I can finally announce this special project for 2023! 

2023 marks 20 years since I purchased my kiln and dived full speed into ceramics for my equine sculptures. It’s been an amazing journey and I think it needs to be commemorated. The time has gone waaaaay too fast!

Fido The Kiln first arrived at my studio in 2003, when we lived in Boulder, Colorado. All my fellow china-making friends had given their kilns names. Fido lived in my garage, in a dog pen with a doggie door to the yard, which we didn’t use because I don’t want my dogs hanging out in the yard (or in the garage) when I’m not there. But the dog pen, with tiled walls and flooring, was perfect for a kiln. So, he got named Fido of course!

Fido lived in Boulder for 8 years, and then we retired and moved up to Colorado ski country near Vail, where he lived in the garage of the duplex home we bought. Then in 2017 we decided we were not ready to be downsized and we moved across the valley to a larger house where I have a gorgeous custom studio. Fido now lives in the garage here too, right downstairs from my studio above.

Mini Caprice China Anniversary Edition

Caprice, a warmblood stallion, was my first sculpture to be produced in ceramic. He was first released in 1/9th scale resin in 2001, in two editions of about 60 each, two different versions: a stallion version with braided tail, and a mare version, hollow cast, with a loose tail. Then in 2005 in the dawn of the 3D scanning scene, I had Caprice I scanned, output in a mini scale with a resculpted loose tail, and immediately sold out of 300 pieces in resin.

It’s only right that Caprice is my 20th Anniversary commemorative edition. He wasn’t released in mini scale in ceramic, until now. I gave my original mini master sculpture yet another new tail for the china edition, this one braided and swishing to the side. Then I sent it off to Donna Chaney at Alchemy Ceramics in Herefordshire, UK, my amazing and can’t-live-without resource for my works in ceramic. I received the first pieces this week. 

Mini Caprice China will be approx. 50 pieces total in earthenware china. There will be about 35 pieces in one OF colorway, on the lovely little plinth shown, all of which I will glaze myself. There are 10 pieces being made without the base, which will be all custom glaze colors. I may pull a couple of the ones on bases and custom glaze them too; I just love the way he looks on the plinth! I’m using “approx” and “about” because there will inevitably be breakage. I will release the final numbers when everything has been finished. 

I am working on the test colors for the OF edition color right now. I want it to be an “easy”color that I can paint and fire in a maximum of 3 passes through the kiln. Hopefully two! Most likely: a dark shaded bay with interesting pangare areas, 4 white stockings, and the base left unpainted white gloss. All will be glossy finish.

The price point for the OF edition will be around $200. each. I am hoping to deliver a lot of them at Breyerfest in Kentucky this July, so that I don’t have to ship very many. I will be debuting them for viewing in person to the attendees at the (already sold out) Clinky Mayhem event in Carlsbad, CA, the first weekend in May and maybe even delivering some orders there depending on how many I get finished. We’re off to Arizona in April and staying until mid-May, therefore no more glazing until May!

As soon as I get a sample of the OF edition color finished and photographed, I will take orders. It will go to a lottery-draw format if I get more than 35 orders. Payment terms TBD… I don’t like holding onto a lot of people’s money so I might just take names and then require payment in full each time I have pieces ready. It all depends on how long it takes me to glaze 35-ish OFs!

I will announce the opening of orders on my Facebook page, my website’s blog/email mailing list, and my instagram account (@traveldogartpony). If you absolutely don’t want to miss out, I suggest you subscribe to the blog via this link. Click the menu icon at upper right, scroll down, and follow the blog subscribing instructions. Then you’ll get my blog emails sent to you including the ordering announcement.

Thank you all for your support of my china dreams over these 20 years!!