Jasper is a work in progress.... and has been for a very...very...very long time!
Started in the Summer of 2004 (...I know!!!), Jasper has been an education for me, he has been the base of most of my Equine Anatomical studies so over the last few years and as my knowledge has grown and I've applied it to him, he's had about 12 legs, several decapitations and was even cut in half once (or maybe twice?)!
Longsufferring and patient, Jasper got his name from the original model I made (I remade him in oil-clay after discovering Polymer clay wasn't the way to go!), when I used two beads for his eyes. The beads were actually made from Onyx (a black semiprescious stone - I was going through a jewellery-making phase at the time) but I didn't feel that name suited, so I had a look through my other gemstones and discovered Jasper, it immediately felt right and so the big 'ol boy had a name!
I was originally inspired to start a sculpture like this (having only dabbled with medallions before, with the Lawrence Group) when I saw Boreas, a wonderful show Percheron sculpure by talented equine sculptor and custom glazing artist Karen Gerhardt. I've always had a soft spot for the heavier breeds and Boreas just took my breathe away. Inspired, I set to work with some garden wire and gradually realised that creating model horses is actually really hard! Over the following years I've been studying equine anatomy and many thousands (probably hundreds of thousands, if I'm honest) of photographs of horses. Ironically I am allergic to the real thing, though I have tried to visit stables and have taken every opportunity to study live horses where possible.
Although Jasper is loosely based around a European Percheron (which are shorter in the leg, longer in the body and more heavily set than their American cousins), I'm keen to make sure he can be successfully shown as a range of heavy breeds such as the Belgian, the Boulonnaise and of course the "Heinz 57 farm horse".
I've been updating the photo above periodically, but now he is starting to approach completion I won't be sharing any more photos utnil he is ready. For more regular updates on his progress, sneak peeks and more information on all of my artistic works, check out my blog.
August 2011 Update: I've managed to get many hours into Jasper recently and he is coming on in leaps and bounds. At this point I won't be posting any further photos of him until he is ready to be cast. I'm confident that those of you who are waiting on seeing him complete will like the end result, as, after all these years, the many, many MANY hours of work are beginning to show through and Jasper should make a very respectible model for both your collection at home and on the show tables.
If you're easily upset, look away now, as the following sequence contains model horse violence, abuse and and just downright embarrassing stuff! I'll add captions as I get time but here is the no-holds-barred, warts and all, gruesome tale of how a tangle of garden wire became the chunky monkey that is Jasper, the most patient and forgiving model horse in the world!
Longsufferring and patient, Jasper got his name from the original model I made (I remade him in oil-clay after discovering Polymer clay wasn't the way to go!), when I used two beads for his eyes. The beads were actually made from Onyx (a black semiprescious stone - I was going through a jewellery-making phase at the time) but I didn't feel that name suited, so I had a look through my other gemstones and discovered Jasper, it immediately felt right and so the big 'ol boy had a name!
I was originally inspired to start a sculpture like this (having only dabbled with medallions before, with the Lawrence Group) when I saw Boreas, a wonderful show Percheron sculpure by talented equine sculptor and custom glazing artist Karen Gerhardt. I've always had a soft spot for the heavier breeds and Boreas just took my breathe away. Inspired, I set to work with some garden wire and gradually realised that creating model horses is actually really hard! Over the following years I've been studying equine anatomy and many thousands (probably hundreds of thousands, if I'm honest) of photographs of horses. Ironically I am allergic to the real thing, though I have tried to visit stables and have taken every opportunity to study live horses where possible.
Although Jasper is loosely based around a European Percheron (which are shorter in the leg, longer in the body and more heavily set than their American cousins), I'm keen to make sure he can be successfully shown as a range of heavy breeds such as the Belgian, the Boulonnaise and of course the "Heinz 57 farm horse".
I've been updating the photo above periodically, but now he is starting to approach completion I won't be sharing any more photos utnil he is ready. For more regular updates on his progress, sneak peeks and more information on all of my artistic works, check out my blog.
August 2011 Update: I've managed to get many hours into Jasper recently and he is coming on in leaps and bounds. At this point I won't be posting any further photos of him until he is ready to be cast. I'm confident that those of you who are waiting on seeing him complete will like the end result, as, after all these years, the many, many MANY hours of work are beginning to show through and Jasper should make a very respectible model for both your collection at home and on the show tables.
If you're easily upset, look away now, as the following sequence contains model horse violence, abuse and and just downright embarrassing stuff! I'll add captions as I get time but here is the no-holds-barred, warts and all, gruesome tale of how a tangle of garden wire became the chunky monkey that is Jasper, the most patient and forgiving model horse in the world!
