I’ve decided after 2 years that I don’t feel the love for Wizard’s Vale Arts. So I’m going back to my first studio name of Westerly Design. I have changed the name and URL of my website/blog and it is now:
I will also be slowly changing to a new email address, which is working now if you want to note the change in your email contacts:
karen@westerlydesign.com
Thanks for your patience! I was “Westerly Design” for nearly 20 years and I miss it!!
Here are photos of the first two (of 10) English bone china Juniper Gypsy Cobs that I have finished. (Only 3 3/8″ tall!) Complete sets of photos are in albums here:
The bone china Junipers were pre-sold last spring to pay for the moldmaking in England. So these are not for sale. UNLESS all 8 people pass on these, then they will be offered to the public! (The pre-sale terms included a sort of lottery sale process. 8 people can choose one as they come up or pass on them.)
I will update this blog if one of these pops up for public sale. I am still waiting for the molds to arrive from the UK so that I can start casting earthenware china Junipers. Hopefully any day now!
I’ve just finished this “Halfling Boreas” (4″ tall) in earthenware. He’s been donated to the Breakables Live show silent auction. This is only the 3rd Halfling Boreas cast by me in earthenware that has been glazed in a realistic color. (The others have been art glaze colors.)
Here is the link to bidding ahead of the event, which takes place on July 18th.
This piece is now sold.
I know that many of you grew up collecting model horses like I did. I was always dreaming of how amazing it would be to own Hagen-Renakers and Beswick china horses in colors other than what the factories produced them in. Repainting them in acrylics or oils just wasn’t the same. So when I learned about ceramic overglazes (aka chinapaints) and how they are designed to be permanently fired into any glazed china finish, I was like a kid in a candy store. From time to time I pick up Hagen-Renakers if the price is right, with overglazing in mind. Often they have a chipped ear or a flaw in the glazing that can simply be covered up with the glazes. They are perfect candidates for overglaze repainting!
This Hagen-Renaker 9″ Amir is a great example. It is from the San Marcos (1980’s) era, matte palomino, mint condition, beautiful crisp mold detail. Nothing wrong with the casting or the finish, but just what I would call a ho-hum finishing job in the palomino color. I have reglazed him in my kiln to a beautiful dappled golden bay with two socks, still matte finish. The dappling is softly realistic; my personal style and preference for this is emphatically not over the top or sharp-edged or dotty. I have worked a long time to get this technique “right”, and it is especially difficult to get it to show up on a bay or other dark colored horse. The eyes have been completely redone, and a star and snip added to the head. The hooves have also been repainted, with ermine spots and matching stripes.
I am asking $550.00 USA postage paid, for this one of a kind piece. I will ship overseas… but we’ll split the postage cost and you’re responsible for all customs duty, etc.
If you are interested: Email Karen
Thank you!
This is the now completed “show” version of the “Boreas” Percheron sculpture, in matte earthenware china. At the greenware stage (as described in a previous post) I moved the mane from the left side to the right side, and then resculpted both sides of the neck adding the line of braids, the trailing ribbon, and the new shorter mane on the right side. I also resculpted the tail into a “bun”. I ended up using the cast-metal flights available from Horsing Around of the UK. They are more in-scale and more sturdy than anything I could make from scratch. And thanks to their great prompt shipping, they arrived last week! I made the tail fans from stiff coated card stock, primered and painted.
I am just so thrilled with the way this guy came out. The “attachments” are drying and then he’ll be off to his new home.
Other News:
We had a little shipping glitch with the “Juniper” bone chinas coming from England. They were mailed to my old house in Boulder. Happily, the USPO actually did the right thing and the boxes were returned to sender rather than landing in no-known-address limbo. The first of the 3 boxes just arrived back in the UK. So they will be turned around and out again to me soon. I have also asked for the molds to be sent right away rather than wait for me to see the cast chinas. I need to start making earthenware ones!
I have withdrawn from my share of the booth space at BreyerFest in July. The number of people involved was getting complex, and I had to admit I was just going to fail at getting items made in time for making the booth worth doing. I was more looking to having a place to hang out and see everyone, than selling stuff. But I feel relieved to now have no responsibilities at BF this year, and that work pressure off me right now.
I’m starting work on glazing again. I’m donating a Halfling Boreas in earthenware to the silent auction at the Breakables show during BreyerFest. I think it’s going to be some sort of tobiano. I’m also glazing 2 Roundabout’s. The first 3 weeks of July are hugely busy for Paul and I, so I don’t think I’ll get much else done until I get back from KY on the 22nd. But then it will be full speed ahead on Juniper glazing. I kind of hope the weather is bad in August so I won’t be wanting to go play outside all the time, and just stay in and work!
Enjoy your summer and I hope to run into you in Lexington at the Kentucky Horse Park during BreyerFest!
Westerly Design 
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