The final coat of stucco is going on the house now, and we finally can see the colors and texture that we chose, live and in person! (Fortunately we like it!)

I got all ramped up to finish a couple chinas this week, all excited about using the new spray booth, and then my air compressor wouldn’t start up again. I already paid over $200 for the “fix” last month, and apparently it isn’t. So it went back in the shop yesterday. I did get a little more dappling fired on the Phoenix. The overglazes and the air eraser are particularly good at doing the light subtle dappling like this on the barrel:

After I dapple the whole horse, then I go back in with the regular airbrush and shade over and deepen all the areas. (Like fill in those muscle grooves which are a little stark right now.) This one ultimately is going to have a black mane, tail and legs.

I’m heading out to New Jersey on Monday, so it’s just as well the compressor went out now. I hope it will be fixed by the time I get back.

I had to cancel my trip to Portland last weekend, because I just couldn’t get my work done in time. Some projects that were supposed to be over before that trip, were dragging on, and I just couldn’t spare even those 2 work days. Especially with giving up a whole week next week in NJ. I was so very disappointed to make that decision, but looking back it was the right one. I now have gotten past that work crunch.

I’m going to visit Breyer Animal Creations and spend two days painting plastic model horse colors in their painting department. I’m really looking forward to this unexpected chance to go back east for a week in October. (I love fall!)

I masked and prepped 8 models here and shipped them back, but I am not sure that I can paint that many in two days. It’s a lot of work that can’t be rushed, and the paints used are tricky! I have one break day on Thursday. (Probably will try to recover my aching back and hands from two days of painting non-stop!) On Friday I’m hosting a hands-on sculpting workshop as part of Breyer’s “Velvet Rope” collector event, a chance for 200 lucky people to tour their company and factory and celebrate everything Breyer. On Friday night everyone attends a fun costume party with dinner. I’m honored to be included in this exclusive event and really looking forward to it. I haven’t been interested in the whole Halloween thing as an adult and I am not wearing a costume. But I am bringing my little black dress for the occasion and getting out my high heels… dressing up like that IS a costume! It’s definitely not the “real” me!