Back from my first show...with a NAN card!!!

I attended Missoula 5 Valley Model Horse Show yesterday and had a wonderful time! I am so hooked on showing now that it isn't even funny. There were so many fantastic horses to drool over and I fell in love with performance. I have so many ideas now that my head is about to explode. Oh to have more money to bring my ideas to fruition!!


I only brought one model...my OF Bluegrass Bandit who I ordered hand picked from H&H. She was in a class against three other BBs and two Blue Velvets and took 1st! I was thrilled! I really wanted to bring some of my CMs, but as I worked on them last week, I realized I would be sacrificing quality if I tried to finish them before the show. I decided it would be better to observe at this show to see how I can improve my CMs.


I must admit, I would not have been ashamed to put any of my CMs on the table. I don't think I would have done spectacular, but I think my models (or at least my paint jobs) would have been competitive. There are many areas where I can improve, but I am very happy that my models don't suck! I did see some models with truly incredible paint jobs, and I now know what level of quality to strive for.


This show also helped me to better understand sculpture quality. I saw many big-name resins for the first time...Stormwatch, Independence, Lonestar, Indian Silver, several Eberls, El Embosco, plus a few others. They were all beyond my wildest expectations. I actually think Lonestar is my new favorite resin. I was never wild about him until I saw him in person. He's so versatile!



And finally, I must mention the other showers. I have never met a kinder, more helpful group of people! It was a small show, so everyone knew that I was new to this and were eager to help me. I had judges giving me tips and explaining what they were looking for and why they pinned classes the way they did. I got to examine some really cool models and tack close up. I talked to other artists about their painting methods (no other oil artists there, but I spoke with people who airbrush and pastel). Everyone took care of me and guided me along. It was great.


I am sold on live showing. Unfortunately, most shows near me are at least six hours away. In the winter and spring, they are almost impossible for me to get to thanks to the snow. I might proxy show some models when I finish them, but I really want to show them myself! Hopefully I will move to some area of the country next year when I go to graduate school where I can attend a few shows a year.