Marie Phillips

Marie Phillips
RiaSP57@aol.com

Born in 1957, in Huntington, on Long Island, N.Y., I was driven by an insatiable love of writing, art, and the sciences since very early childhood. My first Breyer was a 1962 issue Family Arabian Mare named T'Pal, but the hobby remained in the future for my then 5 year old self. I bought a few models in 1978, but never discovered the young blooming hobby even then. I just fulfilled that old need to collect critters, and a new job allowed me to buy the big expensive horses to add to my critter collection. My love of animals fueled my desire to write and draw, always appearing as stories, and artwork from the non-human point of view. Horses always dominated my portfolio. In college, I majored in Art and Earth Sciences, where inspiration fired my weird vivid imagination, planting the seeds for my science fiction novels about an alien family, driving me into the unique and futuristic world of Fantasy/Science Fiction. Soon, I hope. these books will be published, along with the semi-fictional biography of Khan, done from his point of view, which follows my sweet departed Maine Coon's life from near birth to death and beyond.
As the artist behind Tardis Stables, I discovered the hobby back in 1986, when I found the model horse world that lurks behind the covers of JAH. That first issue in 1986, which I receieved a mere week after moving to our new home , astonished me and drew me into the vortex known as model horse collecting and showing. My very first repaint was a Legionario II, called TS Aluvame Sunspots that I still show to this day, and in my brief stint of live showing a few years ago, she even placed!
I use acrylics when painting, and my favorite Breyer molds to work on include the Proud Arabian Stallion, Adios, Clydesdale Stallion, 5-Gaiter, Midnight Sun, San Domingo, Roy, Lady Phase and the Western Horse. The newer Huck, ASB, NSH, Strapless, Silver, and many of the Stone molds have become favorites to work on as well. My current herd of OFs and Cms stands at around 200+, not counting the slew of SM, Lbs and other mini sizes horses in my studio hutch.
I'm a seasoned photo show veteran, who understand how to care for pix when judging and shipping to and from shows. I started back in 1987 and bever looked back, except to giggle at my early photos.
When I'm not working on models, I work on the scifi novels, of which one is with an agent in the process of looking for a publisher. I've also written fictional stories about my models, which someday I may publish under the title The Secret World Of Model Horses..
An injury to my feet in 1988 sidelined me from the working world and ever since, I've been home, able to indulge in writing and modelling. Life is good most days.
Recently I delved into the world of model cats, creating Demoncoons Model Cattery for my many model showcats. The first of these models I created for the Klingon club I once belonged to ten years ago. These Maine Coon cat models served as Suvwi Khetz, but now show as earthly Maine Coons. My model cattery stands at about 50, and counting, cats of all breeds.
I also began collecting model dogs again after a long haitus. I still have my collection of small plastic toy dogs, of which very few or showable by today's standards. I have several nice models showing now, and am slowly building up the Dogs of Tardis kennel
I also enjoy spending time with my beau of 32 years. High school sweethearts since 1973, we finally married 14 years ago in 1991. We love catching our favorite sports on television, and make the annual pilgrimage to Shea Stadium every summer. Someday, we'll make the pilgrimage to Florida to see a Miami Dolphin game, but until then Fall is FOOTBALL Mania in this house.
We got our first cat, a blue cream part Russian blue female in 1987 when mice invaded our abode. Mandee dealt with the problem in a most professional way and soon, mice no longer ran rampant through the walls and kitchen. Our next cat came to me as a tiny kitten that my husband gave to me as a birthday gift. The tiny tuxedo ball of fuzz grew into a handsome unique cat. We soon learned he was a Maine Coon cat, and he left as his legacy, after he passed away August 6th, 1991, a deep love of the breed. It is he for whose honor the model cattery is named. Khan entered my life soon after Demon's passing and filled the sad household with his love and gentle spirit. Phantom came next, as a little large-eared kitten in the fall of 1991. Khan, only 4 months old at the time, loved Phantom from the very 1st nose sniff. Khan and Phantom grew up together as best buddies. My next two cats, Indy and Warlocke, Maine Coons both, arrived within the next two years, and the sixth cat to make the brigade complete was Munchkin, the short-legged stray we adopted in 1995. But tragedy struck in 1999. Mandee lost her battle with kidney failure, and barely a year later, Oct 31, 2000, we lost Munchkin to FIV and cancer. 2001 brought Khan's lymphoma and the insidious disease took my beautiful big teddy bear of a Maine Coon with it in April of 2002.
Finally the cat gods decided to smile upon us. Aug 6th, 2002, a certain red tabby Maine Coon kitten came into the world, on a date blazed into my heart as a black day in my life in 1991. The sign flashed clear and strong, and Kai came into our home, and beyond any doubt in my mind, is Khan's spirit reborn into a nutty red kitten who possesses many of Khan's quirks of personality. So the feline brigade here stands at four. Phantom who is 14 the oldest, has decided Kai is his best buddy. Indy, the Brat, 12 years-old, the anti-social Maine Coon from Hell, makes two. Warlocke, 10 years old, my sweet black smoke Maine Coon, makes three, and large 3 year old Maine Coon, Kai completes the foursome.
As some may know, I am a tree-hugger of sorts. Not the activist type, but the type that loves raising her own trees. I have three majestic, young Tuliptrees I raised from seedlings, a Silver Maple, and a Colorado Blue Spruce I raised from Arbor Day seedlings. All tower into the skyline now. I also have 10 Blue Spruce seedlings from the Arbor Day foundation and FIVE seedlings I found in the yard from the Old Gent, our 100 year old Norway Spruce. All 15 baby trees are prospering in our garden, and the five Norway Spruce babies are special indeed!.(PS-The Arbor Day Foundation just sent me ten more baby trees! Norway Spruces--so no way i will ignore them or let them die!! so when I am done I'll have 25 baby spruces!)
In the spring of 2004,we lost that very integral part of our property, the 100 year old Norway Spruce, who unbeknown to us, suffered deep damage from the tornados that ripped through here in 1989. Through a crack in the Old Gent's heartwood, the tree developed rot and it ate him from the inside out like a rampaging tree cancer. His insides turned to mulch from years of water seepage, and we hired tree surgeons to down him. I pleaded to save him, but the surgeons knew better. The old tree warned us by dropping the huge limb that March revealing the internal rot that eventually would kill him and possibly pose a danger to our home, neighbor's home and pool. The Old Gent must come down they said, and deep down, I knew it too. I watched the downng,, crying, taking pictures thru tear-filled eyes. After the Tree men completed their task, the yard looked vast and strange, like an alien landscape with the Old Gent gone. His cooling shade and conifer song in the winds no longer dominated the half acre of lawn, house, and gardens we called home. I missed the Old Gent and cried as if I had put a pet to sleep. Yes, I did, that is how much it hurt to lose that tree. My sweet husband then spent the money and bought me a new tree, a 14' Norway Spruce, a mere baby compared to the Old Gent, but I eagerly awaited his arrival like a kid at Christmas. Sept 29, 2004, he went into the hallowed ground near the site Old Gent once stood. I babied him, making sure he received plenty of water, and this Young Dude of a tree wore Christmas lights in celebration of his arrival. Come spring 2005, he rewarded us by sprouting new growth, and adding a good foot to his height. I still hover like a momma hen and made sure he received water during the horrid heat wave in the summer of 2005. IF he continues to grow at this rate, he'll only wear his Christmas lights for a few more seasons!
Our old colonial turned 100 years old this year, and as our 19th year here comes to a close, I realize I am one lucky woman, and treasure all in my life, including my models, cats, trees, and my wonderful husband and lifelong best friend, with out whom all the above may never have come to pass.Life is indeed good!
Owned and ruled by our cats, and one stout Norway Spruce tree, my husband and I live in the rolling hills of northwestern Connecticut.