RIAP57@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 understands how to care for pix
when judging and shipping to and from shows. I started back in 1987 and
never 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 are
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-I-so no way 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, without 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. |
