Jake the Farrier and his Dude Day...

 Poor Jake the Farrier went from being the only person around to suddenly having a bunch of family members with him and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming for him, especially since nobody seems to be real interested in doing anything.  They are still trying to find themselves in their new environment, but Jake has to earn a living so basically he's supporting everyone for now.  Eccentric Uncle Bob has managed to sell a few paintings here and there, but not enough to support himself and Cassie seems to be more interested in looking like a horse trainer than actually being one.  Plus, she doesn't know much about horses.  So last week Jake the Farrier decided to invite his male relatives out for a "Dude Day" and took them to the desert.

They set up some tents to be comfortable since it can be a little hot during the day and they need shelter from the sun...

They brought Ribbon the Unusual Dog along for company.  Plus, isn't camping more fun with a dog?  Even an unusual one?

The sleeping bags provide them a more comfortable place to sit so they aren't just sitting on the hard ground, but Eccentric Uncle Bob decides the ground isn't so bad apparently...

Adam doesn't do a whole lot of anything.  He's never been Day Camping and isn't sure of what to do with himself so he just kind of stands around and watches everything.  Which is probably a good thing because he was the first one to spot them...

What IS that?  It looks like a cat, but it's walking so low to the ground...like it's slinking around.  They've never seen a cat like that.  Not one that walks like that.  But wait...there's two...

"Should we take them home to Cassie?" Adam wonders

"What are they doing out here?" Eccentric Uncle Bob ponders

*thud*  Jake the Farrier passes out...whether from the heat or seeing the strange cats, they don't know.  But it sure put a damper on their Dude Day!

Time to get caught up!

Hi, Everyone.  I've missed a few days of reveals so I'm catching up now.  hahaha.  I'm sure none of this is new to anyone, but that's okay.

First up, we have Ansel, a blue roan frame overo pinto, reminiscent of Ansel Adams' evocative photographs.  He is done on the brand new Morgan (mold #807) sculpted by Kylee Parks and was initially released as a Premier Club model in 2020...

Next up is a portrait model of a warmblood mare named Queen of Hearts, aka Josie.  she is a chimera with brindle markings on one side and solid color on the other...believed to occur when two non-identical embryos fuse together in utero...

Breyer usually shows both sides of a model, but they didn't with this one so I guess we can only assume that the right side is solid.  Interesting.

Prisma is this year's crystal model.  I think they should've photographed him on a colored background because the white makes it difficult to get a good appreciation of him...

Best of Breyerfest Series 2 is a collection of shrunken down Traditional scale prize models from BF 2011 as an anniversary of BreyerFest: Fairytales...

I really only like the two on the far right, but I will take the entire set.  Hopefully, if I decide to buy an All-Access Ticket, I will be able to get one.  I never was able to get the set from last year because they kept selling out.

Rheverence+ is another portrait model.  He is a buckskin overo Pinto that competes in both Arabian and Pinto Horse Association events in hunter under saddle, English pleasure and Western pleasure as well as Western Dressage...

While attractive, he doesn't hold a candle to Sioux City Warrior, who cleaned up in the show ring back in the 1980s.  That horse was an absolute stunner and because he won so much in the Pinto events, he was "invited" not to return.  hahaha.  I don't like the mold they used for him so that will be an easy pass for me.  I find it interesting, though, that the real Rhev, his mane is on the right side of his neck, but the model version, it's flipped to the other side.

Favrile glass is a type of iridescent glass that was first manufactured in Queens, New York in 1896 using a special, patented process.  This model has been done in a kaleidoscope of colors inspired by Favrile glass and sports a bright, multicolor deco with a shiny gold pattern on top that is an amalgamation of zebra and tiger stripes, as well as Leopard and Cheetah spots (where's the cheetah spots?)

Apollo de Solis is an Andalusian stallion with a coat of gleaming metallic gold and dark green eyes...green eyes?  On a horse?  I don't think I've ever seen any eye color other than brown and blue.  Unfortunately, the pictures don't show his green eyes very well.  His coat is registered as a "Bay Double Pearl" and will give the recessive pearl gene to each of his offspring, which expresses itself in metallic shades when combined with another pearl genee and will emulate a cremello or perlino when combined with a cream gene...

He's a neat-looking horse, but I don't really collect the mold so I don't think I will be in the market for one.  I haven't entirely decided if I'm going to buy a ticket this year or not.  If I don't, that almost guarantees the Surprise! model will be one I collect.  hahaha.

Finally, we are down to the Single Day Stablemate models...

This year's BreyerFest has been inspired by color, creativity and community and we felt there was no more inspiring way to bring that theme to life than through an exploration of the art world.  We've travelled back in time and across the globe learning about historic works and influential people, but for the year's event Stablemates models we've been inspired by broader strokes - art movements!   Hmmm.  What can I say about this set?  This is the first time in a few years where I haven't wanted at least one of them.  I like the colorway on the SCO...Rococo...but not so much the mold.  I like the mold of Avant Garde, but not so much the color.  hahaha.  They say he's a Fjord, but he looks more like the Cleveland Bay.  So I won't be getting them.

Well, it's a bit odd but also kind of neat that we know so far in advance what all of the offerings for Breyerfest are but...I'm underwhelmed.  With the exception of the (shhhh!!! secret!) Marwari, I'm quite underwhelmed and not really thinking it will be worth for me to buy a ticket, which is a bit of a bummer, but that's good for my bank account, right?  Hopefully it won't be too expensive to get Tassili on the secondary market.  Even with the All-Access Ticket being only $75 this year...I don't know.  We'll see, I guess.  I don't have to decide right now.  I kind of like the Celebration Model, but do I like her enough to buy the All Access ticket.  

I guess that's it now.  Everything is revealed so short of anything major happening, Breyerfest blog posts are done for now.  hahaha.  Til next time.

"Amazing in Technicolor"

 Well, that's a matter of opinion.  hahaha.

We are absolutely seeing spots here at HQ!  You met the handsome (and SO glossy) Tassili this morning and we could not wait to reveal this next guy to you.

American artist Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) is most famously remembered for his splatter and drip paintings, where he would splash, splatter, pour and tip a horizontal canvas to get the desired effect.  While his career was cut short, Pollock is widely considered to be one of the greatest modern American Painters and his works hang in museums all over the world.

The Greyed Rainbow 1953

The painting reminds me of a bunch of ice cubes.  Mmmmm.  Ice Cubes.  Yes, I like good ice cubes.  I'm a Cube Cruncher.  hahaha.

Our Pollock model, a tribute to this revolutionary artist, has been done on Valegro (mold# 737...isn't that an airplane?) sculpted by Brigitte Eberl.  Like the paintings from this visionary, Pollock sports a wild combination of layers - a pintaloosa pattern with a variegated rainbow coat, golden spots and is topped with gloss!  Sure to be as how-stopper and conversation piece!

This model is very...interesting.  I love the Valegro mold.  Have since Day 1.  I even have the gold one, although it's still in its box.  I just don't like this one.  Why did they have to make it technicolor?  They used the painting The Greyed Rainbow in the description so why couldn't they have made it a splattered grey appaloosa like the one from the 2014 Vintage Club on the Indian Pony mold...

Don't you think Valegro would look STUNNING in the black "splatter" appy?  I certainly do.  Definitely much better than the Lisa Frank-esque colorway they did him in.  I didn't like Lisa Frank when I was younger and I don't like her stuff now...especially on a model that I really REALLY like.  So...alas...I will not be getting this model.  And in case you haven't noticed, I generally use the verbiage from the Breyerfest Blog when talking about the reveals...or even web specials...I might change the order of the paragraphs or combine paragraphs and I leave out what I consider to be unnecessary punctuation, but for the most part, it's what you'll find on the website.  So did you notice what is missing from this post?  The model's NAME.  Unless "Amazing In Technicolor" IS the name?  Or maybe it's "Pollock"...looking at the FB post by them I think I'm inclined to think the model's name is Pollock.    As for the model being "Amazing in technicolor"...I don't think so.  But that's just my opinion, of course.

So...as I mentioned before I have the next few days off from work.  Monday is a planned work holiday due to it being MLK Day and I decided to take off Thursday and Friday to make it a longer weekend.  I think Jake the Farrier wants to take some of his relations out into the desert and leave them there...er... I mean show them the "joys" of the desert.  hahaha.  I wonder what will happen and who will trust him enough to go.  <big evil grin>  Tune in and find out.  Til next time!

The reveal I've been waiting for!!!!!!!!

 After I published yesterday's post, a few hours later Breyer released another model.  That is not the one I've been waiting for.  But first, the non-equine model.

Today, we are inspired by the classics and are traveling back to ancient Greece.  Meet Knossos...

This handsome bull was inspired by the Bull-Leaping Fresco at the Palace of Knossos in Crete, which dates back to 1450 BCE.  The beautifully restored artwork features three figures engaging in an activity known only as "bull leaping" but the purpose of this activity has been lost to history.  Based on art styles from the period, scholars have determined that the pale figures in the fresco are women, while the darker, leaping figure is a man.  Our Knossos, created exclusively for BreyerFest, has been done as a wild-type Brindle Piebald bull on Chris Hess' Spanish Fighting Bull (mold #73), which was first released in 1970.

Hmmm.  Well, they say the darker figure is "leaping" but to me it looks more like he's about to be "yeeted" (tossed).  Of course, it doesn't help that he's facing the tail end of the bull.   The only non-equine model I collect, and I only have one set, is the bears.  I have the ones from the silver anniversary Breyerfest, but they're not the silver ones, just the regular ones.  I like bears.  Mostly Grizzlies.  I do collect the Companion Animals, though, but those are small.

So...the reveal I've been waiting for.  The shhhh!!! Secret! model.

We have spent a lot of time exploring historical art located in Europe and produced by European artists, but today we are crossing the Mediterranean and heading to Africa! (which is funny since the Marwari is from India)

Tassili n'Ajjer is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Park located in the Sahara Desert in Southern ALgeria.  This massive site is home to sandstone rock formations engraved with over 15,000 images, including cattle, antelope and people, that date to the Neolithic period - about 12,000 years ago...

Our Tassili model for BreyerFest pays homage to this amazing historical site that is a window into the past of humans and art.  He has been done as a bright, coppery chestnut tobiano pinto with a glossy finish, which reminds us of the color of sandstone.  Originally sculpted by Brigitte Eberl, the Marwari (mold #722) was first released in 2012 as a Premier Club model but has more recently been our 2017 Celebration Horse, Nazruddin...

At least they didn't sculpt him like the drawing with 4 front legs, 4 back legs and his tail tied to a couple of wheels.  hahaha.  Tassili reminds me a lot of Kalahkaari from the Premier Club, but mostly because it's chestnut and white.  Tassili has a lot more white than Kalahkaari does...

Well, looking at them together I guess they're not all that similar other than being the same mold.  It looks like Tassili is a lighter color of chestnut and the pattern is definitely different.  Either way, I plan on getting a Tassili since I conga that mold.  And, as I've mentioned before, I'm super happy they used the original mold with the turned ears rather than the "updated" version.

So, apparently Breyer is going to release another model later today.  They would.  Why can't they do one a day like they usually do?  hahaha.  Yes, I'm whining and complaining...sort of.  I'm going to go ahead and publish this blog and will probably post a new one when the other model is revealed.  We shall see.  Til next time!

The Non-Reveal of a Reveal...wait...what?

 Today's reveal isn't an actual reveal.  Not a picture reveal anyway, but a name reveal.  Are you confused yet?

We can't reveal this model to you just yet - we can't even give you so much as a clue!  What we can reveal is that we have pulled out all the stops for this year's Surprise Model, the Seven Arts Surprise.  There will be a total of 6,000 of this model made and each will cost $85.00 - but that's all we'll say!

The Seven Arts refers to the traditional subdivision of the arts - Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Literature, Music, Performing Arts and Film.  Here's to a beautiful and creative 2021.

Hmmm.  I hope this doesn't mean it's going to be ALL decorators.  I know usually at least one of the 4 models is a decorator and that's fine.  I am just hoping they don't make all 4 of them decos.  It will be interesting to see how they translate the 7 Arts into horses.  I guess we will have to wait and see.

On a non-hobby note...I booked my hotel for my return to Las Vegas in April.  I saw that the resort chain I stay at is having a room sale...40% off...so I looked at the Bellagio and at the Mirage and decided to go with the Mirage again.  It sucks that the resort fee is almost as much as the room rate so it's not super cheap, but I can live with it.  I booked a Volcano View room.  I could've gotten a Penthouse Suite for the same price as a Lakeview Room at the Bellagio, but the problem with being on the upper 4 floors is that because of the signage for the Beatles Cirque show Love, it affects the view out the window, which I really disliked the last time I was there.  I like being able to see out the window and not have the view distorted by little circles.  The sign isn't solid to where you can't see out the window at all, but it's still pretty obnoxious. It bothers my eyes... 

The smaller photo isn't too bad, but when you look at it full-sized, all those little circles are really bad on my eyes.  So anyway, I will be staying at the Mirage again.  I'm happy.  The Bellagio is a great hotel, don't get me wrong.  I stayed there once and the bed was super comfy, but I decided to go a little more budget this time so I'll have more money for other things, you know?  Plus, the Mirage has some pretty convenient things nearby and just has a more relaxed atmosphere, in my opinion.   

Well, I guess that is it for today.  Tune in tomorrow for either my regularly scheduled Wednesday nonsense or more from Breyer...or both!  hahaha.  Til next time!

Seeing Spots...

 Okay.  So Breyer has another reveal for us today.  If they're going to reveal every day, I don't know what I'm going to do.  Should I save up a couple of days or just go ahead and post daily?  But I'm off work Thursday, Friday and Monday so I don't know... We shall see.

As we continue our reveals of this year's Special Run models inspired by the art world, we are taking a journey to the more recent past to introduce you to the inspiration behind our next model - Seurat.

Georges Seurat was a young artist (he died at the age of 31) who lived and worked in France during the second half of the 19th century and is most well-known for his use of pointillism in his paintings.  These incredible works displayed Seurat's knowledge of color theory as he created stunning images composed solely of tiny dots...

Our Seurat for this year's BreyerFest celebration isn't compsed solely of dots, but his many dapples reminded us of Seurat's amazing paintings.  He has been done as a handsome dapple sooty palomino with a pearly mane and tail on the Friesian Sporthorse (mold #806), sculpted by Lynn Fraley and recently released in the 2020 Premier Club...

Hmmm.  I like the color, but I'm not so sure about the mold.  There's something about the head that just doesn't click with me.  And I have a hard time seeing a Friesian as anything other than solid black.  And according to Breed Characteristics, chestnuts and bays exist in some bloodlines, but not since the 1930s.  And a palomino doesn't fall under chestnut or bay last time I checked.  hahaha.  I don't know.  I just wish the head was positioned a little different.  If you're a performance shower then I guess the pricked ears are good because it shows the horse is engaged and intent, but for just a general model, it seems to be too much.  But that's just my opinion.  He's pretty enough.  

Getting caught up...

 Over the weekend there were a couple more SR reveals.  It can be difficult to save pictures on my iPad Mini so I didn't blog about them, but I will now because I'm on a desktop computer.

First up, is Pech Merle, a tribute to the eternal relationship between horses and humans...

Dating to more than 29,000 years ago, the cave paintings of Pech Merle in France are one of the oldest representations of horses in art (only slightly younger than the Vogelherd Figurines unearthed in Germany) and were discovered by a group of teenagers exploring the cave system in 1922.  Among the various representations of animals and humans depicted on the massive cave walls are a series of "dappled horses" that bear a striking resemblance to appaloosas.

In 1482, the Duke of Milan commissioned Leonardo Da Vinci to create for him what would have been, at the time, the largest bronze horse statue in the world - standing at a massive 26 feet tall.  In preparation for his creation, Leonardid did an extensive amount of research on horses, and even wrote two separate tretises dedicated to the project - one on horse anatomy, and the other included detailed project plans for this commission.  Leoardo's Horse, also known as Gran Cavallo, were unfortunately never created and the original clay model was ultimatey destroyed.

To pay homage to this artistic visionary, BreyerFest has added its own version of Leonardo's Gran Cavallo.  Done on the Peruvian Paso (mold #576), sculpted by Linda York, this handsome boy has been done in a beautiful rich mohagany liver chestnut sabino...

In addition to these two models, Breyer has "revealed" what the weekend will look like.  It will be a mix of live content, streamed on BreyerHorses.com plus pre-recorded content - much of which you'll be able to access at your leisure during the three-day weekend.  This pre-recorded content will include workshops, seminars, horse demonstrations from our amazing equine guests, interviews with horses owners, virtual tours, access to amazing films and may other fun things.

BreyerFest will also host model horse photos shows, live (online) model horse showing clinics, live (online) model horse hobby workshops, contests and, of course - shopping!  Please know that we are working diligently to address any lingering concerns from 2020 and have a couple of tricks up our sleeves to make sure that your shopping experience is one of joy next summer, and not frustration.

HA.  I'll believe it when I see it.  We were assured last year that everything would run smoothly but it was nothing but one issue after another.  But I already spoke enough on that and feel it would be, if you will excuse the bad phrase, beating a dead horse.  Obviously, we're not going to know until July if this will be BreyerMess 2.0 or if they actually have worked all the kinks out, but I know I'm not the only one who doubts that.

So, back to the models.  What do you think so far?  I've never been a huge fan of John Henry because the mold is lumpy-looking, but the appaloosa pattern kind of masks that.  And while I like the pattern on the Gran Cavallo, I'm not so much a fan of the mold so I doubt I'll get that one.

I imagine Breyer will be releasing another model some time today.  If they do, I will probably do a new post rather than add onto this one.  I don't want the posts to get too long and people lose interest halfway through.  hahahaha.  So, til next time!