Virtual Brush Box

Celebrating Art

 
Awareness of the outside world. “My existence is not a difference of opinions.” Being Black in the horse world & the model horse world. Kristian Beverly: All Parts Of Me. Also, check out Kristian’s mural, About. From here, I believe, Cupboard Maker Books. Mural, bookstore cats, Novik in the display pile. Wanna gooooooo there, she whines. But I digress.
~~~

BreyerFest Blog: BreyerFest Coloring Page!

Hard to see, borders of the insets are Breyer yellow to match the logo.

Full-scale original available as a downloadable/printable PDF, here.

Process Notes. GIMP. Seeing what I could do with a single color. Pleased with the plaid background. It involved multiple layers and brute force, but looks nice.

Model Horses [archives]
Coloring Pages [archives]

Stay safe. Stay sane,
Katherine Walcott

Words

 

Micro Fragment I
I hate magic.

Breaking news. Magic is real. Every urban fantasy novel you’ve ever read has come to life.

So what?

As far as I can tell, magic is simply another way for people to be terrible to each other. Someone kills you with a gun or someone kills you with a spell. You’re just as dead.

And I have to figure out who did it.

I hate magic.

Micro Fragment II
I hate magic.

Magic is gender-blind.

Magic comes randomly regardless of class.

Magic doesn’t see color.

Bullshit.

Okay, magic TALENT is all of those things. How does that play out in the real world? Let’s see.

Who has the time to devote to study?

Who has the money for good materials?

Who has the ability to concentrate because they get three square meals a day?

Who gets the job offers?

Who is told they aren’t good at “that kind” of magic?

Magic is just another way for the rich to get richer.

I hate magic.

Micro Fragment III
I hate magic.

Magic is hard.

There’s tonal magic. You have to practice for hours each day to deliver smooth and nuanced spells.

There’s chemical magic. You have to memorize the characteristics of each spell so you don’t blow yourself up.

There’s mathematical magic. You start with the premise that the square root of negative one is real, and then it gets weird from there.

There’s engineering magic. You have to understand how much stress each spell can take before collapsing in heap.

Where’s the fingersnapping? Where’s the ‘Alakazam!’?

Magic is work.

I hate magic.
~~~curtain~~~

Random Images

The world is vast & weird.

 

Awareness of the outside world. As of 5pm yesterday. “Alabamians must wear a mask when within 6 feet of a person from another household; in an indoor space open to the public; … or an outdoor public space where 10 or more people are gathered.” AL.com: Gov. Ivey issues statewide mask order. July 15, 2020. Image from Al.com.
~~~

Recent crop of Postcrossing postcards, plus one sent by a friend to say hi. Still liking my decision to take the request for horse images off my profile. Less relevant for the blog, but better vicarious travel for me. [A Herd of Horseless Postcrossings]

Back Copy
https://umeya.amebaownd.com/

Other Info
“An eraser stamp artist with a deep love for cats” Above

Back Copy
Sales copy for the postcard unrelated to the specific image.

Other Info
Albrechtsburg Meissen

Back Copy
Aerial view of Chicago’s magnificent skyline and pier.

Other Info
Cured Chicago: A look at the new skyscrapers that will forever change Chicago’s skyline. Meet the next generation of supertall buildings. By Jay Koziarz, Updated Apr 30, 2020.

Back Copy
Repeat of front copy.

Other Info
Postcrossing: Thessaloniki Christmas meetup 21 December 2019

Back Copy
Just Beachy At The Jersey Shore

Other Info
“130 miles of coastline, spanning from Sandy Hook to Cape May.” Visit NJ: Beaches in New Jersey

Back Copy
Blank

Stamps

Philatelic Pursuits: New Issues 2020: Japan (Olympic Torch Relay)

Touch Stamps: Herodotus (Greece 2019)

Flower. “18th DECEMBER 2018, GERMANY – Dauerserie, Blumen, Wiesenschaumkraut (Cardamine pratensis)” Natural Science Stamps: Europe Mittel .

Human. Bundesministerium der Finanzen: Brief­mar­ken April 2020, 100. Geburtstag Richard von Weizsäcker.

USA. USPS: U.S. Postal Service Issues New Postcard Stamps, March 28, 2019. #CoralReefsStamps.

USA. Linn’s Stamp News: U.S. Seashells stamps: When and where they will be issued, Jan 7, 2017, by Michael Baadke.

Postcrossing posts [Archive]

Stay safe. Stay sane,
Katherine Walcott

Training Journal

If you’re riding a horse, you’ve already won.

 

Awareness of the outside world. Pay it forward. I will adopt 6″ of trail for every mile completed. If they both finish, I will adopt 100 feet of trail. The trail should have a future, even if I never set foot on it. Adopt-the-Trail Campaign
~~~
2020 Tevis Cup – Virtual Western States Trail
100 Miles in 100 Days
Sat August 1 – Mon November 9, 2020
Run Signup: 2020 Tevis Cup – Virtual Western States Trail

I. Am. So. Excited.

The Tevis cup has gone virtual.

One hundred miles in one hundred days.

A riding division and a non-riding division for runners, walkers, bikers, swimmers.

Each ride must be one horse-one rider.

Mileage on the honor system.

Miles will be tracked on a map of the trail

One hundred miles in one hundred days. Surely we can do that.

It will not be as easy as it sounds. And don’t call me Shirley. Much like making time in a 5k, a mile a day means some days we will have to do more than a mile to make up for off days, rainy days, shoeing days. By extension averaging 7 miles a week will mean weeks of greater than 7 miles. [Bear With Me, Follow The Rules]

“You can complete the 100-miles in as many smaller excursions as you choose to finish the goal. We absolutely recommend NOT riding the 100-miles all at once unless you are participating at an actual sanctioned event with veterinary controls. As you log your completed miles, you will receive updates of where you now are on OUR historic Western States Trail.” Run Signup: 2020 Tevis Cup – Virtual Western States Trail, About the Event

The plan is to do with laps of the pasture. Three laps = 1 mile. Lots and lots of laps of the pasture.

Awards are a sticker and a shirt/bandana. If we complete and the sticker really is an image of the belt buckle, I’m gonna frame that sucker. Facebook: Tevis Cup 100 Mile One Day Ride – Western States Trail Foundation, Virtual Ride notice

Let’s go.

Rodney aka Doctor Whooves

On Sunday, we did a one-mile, test-of-concept team ride. They were absolute stars. Get on. Walk horses around pasture. No drama. Long-time readers will know what a miracle no drama is for us.

On Monday, I did a one-mile, test of concept solo ride. Success. For the first lap, I had to be more of a supportive happy alpha. By laps two and three, he was moseying down the trail. [Peeling The Emotional Onion]

Hours of long, slow work on a loose rein will do wonders for his confidence in himself. I’m not worried about monotony. This horse does not get bored. He will find reassurance in repeating the same trail over and over and over. At the walk for now. Perhaps introduce trot after a while. Possibly the c-word eventually?

Added bonus. I get to use his new show name! [Briefly]

[Team Ride]

Milton aka Major Milton

Milton has signed up for the Weekend Warrior division. His rider will not be available for the mid-week rides. Officially, he probably won’t finish. We expect that.

Unofficially, my goal is to make up the miles with handwalks around the pasture. This will give Milton and me something easy and low-key to do together. Maybe he will stop looking at me as if I have three heads. Stretch goal would be for me to ride him on the laps. Because that went so well the last time we tried. As I said, stretch goal. [Two Hops Forward]

Granted, I could do all of this on my own. The virtual Tevis provides incentive and an organizing plan.

[In Which Horses Remind Us That They Don’t Care What Is Happening Globally]

In Conclusion
Intellectually, I mourn the loss of this year’s IRL race for the competitors. Personally? Emotionally? Squuuuuueeeeeeeee. This is the closest I will get.

I am ridiculously excited about this.

Previous Posts
[Referral Saturday, Tevis Cup Magic]
[Watching the Tevis, Take II]
[Watching The Tevis]

The Tevis Cup, Western States Trail Federation, home page

Stay safe. Stay sane,
Katherine Walcott

Training Journal

If you’re riding a horse, you’ve already won.

 

Awareness of the outside world. I got nothing. I’ve run out of words for appalled. If you are reading this from elsewhere in the world and are wondering what exactly the US is thinking, I don’t know what to tell you. I live here and I don’t understand.
~~~
At the beginning of the this month, we swapped the schedule. Horses in am; bikes in pm.

We kept getting caught out by afternoon thunderstorms. Plus, the buggy evening hours are easier to zip through on a bicycle. Summer afternoons in the South are a festival of bugs, heat, and thunderstorms.

Previous Horse did not like being ridden before breakfast, He was so unpleasant about it, we rarely tried. Their schedule was feed early, finish, wait an hour, ride. That was acceptable to himself.

The current barn occupants have a much more extended breakfast ritual. Naps are involved. An hour after breakfast, they have barely looked at their emails or finished their first cup of coffee. Work is not on the agenda.

Instead, they are perfectly happy to work before breakfast. Wait an hour. Feed. Get on with their day.

Go figure.

What is your exercise preference? Morning? Evening? Never?

Stay safe. Stay sane,
Katherine Walcott

Travel, of a sort

 
Awareness of the outside world. Upside of a weekend away: virtual vacation. Downside of a weekend away: the alarming psychic thud of returning to the wider world.
~~~

Woo-Hoo! I’ve done BF! Spent the weekend (virtually) roaming Kentucky Horse Park. Plastic Ponies! People! Seminars! Shopping! Much fun was had!

Upside
All the joys of home.

Did they do a good job? Depends on your starting point. They could’ve canceled and said see ya next year. Instead, they completely retooled the event. In three months. During a pandemic. Bravo.

Videos. Awesome. The Tempel Lipizzan video went from foal zoomies to airs above the ground demos. Police horse and Breyer star Oliver took us on a ride-along. Massive KHP nostalgia. BreyerFest Blog: You might have heard about our Celebration Horse, Oliver? 2019.

Seminars, workshops, hobby how-tos. Breyer Horses began as a side gig. “It was a special order for the F.W. Woolworth Company, made to adorn a mantelpiece clock. Breyer was flooded with requests from people who wanted to know if they could purchase just the horse! With that first horse, the Breyer Molding Company had changed the focus of its business forever!” Breyer: Breyer History. The smaller sizes were introduced during the oil crisis in the 70s when price of plastic went up.

One demonstrator had a large LEGO model in background of the video. LEGO & horses. Will you be my new best friend?

The video on how-to photo show sadly told me nothing new. I say sadly because that means I need to get off my butt and take pix. No magic tricks; just practice.

People on various social media channels chatted up a storm. Sharing photos. Helping each other navigate around the multiple pages. Bitching during problems. I include this as a benefit because it was good to find out that ‘Yeah, it’s not your machine, it’s a known glitch. Patience, Grasshopper.’

Downside
All the distractions of home. Pitchforks. Dishes.

Lotsa time starting at a screen. Until we have fully immersible rigs, that’s the reality of virtual reality.

Did they do a good job? Depends on your starting point. Will it win awards for computer management? No. I won’t belabor the problems, mostly to do with shopping. If you were there, you know. If you weren’t there, you don’t care. My completely unsupported opinion is that the site was wildly more popular than anticipated and blew up under the load. Good news for me for next year. Shows demand for a virtual component. I didn’t have a heavy emotional investment in any particular model. It was easy for me to shrug and move on.

Some tours were less interesting. Please stop talking and step aside. I’m here to see your horse. This could be addressed with a longer development time and the ability for segment producers to travel.

This one is completely personal. I have a cat who goes bonkers when my phone talks. Attacks phone. Tries to drag it off. I had to sit outside.

My Side
Did I have fun? Absolutely. I had no plans to go. Anything was better than nothing.

I attended out of curiosity. Have always wondered. While I have not experienced a true BreyerFest, I can extrapolate. Start with Virtual BreyerFest. Combine with Dragon*Con. Mix with the hours spent stomping around the Kentucky Horse Park. Leaven with years among horse people. I can close my eyes and have a good sense of how BreyerFest would feel IRL. [Peregrinatio in Stabilitate]

Would I go? Still no. Not if it meant a special trip. Too many other things I’d rather do instead. If I were in town/at KHP, I’d wander by. [Happenings at the Horse Park, In Which I Live Virtually and Vicariously]

If they have a virtual component? Again, absolutely. Get myself a model or two. Watch a few videos. See what the model horse world has been up to. Then put down my phone and go ride a horse.

Four more posts, when they fit into the schedule or show up in the mail. That will make nine total. I’ve certainly gotten my money’s worth for the blog.

Model Horse posts [archives].

Stay safe. Stay sane.
Katherine Walcott

Thoughts

Awareness of the outside world. As has been my habit lately, Mondays are about pondering the moment we all find ourselves in. All really means all this time. I wonder if this qualifies as the first truly global event.
~~~
Woo-Hoo! I’ve done BreyerFest! Spent the weekend (virtually) roaming Kentucky Horse Park. Plastic Ponies! People! Seminars! Shopping! Much fun was had!

Yeah.

But.

This never would have happened without a world-wide pandemic. I’m sure we would all prefer that I had stayed home and thousands of model horse fans had spent last weekend partying at KHP without me.

I’m interested in BreyerFest and model horses, clearly. However, it’s a low-key interest. A model here. A blog post there. I would not have taken the time and effort and expense to haul myself to Kentucky. Next time I drive through the gates of the Horse Park, I want to be hauling MY horse so that I can show MYSELF. Hear that universe? [7 Ways To Dodge Nostalgia, “Clearly, I am not as over this as I claim.” Dream Rides]

Ahem.

While I would not have rousted myself to a WorldCon, I am looking forward to participating in virtual CoNZealand that starts later this month.

Similarly the USDF annual convention in December has gone virtual and is free to members. I certainly plan on stopping by. [Ambushed By My Mailbox]

All manner of opportunities; at such a cost.

The world is on fire. Enjoying myself because folks are forced to go virtual feels as if I am using the flames to roast marshmallows.

A more positive take on the weekend tomorrow.

Stay safe. Stay sane,
Katherine Walcott