Yeah, a Rugged Lark cull! The money situation being what it is, I shouldn’t have laid out the cash, but I felt sorry for him. He’s about as low on the totem pole of desirability as you can get. And weirdo me, I just had to have him.
I’m pretty sure he’s a cull: his forelock is unpainted, his lower legs were unfinished, and he lacks shading in the usual areas. The paint on his mane is rather sloppy, so that’s how he ended up in the cull bin in the first place. It looks like someone touched up his hooves and face a bit to make him more presentable.
Well, as presentable as a Rugged Lark can be.
His head and neck are pretty tragic, but I don’t completely dislike the mold. It’s the pose that he’s been sculpted in: I find his inherent awkwardness appealing. Too many model horses - OF, customized, resin, whatever - are a little too conventionally or artfully posed, and in the process come off as a little less realistic, at least to me.
I can remember being in my life drawing class, years ago, and the instructor imploring us to not shy away from the awkward poses. (These were people we were dealing with, by the way, not horses. Naked, and rarely the most attractive, either.) Our bodies can get into all sorts of awkward positions, and those positions can be beautiful, too, if done well.
Rugged Lark’s problem is that sculpturally, he’s not done well. I’m not a stickler for anatomical accuracy, but even I have my limits. (Unrealistic and unattractive are two different concepts: unfortunately for Rugged Lark, these concepts collide.) I’ve been tempted to get a Rugged Lark body and clean him up - while retaining his basic body pose and attitude - just to prove my point about the awkwardness. Customizing is something of a low priority in these parts, alas, so the point going to remain unproven for now.
The Rugged Lark mold hasn’t come in a very wide range of colors. Two bays, two chestnuts, a gray, and very briefly in a rather nice dark bay pinto. The only piece anyone even remotely wants is the BreyerFest SR of The Lark Ascending back in 2003, and that’s only because he had a very limited piece run (500) and a pretty nice paint job. I missed him back then, and had hoped to add him to my collection by now but so far, no luck. He's an expensive little bugger, especially on my budget!
For the time being, I’ll just have to settle for my cheaper, funkier, not-quite-bay boy.
3 comments:
Oh I'm so glad you got him! I saw him and wanted to try for the poor old guy but I just am too strapped for cash myself!
I think hes rather nice. I have PS chips mule cull and Im rather fond of him.
I think he's pretty! I like Rugged Larks, even though they're 'ugly'. Yes, I know this was posted in 2010 :) I just so happen to be going through all of your blog posts on my lunch breaks. Almost through the whole blog! :)
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