TSII #325 Fountain Art Deco: Finished

 

The pictures are going to do most of the talking!  This is another long post,...  It isn't eight horses, it's nine:  I almost forgot the original, the Classic Arab Mare, upon whom this saddle was built.  There's even a rack (stand) shot.  Having gone through them all, I find that Nicolas, or Carrizozo as he is known in my herd, is my own best overall model to display the fabulous Art Deco set.  We'll look at the "ones that fit" first, then consider some horses that shade towards too small and too big, ending with the rack.  Oh yeeks, 'the rack' sounds so bad!! --  just remember this is a saddle shop.

A close up of the marvelous fountain.  It's always hard to shoot prism tape and I don't know how I managed to be so successful here.

There is a kindness in Carrizozo's eye.  The bridle fits perfectly.  One can overlook that the cinch billet isn't quite long enough to reach the cinch's keeper.

The breastcollar doesn't pinch or choke;  the blanket isn't too big;  the reins might be a tad short, but they're workable.  As for lighting, well, blame the photographer,...

His size is neither too small nor too large.  He's so perfectly proportioned he appears as a full Traditional, yet the saddle was made for a Classic.  As a tackmaker I know he is an equal to the Pony of the Americas.  With that in mind, -- and given that I conga the P.O.A.!! -- I hauled out no less than three of them.

My first wish was to see what this saddle looked like on a cold-colored horse, i.e. a black or gray.  Answer:  Pretty cool in fact!

The black sets off the blues, while the red bits pick up on the blanket.  What looks red at the base of the fountain is actually some peach + pink holographic.

I was quietly delighted to find that this mold truly is a perfect size for #325.   The POA's long barrel is a plus for a saddle with so notable a serape and so fluffy a blanket.  The cinch billets were long enough for the keepers and the breastcollar fit snugly.  Here's another cold color, with more warm hues in the coat:

 

 

Finally I get to use my Kandinsky, hah!  Oh this is a good choice.

 

Continuing down the scale of Classic molds, I wondered about the Warmblod Mare, what I call the Ariat.  I have the entire Blossom series, and it was easy to choose which one to shoot.  The combination of Wedgewood blue and #325 makes for a fantastical, mystical combination, downright magical.  The purple flowers on her butt blend the two major color groups.

 

At the same time we agree that the color goes well, the saddle is getting a bit big.  Note how the neckstrap is up from the withers, into the mane.  The blanket is a little too far back, as are the skirts.  The bridle still fits.

It could be made to work.  The cinch billet is certainly long enough now!   But my next horse choice is an oh dear.  I also conga the Stock Horse Gelding, known as Liam.  And here we come to grief. 

Though the color is lovely, the size is clearly wrong.  This horse is too small.  The saddle overpowers him, the blanket is halfway to his tail!  The neckstrap is further up than on the Ariat, and the breastcollar sides push the cinch rearwards.   This is the limit;  this mold is below the proper size.  Below:  not the best angle perhaps, but it shows how far back that corona goes, well past the hips.

So let's try the other direction, a bigger horse.

See how the breastcollar is perched on the front of the shoulder, and how far out along the neck the neckstrap is?  Worse, the face ornament is too short:  It's dragging the noseband and browband inwards.

From the side you can see that the neckstrap is barely long enough for the buckle.  The berastcollar hasn't yet started to press against the throat, but it's right on the edge of doing so.

And as for the cinch, well, it's on the last couple of holes.  There's no margin of easy use here.

This next pair of photos is almost painful.  I wanted to try the set on my smallest resin which I thought could wear it.  (Sumara, sculpted by S. Prosser.)  I got an illustration of how widely varied the selection of model horses is:  this one's body is narrow enough for the saddle (and the spine perfect length), but the head is much too large.

See how the neckstrap is too far forward, and the throat is definitely being pressed.  The horse becomes larger as you progress from back to front.  The forelock was meant to accommodate tack, but this bridle is too small even for that.

This pretty version of Poker Joe was painted by Elizabeth Bouras, commission by me.  

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I had almost forgotten the CAM.  Strangely, she hasn't a name.  For this month of work on the Fountain Art Deco, I'm calling her Beauty.

At long last, here we see the vision in all its original splendor.  Thirty-three years ago this is what was created, on this very model.  Only now, drawing back in the flush of completion, do I begin to acknowledge that that corona might've been a bit much.  (Too fat, too big.)  Oh yes, wrinkle grin, such blame must be laid at my door.  A good name for it would be pride,...

What a lovely portrait she makes, with such a delicate face.  Maureen's skill is still evident, even across decades of battering.

It's hard to believe I'm done.  These pictures, the photo session, are the only way I get to keep them.

Rack shot.  

Here's a couple extras.  One shows close up the repair that was done at the top of the offside serape to the 'missing network.'

And one shows the underside and inside of the bridle.  This is a unique view.  The design and work is not that complex or sophisticated.  There is an elegant simplicity about the work of the TSII from those times.   In the course of the restoration, I was able to achieve a sliding noseband on the off side but not the near;  the thread ties were too bulky.  But it's still quite adjustable, as all the photos show.

A final bonus picture.  Photography credit goes to Liz Bouras and design to Judy Renee Pope, and Paula O'Keeffe who gave the photo to me.  Hagen Renaker Roan Lady.

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So, what's next for the TSII?

Fancy's Hackamore for the book, gods, time and muse willing,...