible to me on FB), and 17 responded. The 2014 Holiday Collector Survey and results:

As a collector, do the holidays (October-January) temporarily change your strategy?

About 65% said the holiday time did change their strategy.

Interestingly, ~18% specifically mentioned that they become vigilant for bargains to be had when other collectors put up items suddenly, to raise money for their personal family gift-giving. This is definitely a condition specific to the holiday season.

The balance of respondents said the holidays had no effect on how they collect.

Do you slow down on acquisition/shopping for your collection, or amp it up due to holiday gifts of money that you spend on ceramics?

Slow down 35%

No change 24%

Plan to shop discounted hobbyist sales strategically 24%

Monetary gifts become model purchases 12%

No response or Other 5%

Do you decorate for the holidays?

Yes 59%

If you do, do you incorporate ceramic horse models in your holiday displays?

Only 53% purposefully incorporate ceramic horses (not static year-round cabinets) into their holiday decor. So, about 6% do holiday decoration, but models are not purposefully included.

Have you ever bought a ceramic horse model with the express purpose of using it for holiday decoration (examples: AA Christmas and Halloween models, HR horse & sleigh)?

There seemed to be some confusion over what sort of models I was asking about, although this survey was advertised only to ceramics collector circles. Some respondents said they purchase and decorate with plastic Holiday models, or ornaments (which are not model horses in the primary sense). 

The result of 47% calculates only for those who purposefully purchased ceramic Holiday-themed model horses for holiday display.

If you invite non-collector guests for the holidays, how do they react to your displays (holiday or everyday cabinet)?

Guests show no response 41%, whether because no one notices, or due to guests being acclimated to the homeowner's collecting habit.

Positive guest response was at 35%.

A cited negative guest response:

"Shouldn't your china dishes be in there?"

Are the holidays a hinderance to your collector activities, such as attending shows, or buying/selling on eBay?

No 47%

For Yes, results varied:

"nothing to do but watch eBay" 

"no shows, less selling"

"depends on work schedule, less energy to participate"

"more obligations"

"time & money reduced"

"nothing to buy"

On the bright side, "still go to shows", "my eBay sales increase", and "I save up for the UK china releases that always come at this time of year" were positive points of the holiday season for some ceramics collectors.

All of these ceramics, from vintage to current reissues and Special Runs,

 were for sale at Clinky Classic in November 2014.

A table like this is one big reason we go to model horse shows!

Ed & Sheri Alcorn's vending space.

Do you feel non-collectors give you "the hairy eyeball" at this time of year because you are a collector?

Boy, did I ever get this from both family and acquaintances. Family believe they know best for the collector. There may be expressed opinions that certain luxury items are actually necessities, compared to yet another model for a collection. I still would argue that cosmetics and couture are luxury items that can be dismissed in favor of a Grail for a collector. Those things lose value with time, and literally expire or fade, while many ceramics prove to be good investments, in the hands of a collector. There are also those who are unaware of (frequently kept private) charitable acts by the collector, and disapprove any visible non-essential acquisition during the season of giving. Those closest to the collector may know of their charity work and donations year-round, and would never disparage the few joys they allow for themselves, not even at Christmas.

No judgement upon the collector: 59%

Yes, there's that holiday "hairy eyeball": 18%

Emphatic, "at all times of year" disapproval: ~12%

No response: ~12%

(With rounding up figures, I realize that's 101%.)

Whether you welcome or dread the holiday season, this may show you what a handful of your fellow collectors experience. It may even give you insight into how they make the holidays work for their collecting habits. Maybe it's just comforting to know that they, too, cope with reactions from non-collectors. Go forward, and make it the best season, yet!

Plasticarve: "That Wax Maureen Used"

If you ever found the Love estate auctions on the Hagen-Renaker On-Line Museum site, chances are that a big question mark formed in your head, as if sculpted right out of "Plastic Carve". Several auction items were described as made of this material, correctly spelled "Plasticarve". This keyword alone has no English leads on Google, until this post, at least!

A very short summary of the pottery process:

First, Maureen sculpted rough models in modeling plastilina (oil-based, waxy clay that can't be kiln-fired). She'd make a waste mold on this original, since most manufacturers wanted a hard master for making their own molds. Her waste molds are sometimes called "ball molds", and have a rounded shape, compared to squared-off molds for production. 

I spy with my little eye... Maureen's fingerprint, right above .COM

This is the ball mold for one of the licensed Muscovy ducklings from Share The Love.

To cut weight, instead of pouring a solid matrix on each side, she flicked plaster on segments and gradually built a ball-shape around the model. The empty ball mold would be soaked in water, drained, and then hot Plasticarve was poured inside to make a new positive/figure. The Plasticarve had traits of both wax and clay, and even plaster (polishing potential). 

Plasticarve.

The Maureen Love Originals Foal, aka, the MFMG "Calendar Foal".

This rough version is the older MLO foal.

          Plasticarve   / MLO stoneware /    MFMG "Calendar Foal"

By resculpting and smoothing out the Plasticarve, she got a perfectly refined, hard master that could hold up its own weight, without a wire armature.

Now that you can see how useful this material is, I'm delighted to be able to share with you the story of Plasticarve, from the son of its licensed manufacturer. He contacted me after finding a mention of Plasticarve on this blog. 


KP (name withheld by request) wrote:

The inventor of Plasticarve was Pat Crouse. The story I know is that he developed it for use in the aircraft industry for fairing wings to fuselages in the ‘40s. 

The inventor, with some partners, made up a craft kit that consisted of an instruction booklet, some tools ( knife, pencil, carving tools) in a box. A pattern for a head of Lincoln was included. This was in the 1940’s. The story, as it came to me, is that Pat ( the inventor) had contracts with major department stores for Christmas, and then there was a railroad strike that prevented getting the product out, so the venture went bankrupt. My dad bought the residual goods, so we had hundreds of the knives and wax pencils stored for years and years….we would sell a couple a year. I used to have one of the booklets but I think it is lost now. 

My father bought the residual business from Pat (a family friend) and continued the sales to sculptors, ceramicists, and the like.  After he died I continued to make it, but it was a struggle since I had no permanent place to keep the equipment for mixing, etc. so I eventually gave it up.

I have looked for an alternative to Plasticarve on the market, as I guess there are still people that need the low temperature melting point and easy working with hand tools, but I have not found one.  Computer modeling and 3-D printing is all the fashion now but I guess there are still artists who want to work with their hand tools directly.

Great to read your story about the Plasticarve model from Maureen that turned out to be slipcast.  My dad used to make plasticarve and I guess he sold it to Maureen, either directly or via Westwood Ceramic.  I have the old account books so I can check if she was a direct customer or not.

I did the easy part, i.e. flipped through the business records from the 50s to the 70s.  Unless Maureen used a business name she was not a direct customer, so maybe she bought the Plasticarve from a Southern California ceramics supply, who used to carry it in their catalog.

KP was trying to balance his university studies with the laborious production of Plasticarve at a remote location from school. Eventually, he could not keep up with demand and was dropped as a vendor. Laguna Clay Company acquired the (name withheld) ceramics supply in the 1990's. The specific date jives with when I started hearing of, and later, seeing, Laurilyn Burson recycling some of Maureen's old Plasticarve models, melting them back down to become new positives for her to polish. 


KP wrote:

... in the old days we had a couple of steady customers from the toy industry.    The story was that they would sculpt the masters for toys in Plasticarve, then electroplate a copper mold directly on the Plasticarve master to replicate it in plastics. I remember meeting one of the artists at a trade show and he definitely did not want to talk about Plasticarve in public ( this was the 60’s) since he regarded it as one of his trade secrets.

I am not sure that anyone does that any more, since the 3-D machining is everywhere.  Although I work in the tech industry I do not use any of the 3D modeling software so I do not know how intuitive the user interfaces may be.

Indeed, I found a toy collectors forum talking about this use:

"Kenner used a number of different waxes over the years. I know they used a product called Plasticarve (sp?), which I believe is that pinkish stuff, but it varied. During the early ESB years they seem to have used a white-colored wax quite a bit, and it has a different consistency. Some sculptors even formulated their own blends. In general, it's nothing like the wax of a crayon or a candle; it's not nearly so oily or crumbily. I believe it has a lot of talcum powder in it, which gives it a kind of smooth, finely-textured feel, and probably helps it to take fine detail." 
- username ronsalvatore

Ron pretty much nails the description of Plasticarve, right there. I've seen it in gray, cream, and light pink. Sci-fi nerds take note: this came from a discussion about the original 1977 Star Wars action figure prototypes in Plasticarve. 


KP wrote:

The other use was for masters for plaster molds for slip casting, which I guess is what you are using it for.  I have never done that myself so I am curious how you create the parting lines to get the mold to pull cleanly from the master.

Plasticarve with plaster mold parting lines still visible.

The Maureen Love Originals Foal, aka, the MFMG "Calendar Foal".

The answer to that is, "very carefully". My first professional experience with Plasticarve was when I designed the Miniatures Guinea Pig for Hagen-Renaker, in late 1995. I recall that when I completed the brown plastilina model, Laurilyn made the waste mold. The mold is a sculpture, in itself!

Photo courtesy Joan Berkwitz.

Plasticarve original Guinea Pig submitted to Hagen-Renaker.

Ceramic produced Fall 1996 to Fall 1997.

I was so careful to not break off his wee feet, while cleaning off his mold lines and sharpening his detail in the nostrils, eyes, and fur texture. I love how easy it is to polish, fill, and shape, and yet it is strong.


KP wrote:

I found your website….we are from the same part of California, since I grew up in Orange County. I was interested to read that Maureen worked for a company in Monrovia, since my parents had many friends in that area. My dad was a potter in addition to working as an engineer ( mostly throwing on the wheel)  so I wonder if he knew the folks at the company Maureen worked for….I will ask my mom the next time I see her.

...Just so you are not disappointed, one difference that you will notice is that the color has changed. I used to add pigment to get the white color, but the pigment went out of production so now the color is  sort of grey. 

I'm not bothered by this, as I have seen Plasticarve in several shades- from white/cream to peach to this khaki. With Plasticarve becoming so scarce, and serious potters needing it for their own businesses, I had to quickly adapt to pottery production with no wax intermediary stage. I learned to polish the brown plastilina with condensation, since oils and spirits break down the clay. When I need a hard master to supply to clients nowadays, I sculpt directly in Aves Apoxie and have resins cast. I'd love to be able to go back to the old way of doing it, for my own pottery moldmaking, as plaster molding directly off of brown clay and Apoxie each have their drawbacks. At last, there is a chance to do that.

KP's Plasticarve from storage, ready to be shaped into something new!

KP has a limited supply of his father's formula on hand, and I am ordering some for my studio. He offers these tips for working with this wax:

Melting temp is 143 F….melt in a double boiler.
You can color by adding crayons.

Initial blocking out by carving can be eased by warming the whole piece in warm water.

You can weld or repair with a hot knife.  Put the two parts together and probe the joint deeply with the hot knife to knit the parts together.  Small defects can be filled by puddling some scraps on the surface

I am told you can paint by spraying on a very dry coat of shellac first.  I have never done this.

In the past, I used steel minarettes, an alcohol torch, and a modified soldering iron on a rheostat. Now, I own an electric wax pen (high tech version of the same thing), so that should be perfect for Plasticarve work. If anyone out there needs their historic Plasticarve models restored, I may be able to help.

A certain complex, kicking Somali donkey jenny will be my Plasticarve test subject for ceramic production. Watch for a future photo tutorial on the whole process, this winter!



References:

KP (name withheld). Pers. comm. October 3rd-16th, 2014.

Ed Alcorn's Hagen-Renaker On-Line Museum: http://hagenrenakerhorses.com/MaureenLoveEstate.html

Plasticarve Foal from the Margo Potheau Collection. Thank you, Margo and Danielle.

Ball mold courtesy Share The Love.

Auction Part Two: More Good, Less Bad

The Sequel, wherein I have an unexpected, surprise first-hand report.

I was pretty lucky the first time, to happen to be online when Jennifer Dodd reached out to me for values opinion, during a live auction of an estate with Monrovia Hagen-Renaker horses. 

I was doubly lucky to be asked a second time, but this time, Jennifer was contacted directly by the auctioneer with "more of those horses you like". I may have come to mind again because 1. I restored a couple of her initial lot, and 2. I happened to be located on the way to the pick up.

She messaged me some photos, and asked for values. I sent her the numbers, with their total, and the next thing I know... "Are you free?"

Well, this must have been meant to be, because I had just sent off a commission for approval ahead of deadline, so I had nothing to do on that until I heard back. I had finished demolding, and all the studio shipping and receiving for the day. Let's go save them!

Yes, the "Let's go save them!" impulse was running pretty strong in both of us. The last thing we wanted to see was any more loss and damage to these old, ceramic artworks. We didn't know what to expect, so we both grabbed boxes and wrapping materials, and tossed them in her car. These horses were in the exact same situation that damaged the others; the circumstance that we were told led to the complete obliteration of a Crusader, large white Honora, and a small rose gray Zara. We didn't want to see that painful story repeat.

Repeat, it could... for you see... the same molds that were reported as smashed to dust, were in this lot.

The only damage in this whole lot.

Before cleaning & restoration. This one has a dark ribbon.

What are the odds that the same lost molds (and in their respective colors) would appear in the next group? The auctioneer confirmed that they came from the same estate. 

Duplicates? The same horses, just held back? I will leave that to the reader to speculate, but luck certainly played some part in this. We're just grateful that the auctioneer directly reached out to collectors, and didn't just put them in some random lot of housewares.

When we arrived, the auction staff had carefully bubble-wrapped each horse, and laid them out in cardboard flats, stashed safely out of the way. We were touched that they were so careful with this group. It was pretty exciting to be the first collectors to handle these ceramics in decades, and realize that we would reunite them with their "stablemates" from the previous auction lot.

When we returned to my studio, we set straight to work cleaning them. The rubbing alcohol and gloves came out. It was a fun evening of chatter of collectors, hearts overflowing with joy and the destiny of the whole thing.

Photo by Jennifer Dodd.

All cleaned up.

Hagen-Renaker Monrovia DW Crusader.

If you recall the past Crusader/Sespe post, you may be noticing something funny about this rescued Crusader. Here is a comparison photo with a typical Crusader.

< Normal Monrovia                   Pale Rescue Monrovia >

This paleness is not an acquired thing, it can't occur with age; this is how she left the factory. Are they found any paler? Her gray shading batch is likewise tinted differently, a brown or flesh, instead of normal gray. Her mold detail is equal, but without dark shading for contrast on the edges, it is hard to see at a distance. Of course, this is exactly the sort of variation I collect, as a potter. It may not appeal to collectors seeking a competitive show horse, because it would appear flat/lacking detail on the judging table. This really was meant to be... she was meant to "find" me.

 We could not have asked for a happier ending! Those lost are safely in one piece, in collector hands. I hope this cheers all the folks who cried with us over the reported losses.


Gratitude to Jennifer Dodd, for the spontaneous sharing!

Muddy Monday: Ceramic Performance Showing

Performance is the only division at a model horse show where the use of scale miniature tack and props are required to enhance the entry, and tell a story. Many model horse people never consider showing their fragile horses in this complicated manner, but it is a resurging trend. Perhaps tackmaker innovations (breakaway girths, wax-on splint boots, etc.), more ceramics issued with the option of a base, and the growing comfort level fostered by all-ceramics shows have contributed to this shift?

Still, the first reaction:

"We search antique fairs, flea markets, eBay, and estate sales for these vintage treasures. We keep them safe, clean, restored, and carefully stored. We often forego shipping to hand-carry them to their new homes. They are often highly valuable and some are irreplaceable. Put miniature leather tack on them, stand them up in scenes, and have them judged at a show? Are you mad?"

Not crazy, but quite serious, yes. Showing ceramics in performance, where tack and props are used to create a real life vignette, has a long history in the model horse hobby. It can be done via "photo showing", where the entries are submitted as carefully staged photos, digitally or hard copies through the mail, or at a "live show". 

Clinky Classic is a live show, for ceramic horses only, where all the Performance entries are set up on a time limit, and judged "live", in person. This is our second show offering this division, and the tradition has begun for these glaze colors on each year's unique trophy designs.

Clinky Classic Performance division awards, for November 1st-2nd, 2014. 

Many people view Performance showers as a breed of their own, much as ceramics collectors and exhibitors are viewed. They do have a lot in common, so it was natural for all-ceramic shows to offer Performance.

The following are some more recent examples of both photo and live show Performance entries.

Exhibitor Kim Jacobs creatively showed her Arabians in a variety of African, Asian (India being part of Asia), and Middle Eastern riding cultures:

Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

2012 Clinky Classic Performance Champion.

Owned by Sue Stewart.

Native American Costume

Owned by Sue Stewart.

Saddleseat
Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

Harness

Photo courtesy Kim Jacobs.

"Sure, these are expensive ceramics to replace, but they can be replaced. What about performance showing unique tests, or custom glazes? Is that still even done?"

Yes, and very well, I might add!

A custom glaze Performance entry.

Photo courtesy Marilyn Jensen.

A custom glaze English Performance entry awaits the ring.

Photo by author.

Western Pleasure with a unique custom glaze.

Photo by author.

This custom glaze by Maureen Love, shown as "O'Carolyn's Tribute" in the late 1980's-early '90's by Joan Berkwitz, was a Performance model! Several such vintage custom glazes, and factory finished ceramics, are known to have been strong Performance competitors. There is a rich tradition in the model horse hobby of competing unusual models under tack. The only limitations are your courage in showing them, and your creativity in presenting them!

Good luck with your future investigations into Performance showing your ceramics. There is no limit to the creativity or historical era, as long as it can be a recreation of a real-life horse use. Is your model performing tricks at Liberty on a movie set? Is your horse part of a reenanctment? If you can find real life reference, even ancient art, add it to your set up as documentation. 

If you have questions about attending or Performance at Clinky Classic, just drop me a message. Entries close soon (October 1st, 2014) for the next show.



Thank you to all the intrepid ceramics exhibitors who shared their images for this post!

In With The Bad, Out With The Good

The day started with my usual Clinky Classic show prep at this time of year, a whole mess of slipcasting. In between topping off the levels of liquid clay in the molds, I pick up disconnected areas of my messy studio. I've made it a goal to clear a section each day, until it's totally clean except for a pre-show dusting. While I was cleaning, I took a hard look at all the off-topic things in the cabinets of my studio. This is the clutter I can't throw away because it is composed of meaningful artworks, even if they are not the focus of what I collect, anymore.There are entire sub-collections that I haven't added to in a decade or more, but that would make my fellow collectors so happy. Also, if I am going to move into the family farm house soon, why pack, move, and unpack items I scarcely look at, when I can pack and rehome items, and make room? As the molds drained the excess slip, I started dusting these items, taking sales photos, and advertising them online.

Sometimes, you can look at a cabinet and know immediately when it is time for the contents to find new homes. It's not always a drastic downsizing, maybe a little shift, or a realization that a fellow collector could enjoy it now as I have, in the past. As undying fired earth, it is part of a continuum that extends before and after me; as a mortal curator, I feel better when I go with that flow of "where things need to go". Not in the sense of putting things away, of course. Look how long it's taking me to clean this studio!

Uploading photos and writing ads necessitates being in the office, on my computer. I hate everything about that: the chair, computers in general, lighting, and the smell of the air. I am not an office person. Still, to get things done, I sit here and get through it as fast as I can. I usually compose this blog with pen and paper, then input it all on the computer as fast as possible. The office is not my native environment.

Suddenly, around 3pm, a series of Facebook private messages came zinging through, as I worked. All of them were confusing, jumbled multi-horse photos with no text. Just broken vintage HRs and Japanese imports, and their parts, randomly placed in flats. 

Photos courtesy Jennifer Dodd

The messages were without text because there are no words.

I just typed back, "goodness bless their broken selves
                             Did you save them all?
                             I'd even look under that tapestry for legs"

What collector is prepared to see that? I couldn't tell much from the images, just that some were damaged Monrovia era Hagen-Renakers. Since I do restorations for hire, I assumed it was a purchase that the owner wanted restored. 

But, they were not yet purchased!

The sender, Jennifer Dodd, is a china collector friend who stumbled upon this estate auction's ad, and had to investigate. This is what the auctioneers' ad showed to prospective bidders:

Ceramic horses that survived nearly 60 years were freshly broken after this photo was taken.

Jennifer wrote: 

                         "They destroyed and threw away at least three.                           Don't even have trash anymore. Crusader, Honora, small Zara                          Said they broke to dust. I want to cry"

Yeah, me, too.

Auction companies are notorious for manhandling breakable items. To bear witness to this via photographs, let alone in person, can make one physically ill. There is no respect, it's just a job to the auction staff. 

As you can imagine, Jennifer is now feeling queasy, upon seeing the reality after the auctioneers split them into lots. She messaged me in blind hope that I would happen to be online and see the message, and help her guess values for bidding. 

It was sheer luck that I was doing sales ads at that moment, and my FB was signed in.

I wrote: 

                      "Save who you can. Don't worry about what you can't help.

              it's the rescue mantra"

Then a crazy thing happened. Jen asked me if I wanted to bid on anything. 

Well, it's no secret by now that I like mold detail and that I only collect certain molds. This keeps me focused and methodical about acquisitions. Something about building the congas (rows of the same sculpture in different colors) is very fun to me. There's a puzzle, a challenge, and it's not a checklist of numbers. When you are a collector of variants and factory goofs and customs, there are no checklists. You never know what will compose your conga!

I told her which molds I was after in the photos, but that I did not want to step on her own purchases. After all, she was sharing this with me, and doing the work! She even sent me closeup photos of the lots:

 When I saw that photo, I replied, "The Abdullah has throat wrinkles, that's nice." She had said his detail was moderate. His throat made me wonder if he was better, beneath all the dirt.

When they are so dirty and broken, it's hard to put values on them. Some horses will be fine after cleaning, but it's a gamble with crackled glaze on white horses. Nicotine, mildew, oils, and unidentified filth can be pressed or washed down into the crackle, staining the bisque body beneath. If the previous owner "bathed" their ceramics at any time, there may be deep stains that won't be evident until the outer dirt is removed.

Roan Lady happens to be one of the molds I conga. Maybe I should say, "a mold I aim to conga". It's been a slow build, and I've had many a missed connection. My husband even tried to secretly buy one like this at BreyerFest one year, as a surprise Christmas present, but a sharp collector beat him to it. The years haven't deterred me, I remain a fan. I even sculpted her real-life mate and made him in ceramic. This sad little white Monrovia Roan Lady was breaking my heart, with her apparent gray mildew and mysterious yellow debris. Her broken leg didn't worry me, but her potential stains did. I told Jennifer how much I was in for, and hoped for the best. The last I heard was a little after 4pm, when she was waiting on that lot. She would let me know if she won that lot, and would drop it off at my studio, after the auction.

Hours crept by, with no message, text, nor phone call. I have been to auctions. I know how it feels when I lose the lots I wanted: I don't particularly feel chatty. I kept working, demolding wet clay horses, and assumed that she had a bad auction day and went home. I made my dinner, worked some more, and put it out of mind.

At almost 8:30pm, she called while on the road... her phone had died, so she couldn't reach me sooner, but she had won the lot! Roan Lady was in the backseat. She was on her way to the studio, and wanted to stop and drop RL off.

I was gathering some restoration/cleaning gear when I heard the car pull up. She had arrived so soon, I had to check that it wasn't a trespasser! There may have been a little flying by way of car... maybe someone was a little excited from the auction. And rightly so...

She started unpacking her lots: some vintage Breyers, metal horses, and most of the china lot. Part of it had been shared with her friend that attended the auction that day. Everything present had the same mildew/dust combination, in varying amounts. Someone had collected Horse Shaped Objects for many years, and loved them enough to attempt mending their original damage. On old breaks on Man O' War, they used either wood finisher's crayon or Crayolas to match his color. Someone tried. They cared.

Jennifer urged me to take "before" photos of the main HRs in the lot, as I started showing her the alcohol cleaning process. On the right, is how they were after the auctioneers added damage to them. Left, just clean and glued, no putty or paint!

This is one of those "greenish-blue" underglaze variants. 

He also sports a muzzle that looks dipped in black, but it's sprayed.

He is so detailed, he has lip wrinkles! 

All the orange crayon is off, and he has his pride back.

His breaks had the most chips.

Not bad for a rescue!

They turned out to be even more detailed, once they were cleaned and mended. It's nice to find a Monrovia Roan Lady with face veining! The stickers are all pristine, and there is an added bonus:

Roan Lady retains her original retail price sticker! Five whole dollars. I cleaned around it, because that's cool history.

We sat cleaning and mending horses until almost one o'clock in the morning. There's nothing quite like the sense of purpose when rescuing old pottery art. Jennifer learned the cleaning process, from alcohol to glue removal, and assisted with gluing the mends with the accelerant. She did a couple ceramic imports on her own, and they turned out to be adorable treasures! Looks like she's ready to take on the epoxy putty, next time.

The continuum carries forward, and some unknown person's beloved horses are now getting fixed and loved again. Sadness gets turned into a positive. I was happy to also find a loving home for an earlier restored rescue horse that didn't fit in my collection themes. By next week, all my ads will be done and more ceramics will have new, appreciative homes. 


Many thanks to Jennifer Dodd for bringing this all about, and to her intrepid auction buddy Jessica Mashburn for helping her keep it together all afternoon. What an amazing surprise!