Koniminiatures' customs & tack (updated Feb 21st)

I thought I'd start a thread to show you some of what I've been up to on the customs and tack front lately. I'll probably also post a few pictures of some of my older customs in the future here. Anyways, here's what I finally finished today:


It's a Hungarian traditional bridle, in 1:24 scale! The buckles work; the sallangs are removable; the collar even has a little bell (which, sadly, doesn't chime). The double-ring bit cheekpieces attach to the bridle by metal pins, and the leather used has been patinated all over. The cotton thread for the lasso was hand-dyed with tea.

The bridle was built after historical photographs of csikós, the Hungarian herdsmen and their mounts. The csikós, I read, ride horses chiefly of Kis, Gidrán and Nonius (Nóniusz) origin; these days this kind of bridle is mostly seen on Nonius horses. It's shown above on the Schleich Hanoverian and Collecta pacer, but you can also see it on just the pacer or just the Hanoverian.


I also finished this. Still not terribly far from Hungary, this one was made after pictures of presentation bridles popular in the Soviet Union around the 60's - 80's. It's got the typically big bit rings with bit guards, and a zig-zag browband some of our horsewomen and men may remember from their days as pony girls and boys (they were all the rage, these browbands!). The buckles, I must note, aren't misshapen - they're oval when viewed head-on, but are laterally bent so as to allow the straps through without wear. The 3/4 view distorts them because of this, I'm afraid. This one, too, is for sale [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].

Lastly in the tack department, I cooked up a little bell for the lovely Schleich nanny goat Karin sent me a while ago. It's just a simple thing with slightly patinated leather and a slide buckle, but I thought it was fun, and I'm sure the goat appreciates the bell's muteness. This, too, is for sale [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] if anyone would like it for their sheep or goat - I can always make my girl another one.


Moving on from tack to figurines, some of you remember I got a big batch of cattle in not long ago. Here they are again:

I valiantly lasted with them for all of six hours before going "yes.. but they could be better...", and then this happened:

Mayhem! They're all doing much better now, but aren't quite ready to show yet. I'll document here their completion, but for now, the below glimpses shall do. Some in-progress custom horses wanted in, too:


More later!

Ohh this is torture with the sneak peeks!

Excellent work on the bridles, I really like the presentation bridle.


What do you use to chop up your victims? Dremel?

Thank you, LeeAnn! I tend to chop up my victims with just a hacksaw and a knife for leverage.

Really, you have a HUGE talent, and I wish I could se more of your works!!

Lea, I see amazing things. You are incredible. I can't wait to see more pictures but from all what you have already shown I will say A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
And I see also parts of Highland cow, I'm very curious to see her new look
I love the style you use, remind me of some drawings and graphics by Albrecht Dürer

Thank you Agata, Anna! You'll see more soon enough - I work on my personal customs only on what time I have between commissioned pieces for others, but so far the cows have progressed quite rapidly. It probably helps that I know next to nothing about bovine anatomy and therefore can't endlessly tinker and dither the way I do with horses.

Your mention of Dürer, Anna, is a great compliment I'm none too sure I'm worthy of (thank you nonetheless!). His work, as it happens, is among my perennial favourites among animal artists of old - that's a keen eye, I think, you've got! If I could manage even just a whiff of well-executed cheapo pastiche of Dürer's rendering style, I'd have good cause for content.

And also, Anna - I'll paste below a small comment I made to you regarding the splendid Highland cow in my General Additions thread a while back. I suspect it got a bit lost among the general discussion. Here:

I don't know how I only realized this now, but - you sculpted that Highland cow! I finally have a piece created by you, then. I must say I find the cow a most pleasing sculpt, and certainly none too narrow at all, as I recall some first surmised. I've worked briefly on a small farm breeding Highland cattle, and the build of your sculpt reminds me of many of the heifers and young cows I got to meet.

The stage of the walk cycle that you chose for the model's pose is one I find compliments the animal depicted, as well - it presents to its viewer a graphical symmetry that brings intrigue into the sculpt, yet it's beautifully uncontrived and befitting of the creature. I think the only thing missing from that cow is a burly old bull or mischievous bullock to stride alongside of.

koniminiatures wrote:

Thank you, LeeAnn! I tend to chop up my victims with just a hacksaw and a knife for leverage.

I do the same. Always works the best.

Woww, you have a great talent ! Incredible technique and amazing sense of art.
The details.... just wowww....I love your style !

Wow, I don't know what to say!!! This is incredible!! Starting with the tack and going on with those sneak peaks!!!! Amazing!!!

So much beautiful stuff you've made! I just adore the tack Everything is so gorgeous...! The cattle will be just as wonderful as your horses always are! So exciting

Thank you so much Kosta, Shanti, Jonas! Damn, now I just hope the cattle end up living up to all this praise once finished..

I hadn't see this thread earlier, just wow ! But this is torture indeed, my eyes are pleading for more to feast on

Amazing tack, it's nice to learn a bit about the history of each piece too. I can't wait to see what the cows will turn out like

koniminiatures wrote:

Thank you Agata, Anna! You'll see more soon enough - I work on my personal customs only on what time I have between commissioned pieces for others, but so far the cows have progressed quite rapidly. It probably helps that I know next to nothing about bovine anatomy and therefore can't endlessly tinker and dither the way I do with horses.

Your mention of Dürer, Anna, is a great compliment I'm none too sure I'm worthy of (thank you nonetheless!). His work, as it happens, is among my perennial favourites among animal artists of old - that's a keen eye, I think, you've got! If I could manage even just a whiff of well-executed cheapo pastiche of Dürer's rendering style, I'd have good cause for content.

Great to hear about your great love for Dürer. I think you undervalue your work. Your work is certainly very well executed. And the echo of classical masters of animal paintings and drawings are recognisable in your work ( I would think about G. Stubbs too) The way you sculpt the fur in a magnificent spiral curls is particularly amazing. Also the anatomy details and the fur details, all full of finesse.

If you ever make mould and copies of any of your sculptures or remakes you can automatically write my name on a list of clients, I love your works

koniminiatures wrote:

And also, Anna - I'll paste below a small comment I made to you regarding the splendid Highland cow in my General Additions thread a while back. I suspect it got a bit lost among the general discussion. Here:

I don't know how I only realized this now, but - you sculpted that Highland cow! I finally have a piece created by you, then. I must say I find the cow a most pleasing sculpt, and certainly none too narrow at all, as I recall some first surmised. I've worked briefly on a small farm breeding Highland cattle, and the build of your sculpt reminds me of many of the heifers and young cows I got to meet.

The stage of the walk cycle that you chose for the model's pose is one I find compliments the animal depicted, as well - it presents to its viewer a graphical symmetry that brings intrigue into the sculpt, yet it's beautifully uncontrived and befitting of the creature. I think the only thing missing from that cow is a burly old bull or mischievous bullock to stride alongside of.

Thank you Lea for so kind words! I'm glad you like it!!! I know it could be better though. But it's always so. If we are ever satisfied would we still want to sculpt next works?
I'm very curious what you will do with it

Oh! What?! These are figures?   They are better then real cows and horses

Now I don't much know what to say anymore - overwhelming response! I'm gladdened you seem to like the tack & models so, even if they're just scraps of leather and disjointed glimpses of body parts for now. I shall try and deliver something more substantial on the cattle front for you to view soon.

Ana wrote:

Great to hear about your great love for Dürer. I think you undervalue your work. Your work is certainly very well executed. And the echo of classical masters of animal paintings and drawings are recognisable in your work ( I would think about G. Stubbs too) The way you sculpt the fur in a magnificent spiral curls is particularly amazing. Also the anatomy details and the fur details, all full of finesse.  

If you ever make mould and copies of any of your sculptures or remakes you can automatically write my name on a list of clients, I love your works

Now, that is just plain flattery - careful, now, or you'll see me grow insta-haughty overnight. Surely if my crass, cartoony curls echo anything of the subtle approach of greats like Stubbs and Dürer, it must be a very distant jangle indeed. And whatever the models may gain in spiralling hairy madness they inevitably lose in naturalistic realism - and surely the latter is what these models are generally meant to be working towards? Or then it's just that my cattle have accidentally nibbled on some wholly realistic Datura while out on pasture and now it's just curls, curls and wrinkles everywhere!

As for moulds and copies - you'd never believe how many near-finished original sculpture resin candidates I have lying around! The trouble is, most of them are horses, so I'm (besides generally excellent at procrastination) constantly taking them back apart to work out newly discovered flaws in their anatomy and motion. It's much easier with cows, apparently - I know so little about how they ought to look, I can't discern the innumerable errors I must be making. But sure, if ever I get my act scraped together and release a resin, I'll be sure to inform the forum and see if there are any takers. Thank you for the vote of confidence - I do appreciate it very much!

Ana wrote:

Thank you Lea for so kind words! I'm glad you like it!!! I know it could be better though. But it's always so. If we are ever satisfied would we still want to sculpt next works?
I'm very curious what you will do with it

I like it very much indeed - it's my favourite Mojo figurine, and I was thrilled to finally get it! With the Highland though it isn't so much that I'm attempting to better it by the new hairdo - I had pretty different reasons for that one, to do a bit with the classical animal sculpting you mentioned. I'll talk a bit more about that once I'm ready to show you and everyone else what became of that beautiful cow when it entered the Hair Salon of Madness. And of course, I quite agree with you about the permanent discontent near-necessary to creating efforts - it's rather requisite to making any progress at all!

koniminiatures wrote:

As for moulds and copies - you'd never believe how many near-finished original sculpture resin candidates I have lying around! The trouble is, most of them are horses, so I'm (besides generally excellent at procrastination) constantly taking them back apart to work out newly discovered flaws in their anatomy and motion. It's much easier with cows, apparently - I know so little about how they ought to look, I can't discern the innumerable errors I must be making. But sure, if ever I get my act scraped together and release a resin, I'll be sure to inform the forum and see if there are any takers. Thank you for the vote of confidence - I do appreciate it very much!

Oh, it would certainly be great if you finish any. Yes, let us know

koniminiatures wrote:

Ana wrote:

Thank you Lea for so kind words! I'm glad you like it!!! I know it could be better though. But it's always so. If we are ever satisfied would we still want to sculpt next works?
I'm very curious what you will do with it

I like it very much indeed - it's my favourite Mojo figurine, and I was thrilled to finally get it! With the Highland though it isn't so much that I'm attempting to better it by the new hairdo - I had pretty different reasons for that one, to do a bit with the classical animal sculpting you mentioned. I'll talk a bit more about that once I'm ready to show you and everyone else what became of that beautiful cow when it entered the Hair Salon of Madness. And of course, I quite agree with you about the permanent discontent near-necessary to creating efforts - it's rather requisite to making any progress at all!

Haha, can't wait to see effect of her visit in " Hair Salon of Madness".

So, like I threatened, while those cows are still cooking up I'll show you a few of my old customs. Some of these are among my earliest, so they're very coarse indeed. The pictures, I'm afraid, are pretty dire, too - I've only been operating on a decent camera the last few months (while decent skills to use it with I am still not operating on). Still, maybe these will amuse you.

Still nice to see your older work ! I love what you did with the salinero's.

So much awesome I don't even know what to say I'd say I have a favorite but then I'd be a liar, they're all just amazing! I have the Blue Box barb in my body box, what you did to him is very impressive!

Fantastic work! I love the Blue Box Finnhorse - so Finnish
Your style is so unique... Maybe the Curly pony shows best how incredibly talented you're - that it's really is possible to change a sheep into a horse! I also like the quarter Finn horse a lot. Like I said these are wonderful! Thanks for showing these for us!

Amazing. I don't know what to say, honestly.
I think that you should go into sculpting, and start to sell your works!

Some customs are really impressive!

Wow, you truly are a great equine artist. What you did to molds I recognize and how you transformed them into masterpieces... stunning. I can't pick a favorite either! All of them are intriguing and interesting in different aspects. I take my hat off to you.

Wow, really wonderful Lea!!!!!