Timaru Star II: NaMoPaiMo dreams: Kotinga

This is one of those share-the-vision posts that may or may not go any further. So many projects only make it to this stage, the Dream stage (before primer!). It takes time, effort and discipline to become real. But hey, every step counts, right?

I never thought I'd have a NaMoPaiMo vision I was slightly afraid to share. Such a small thing; but I can hear the voices: How dare you do that?! This is not like 2017, when I was merely shy of the whole NaMo idea, and came up an alternate personal vision of making tack instead. This dream has already manifested in reality: I've already depainted the horse. It is that very depainting I'm hesitating to admit. Still, the desire to share is so powerful that I'm plunging ahead.

My dream vision started in a glorious blaze of certainty. I knew exactly what I wanted: a palomino Stone ASB [American Saddlebred, Ringo mold]. (It happens that next year's NaMo has a premium on using a Stone horse. I found that out after I'd already chosen my victim, so it is a sweet little reinforcement.) I wanted him a bright metallic orangeish, with low socks and brown eyes, a glowing, gleaming, glimmering palomino. He's to be the life partner of my Stone palomino Sassy/Tawny, she who has already been featured so largely on this blog. Sassy is fractionally too dark for my taste (photos don't show this well) and she is not metallic. He already has found his name, -- sure sign of besottedness -- originally spelt with a C [Cotinga] and referring to the colorful tropical bird.

Sassy / Tawny

Haunting the online markets and pinching pictures is a sure sign of my future buying intentions. In this fashion I learned there was a 2011 Stone issue out there called "Spirit Mountain," a Stone palomino ASB run of 30 head. Even now, with all I have done to prepare to paint my own, I think I would drop $$ to get this gentleman: One can never have too many palominos!

Spirit Mountain. img src unkn; will credit when known

I had discussed such a horse with Linda of Design-A-Horse in person, in July this year at BFest. She said metallicism had not ever been offered, yet told me there might well be future chances with individual pieces by individual artists. Unfortunately, my overall experience with acquiring Stones has been a strong reinforcement of the old saw "never buy a Stone but in the hand." Interior and secret long-simmering angst at both the waits and the prices, combined with NaMoPaiMo experience, set me on the path of attempting my own. If I failed, the fault would be entirely mine.

Photo by Ryan Morrisey

I knew unpainted Stones were out there. But finding one I wanted at a price I could afford depends on timing (as it does for every model purchase). I wanted one NOW, to start the primering process. In September I found an ASB for $120. In a sudden stroke of daring I saw that his color included a palomino's mane and tail and hooves and eyes. These parts, so essential to an O.F. and the toughness-of-coat I wanted, were already in place. I had only to etch away his grey.

If you think I didn't hestitate, you'd be wrong. But I have a long track record of pushing through with experimental projects. What price learning? I've never liked greys, I prefer a warm-colored horse.

I started with the back spot.

What I hadn't counted on was how fun it was! Etching is relaxing. There were tack pieces I was supposed to be working on, a trip to prepare for, long-neglected housecleaning and mending, blog posts promised but not done, oh, everything! Yet what my Muse really, really wanted to do was sit down there and scratch away. I started with the X-Acto and ended up adding a file and rubbing alcohol.

These few photos show my methods: The jewellers file, the alcohol (bottle on right), the Qtips and the X-Acto (lower right). Not shown is my half-round X-Acto which did the lion's share of the work. The photo below, an oddity!, was taken to show some of my real, full scale horse tack. Based on the grey on the shoulder, he was earlier than the above shot.

Dang if he don't look good at this stage...

Note surface texture, hoof spots, and grey on chest

I didn't keep track of how long this depainting took, but it was more than 2 weeks. I refined as I went until the last places were very smooth. The eyes and sheath were the most challenging; I wanted to retain the dark skin around these parts but had to allow for future blending of edges. There's going to be a godawful amount of taping: Even the crack between his quarters is a lovely pink which I don't want to primer over... !

I had previously painted a metallic buckskin:

so I'm not a complete greenhorn. But I am wondering. I never had to worry about the definition of unpainted before! What if this form of depainting is illegal for NaMo? Not the act itself, but in choosing a horse already partly painted? Honestly, I hadn't thought this through until now!

I learned so much. I learned rubbing alcohol was not up to the job, but would serve well enough if fine scratching or filing had been done beforehand. One had to be patient,... and persistent,... and eventually the coat would come white. There was primer under that grey, I had not known that. He was, of course, a glossy, and my etching left a surface that has been very hard to smooth down to match that gloss. (I will not quibble about ermine hoof spots on palominos, though I mourn the inevitable loss of the pink shading at the elbows.) I look forward to the chance to test both his surfaces with primer, sealant, PearlEx and color.

The rules for National Model Painting Month are clear: Take an unfinished model equine and paint it within the month of February. Here I thought my shame was only in the depainting of a rare O.F.* Maybe I can stand that. This feeling of pride in my accomplishment mixed with tentative worry at others' understanding is so much a part of this hobby's history that I am almost comforted...

Da-ned if it's gonna stop me. As things are turning out I'll only have the first half of Februay to work with. My husband is ever-more insistent on taking trips "while we still can." We shall be gone from February 15 to March 9. We're trying to evade winter weather down in Florida. I know it sounds unbelieveable, but the last January we were down there it was much colder than in Pennsylvania. It was so cold (in Florida!) that our car keys thought their batteries were dead! -- while they were in our pockets!! Eh well, he's been experimenting with alternate seasons of the year for our usual birding haunts. This is a longwinded way of saying I only have half of February. Maybe that's an excuse to try to paint half a horse.

*Research is ongoing as to how many of this model were made. As of this writing I have 2 answers, 6 and 30 (thank you K!). Will update when more is known.

Remember I'm the one who painted a Silver Dapple Fighting Stallion back in the 80s. Silver Dapple Fighter. Apparently I've always been stepping out onto strange lands and unknown places in the context of my beloved hobby. This is just one more.

These photos are by Kelly Weimar. Thank you Kelly! Not just for these, but for giving him a good home.