Eye Candy

All too often lately I’ve found myself shaking my head at the endless litany of complaints online about each and every Breyer release, sometimes extending all the way down to the selection of the name. While I’ve done my share of complaining (and how!) I’d like to take this evening to focus on something that Reeves got better than right.

The biggest surprise in the Special Run lineup at BreyerFest this year was not the Surprise Special Run itself – I can’t speak for the rest of you (especially the Silver- and Othello-obsessed) but the Lonesome Glory mold was on my radar as an outside possibility.

No, what blew my mind was Chanel. The photo on the web site showed Chanel’s color hinted that was more in line with the color we saw on the 2013 Celebration Horse Smart and Shiney: bright, golden, almost Family Arabian-ish. In many ways, the photograph looked like a modern reinterpretation of the Palomino Family Arabian Stallion.

What we saw at the Thursday night preview looked almost nothing like the promotional photo used on the web site:

Sooty palomino with pronounced dappling, body shading, gray highlighted mane and tail, and tons of Oh. My. Goodness! I had no idea that this would be an almost textbook case of that hobby truism: Never judge a Breyer release by its promotional photo!

I had been a little on the fence about her based on the web site photo; I liked her a lot, but didn’t love-love her.  As is usually the case with these things. I figured she’d be better in person.

I had no idea she’d be that much better. Now THAT’S how Dappled Sooty Palomino is done, people! I’m have a hard time trying to not imagine that color on almost everything.

That’s all for tonight, folks. I’ll be trying to finish up some old, old business over my extended weekend off, and I need to make the most of every minute of it.