2021 Crowns for the Care - Estes Park Health Foundation Paint Estes Pink Campaign

 

In 2021, Crowns for the Care contestants will solicit donations to bring a new MRI machine to Estes Park Health. MRI is often used to diagnose certain types of cancer. The current machine is 14 years old, dated, and near the end of life. The new machine is $1.1 million, and EPHF needs help from generous donors like you to make this purchase a reality. 100% of the money raised during Paint Estes Pink goes directly toward the purchase of the new MRI machine.

The Estes Park Health Foundation increases community awareness of Estes Park Health, and develops, manages and distributes funds to assist EPH in fulfilling its mission. To learn more about initiatives or to volunteer, contact them at GiveToEPH.org or 970-577-4370.

Every Crowns for the Care Contestant will receive one-on-one mentoring from a past Mrs. Rooftop Rodeo winner. A Kickoff Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 6 from 4-6 p.m. Contact Estes Park Health Foundation at 970-577-4370 or giving@eph.org for details and to reserve your spot.

DONATE HERE

I decided to join this year, because as someone who has needed the MRI multiple times - it felt like a great cause to me. I was a little nervous meeting all the ladies for the Kickoff Meeting on Sunday, June 6, but it was a great group of people and I felt privileged to meet the past winners. 

I got home from the meeting and was immediately inspired to make a flyer and start posting it on social media, mailing it to friends and family and emailing it as well. 

I am working towards a goal I have set and will do a post thanking all donors and with the results come July! 

Medallion Madness Month - June 2021

 

It's been a hard few months trying to decide WHAT to do for the medallion challenge this month. I have so many medallions - which I do NOT collect (😂).

I decided to break down and do my Tucker Medallion that I won from Kylee Parks. There is a special story behind him - Kylee was holding a contest in November 2020 for a Tucker. You had to post what you were thankful for in 2020. 

I posted that I was thankful to all the model horse people that supported me with help during the 2020 evacuation of my home in Estes Park, Colorado. My town was evacuated because of the East Troublesome AND Cameron Peak Fires. I received so much support from the model horse hobby that it was INCREDIBLE and I am still so grateful to this day. 

So, I decided that the Bear Tucker was lying on had to be SMOKEY THE BEAR because Forest Fires and such. 

I found a hat on line. I was so excited I didn't have to sculpt it - because - well I suck at sculpting and I wanted this to be great!!

I cut the hat in half and sanded off the Bear's ears then tacked the hat down and now to resculpting the ears and attaching the hat better stage.  Then I started to paint. I knew I wanted an Appaloosa foal as I love Appaloosas - we raised them when I was a child - and my dream horse was a bay blanket Appaloosa. 

I found this baby and decided to try my best at not butchering it too much. I can paint excellent bays but the Appaloosa markings are still my trial. 

I used acrylics, pastels and pearl-ex. I knew I had a limited amount of time to work on him this month and I spent hours each day or 1/2 day off I had - because I have been working so much overtime, plus I was applying for a scholarship and competing in a competition for Paint Estes Pink here in my town. 

 I cried a couple of times because all my brain could think was that he wasn't live show quality. But then I worked on him today and why he may not be perfect for anyone else - Navajo Moon Prince and Smokey the Bear are perfect to me and for me. 

I am glad to completed the Medallion Madness Month challenge and to have been true to my idea and goal. 

Favorite Artist Series - Model Horse art by Janine of Quequinox Art

 

I met Janine online in about 2008-2009 or so on Deviantart. I loved her sculptures. She does amazing work with wire armatures and Polymer Clay! She does such beautiful work from realistic to fantasy to the macabre. She is amazingly talented and I have been able to watch her improve over the years to a wonderfully skilled and amazing artist.

I have wished multiple times that I could obtain some of her works. They are well worth the price and stunningly detailed. 

She has posted how she starts her armatures - and builds from this base. 

Here are some of my favorite pieces that she has done. You can check out her website HERE and her Facebook page HERE. 

She also is casting some lovely resins available on her website. 

I am lucky enough to own one of her original Polymer clay sculptures. I have had him since 2008 or 2009. 

Monthly Model Horse Painting Challenge - May 2021

 

There was no April challenge posted. This month's challenge has to do with Mothers in celebration of Mother's Day!! 

I decided to be adventurous and do a medallion for my mom. Using a gift shadow box from a friend - I painted the friendship Medallion by Ashley Stollberg of Ashley's Equine Artistry to my mom with her 1/2 Morgan 1/2 Quarter Horse gelding Pat. Pat was my mom's favorite horse besides her miniature William and I just had to do this gift for her! 

I learned to ride at about 1 year old on Pat and he was great with children and ornery with adults. 

Photo by Ashley Stollberg

My mom's gelding Pat

I used pastels and earth pigments as well as acrylics. The background is a Kansas sunset photo with the words "And God took a bit of Southerly wind and created the horse." 

The final piece looked so good to me. And I shipped it to my mom - she loved it. 

International Model Tack Month - April 2021 - Facing Failure Once Again

GOAL

International Model Tack Month (abbreviated IMTM to avoid confusion with other annual challenge groups) is a community of model horse hobbyists focused on helping each other complete a self-determined tack project between the dates of April 1 and April 30. This is not a contest or a competition; there are no prizes. Everyone who completes their project as described in their registration form and uploads a finished photo to the specified location will receive a personalized completion certificate in the form of a PDF that can be printed at home.

IMTM strives to create a kind, welcoming community where we can all learn. We focus on support and education for tack makers of all skill levels, remembering that we all started somewhere. Community members are encouraged to tailor any advice, suggestions, or critique to the skill level of the person requesting it. All criticism should be positive and focused on education.

I have entered this challenge for like 4 of its 5 years - the first year - I did not complete my challenge - see this blog. Then I did 2019 challenge and completed my project - here. 2020 was a suck year because I had to move DURING the pandemic and IMTM - here. 

This year I am trying it again - I hope to complete 2 Stablemate western bridles to go with saddles that I have that need bridles! 

As of April 17, I had not worked on my tack projects at all. I think I was having a bit of OMG can I do this left over from March. 

FAILURE

Today is May 1 and I did absolutely nothing for this challenge. Every time I sat down to work on it, this little nagging, ugly voice in the back of my head said, NOPE, it won't be good enough. 

This is something I struggle with tack making - my first attempt at IMTM (here) really showed me that I was being a bit arrogant about tack making and now I have gone to the other extreme of fighting it every time I sign up - either a life crisis happens or I find something else to do that isn't a challenge. 

I will continue to do this challenge each year. It's a good challenge and it's great to see everything that people complete. I am hoping to work on tack through the rest of this year and see what I can do so that I prepare myself for next year.