Dala Horse make over

I wasn't really happy with the design I'd come up with for the Dala Horse in the front of this photo so I thought I'd revisit one of my earlier designs, the horse to the back of the photo is the one that people buy on things most often in my cafe press and Zazzle stores so I'll keep some of those ideas in mind as I re paint this one.

 I'm starting out by doing a bit more carving to reshape it slightly. I like to have all the edges gently rounded and the belly. When I finish they look good as well as feel good.

Once it's been sanded good  I'll start over and experiment with another shade of red as well as variations on the design. I'll post photos as soon as I get the next part of the project done.

I like to keep carving, sanding and gently shaping it until it's personality and spirit start to emerge and it feels less like a block of wood and more like a creature with attitude.

I like to think that that little flip of the reins shows a free spirit and a wild streak that makes us all feel young and smile. For me, that is the appeal of a Dala Horse.

Much of the design shows through the new base coat and will act as a placement indicator for the new design.

I find the mood that I'm in and pain level can affect designs a lot too but there's no doubt that each horse is very different than the last as I refine my skills and continue to work on my brush stokes and color choices.