Stablemate Abby & Two Socks!

A couple of months ago, Betz Everitt contacted me and explained that she was working on a little gift for me and hoped that that was okay. I was surprised and excited when she explained what she was doing. Of course it was okay if she wanted to paint my horse! And Two Socks, too!

A hobbyist and artist from Virginia who chronicles hobby happenings on her blog, Equiden's Plastic Ponies, she also posts about her artistic creations on Painted Potoo Studio. Betz has kept me apprised of the progress she was making on her gifts, and they arrived earlier this week.

The portrait model of Abby

and the one of Two Socks! (These pics and the studio pics were taken by Betz.)

Inside the box were two wrapped packages.

I opened Two Socks first.

The Scrambling Foal mold was perfect for that cheeky little girl!

And for Abby? Breyer's Indian Pony mold has been a favorite of mine since childhood. So, when Breyer shrank it down to Stablemate scale, I was thrilled.

Its pose is very similar to the photo of Abby that is the header for my blog and it is the mold I would've picked for Abby, too. 

See that cheek spot on Abby's head? That is my favorite marking on her. 

I was delighted to find that Betz had included it on Mini Abby.

But that wasn't all that was in the box she'd sent.

Two Stablemate Friesians and four Mini Whinnies were in there, too!

Wondering if that was a mistake, I emailed Betz and asked her if she'd known that the extras were in the box. (They were at the bottom under some packing materials and I'd almost missed them.)

She responded that they were part of the gift to me and that she'd thought the Pony Pals and Cowpokes might enjoy them. They sure would, and I will get them to the kiddos, Betz!

Betz also emailed me some progress photos of the painting process for both pieces.

Having struggled to paint Sultanna and Hokey as NaMoPaiMo projects a few years ago, I knew that painting Abby was way beyond my capabilities. Her coat pattern, spotted and roaned and speckled and silvered, were for those with more talent and experience than me. I never dreamed that someone would do her for me as a gift.

Thank you so much for your kindness and for sharing your talents with me, Betz. To have someone do for me something I could not do myself is a treasured gift. I am so happy to have  two custom portraits of horses that I love.

Tomorrow is December 1st and as usual, I will begin a daily, end-of-the-post something. Recipe? Christmas Card? Something else?

Stay 'tooned!