Anise
(produced by Aspen Leaf Studios)

Anise (pronounced Ann'-iss - like Alice but with an "n") is a smallish traditional scale (think Breyer Giselle) Thoroughbred mare. My personal favorite discipline is eventing, which really is several disciplines rolled into one. While eventing horses are chosen for their skill and not their looks or pedigree, the horse that is celebrated the most in this field is the Thoroughbred. I knew in this sculpture I really wanted to capture the sheer athleticism and grace of the breed. Not the usually depicted, very lean, racing build; but as the seasoned campaigner that would have had to develop a musculature that would allow her to perform high levels of dressage or the strength to lift herself over a large obstacle during a tight turn, etc.

Anise has two different "hair styles" to chose from. For the more cross-country purist, she features a loose, pulled mane. For those that want a bit more elegance, a braided mane (also sporting a twitched ear on this one) is the other choice. In that she's really not in a hunter-suitable pose, I opted to keep the same banged tail for both versions. A braided tail would have made the tail bone area so thin I would have been concerned about breakage being a major issue.

I also realized I wanted two base options. Each Anise, regardless of version, will come with both of these. One is the full platform that believe really serves to elevate Anise as an art piece. But because Anise herself is so performance ready, I did want to make a base more friendly to that purpose. So, she will also have a smaller, mound-like base for her two rear legs that will edge just forward enough to be stable.

EDITION SIZE/INFO: I want to go back to the very limited editions. I truly love the collector aspect of a rare piece. I will only be casting 40 unpainted pieces and 20 artist choice pieces of each version. Anise will come with a Certificate of Authenticy and have a numbered edition with a featured gallery hosted on this website. Anise will be solid cast by myself with wire reinforcements - particularly sturdy ones in those two weight-bearing back legs. She is smallish traditional (if you're familiar with my other resins, she's in line with their scale - think Breyer Giselle). Her casts are coming out amazingly clean (a new level above previous clean casts!) and will require very little prep-work before painting.

All unpainted Anise pieces for both editions were sold during the sales lottery held April 1-5, 2019. Painted Artist Choice pieces are all that's left and will be sold as completed. No commissions will be taken.

EDITION ARCHIVE
As this is a small run, I plan on keeping an archive of the entire edition here on this site. Please send quality photos to me of your painted versions along with the name of the artist. I'll upload them so we can all admire your copy of Anise! I can't wait to see this archive grow!