ecky Murphy lives in a small town in Wisconsin. She grew up in the country, and her mother got Becky started in the model hobby when she was little by letting Becky play with her Breyers - the Appaloosa Fighting Stallion (who lost a fight with a dog and has severely mangled hooves and a missing ear), Appaloosa Family Arab Mare & Foal, bay Family Arab Mare & Foal, alabaster Shetland Pony, and black pinto Western Pony.
Those horses and Becky's Barbies used to have so many adventures! In fact, when she was in high school, she wrote a short story for extra credit in English class about her Barbies coming to life while she was gone, and trying to "herd" her Breyers.
Bekcy started collecting in 1994, and started repainting in 2001; she hand-painted in acrylics, and started using pastels in 2009. Her first live show was in 2005, and since then she's attended 10 shows. Her first entry in her first show was a portrait model she did of actor Anthony Stewart Head's horse, Otto - he took second in that show (in English Pleasure, w/a tack set made by a fellow hobbyist) and then fifth at my second show, and Becky included both ribbons when she presented the model to Anthony at a convention.
Aside from painting, Becky dabbles a bit in resculpting - simple things, usually, like lengthening manes and tails, and rebuilding ears, although she has tackled bigger projects, like turning Kathleen Moody's Andalusian into a Centaur, or Roemer into a classical unicorn - but hasn't tried repositioning yet. She's also tried her hand at making medieval tack - one simple barding set with only a chanfron for armor, and one full armor set of chanfron (face guard), crinet (neck guard), peytral (chest guard) and crupper ("rear" guard), and hand-made saddle and stirrups.
Through emails,Becky has gotten to be friends with some of the bigger names in the hobby - Deb & Randy Buckler, Kathleen Moody, and just recently Sue Sifton - and it's nice to get encouragement from someone who's "made it big" but still remembers what it was like starting out.
When Becky is not "playing with plastic ponies," she like to write (mainly fan fiction, based on TV shows she watches, but also fiction and fantasy) and make Native American-influenced crafts, such as dreamcatchers, medicine shields, and feather dance fans. Becky also spends a lot of time with her family; her mother encourages Becky to experiment with her customizing, and is helping Becky work on a mer-mare, and has accomopanied her to a couple shows. She's still working on Dad, though.
Contact Becky via email.
Photo credit: Granite, Headsty. Marble pattern on Breyer G3 Stablemate drafter, 2009.
Evening Tranquility aka Angel
Silver dapple Irish Tinker, customized from the Breyer Shire #708; created 2009. Becky describes this piece: I'm including pictures of him outside (in the snow) and inside, with and without flash, because he's a silver dapple (without dapples) and his color looks different depending on the light.
Dreams Perchance
Bay Clydesdale filly, customized from the Kathleen Moody Andrea resin; created 2009. Materials/finish: pastels and acrylic - her body color is pastel, and her white areas, mane & tail are acrylic.
Prince Sheridan
Black pinto Irish Gypsy Drum stallion, customized from the Breyer Gooffert; created 2008. Becky describes this piece: Prince Sheridan is a portrait model of the Irish Gypsy Drum stallion; I got special permission from his owner, Victoria Jenema of Raven Hawk Ranch, to paint him & use his actual name when I show him.
DB Elusive Song
Buckskin Morgan gelding, customized from the Kitty Cantrell Aramis resin; created 2009. Painted in a combination of acrylics and pastels - hand-painted in acrylic, then acrylic was sponged along his back and down his neck and on his legs, for the sooty effect, and then pastels applied to his back and neck.
Renegade Peso aka Renny
Grulla Australian Stock Horse gelding, customized from the Breyer San Domino; created 2007. Becky describes this piece: He was my first grulla, done in acrylics with colored pencils for his points and dorsal.
Twilight Dreams
Dun American Azteca mare, customized from the Breyer Thoroughbred Mare; created 2009.
Brychan ap Llewellyn
Reverse dapple black Welsh Cob gelding, customized from the Sue Sifton Indigo Blue; created 2009. His name means "speckled" "son of" "bright, shining one." He's a portrait of a real Cob Becky saw at Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, WI. Painted in pastels, with a basecoat of acrylic.
Storm Singer
Black Freisan stallion, customized from the Kathleen Moody Knightmare resin; created 2009. Painted in acrylics. (With Prince Isildur up.)
Indy's Blues
This is a commission piece Deb Buckler, in a blue variation of Becky's "signature" marble - normally she does them in shades of green to represent Connemara marble from Ireland. He's highly glossed, so I'm including pictures of him outdoors in natural light, and inside with flash. Created 2009. Becky describes the creation: Indy's Blues is done entirely in acrylics, with a coat of gloss in between each new color layer. There were two coats of the base color, and then a dusting of interference blue powder and the base color mixed with white was sponged on, then he was glossed. The following day two more layers of color were sponged on, another dusting of a different powder was added, and he was given the final gloss coats.
Taken for Granite
Dappled granite decorator, customized from the Breyer G3 Stablemate Drafter; created 2009.
On the Rocks
Dappled rock decorator Connemara Pony; customized from Breyer G3 Stablemate jumper; created 2009.
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