Oh where do I even begin?! I decided to do this month's Artist Spotlight on the one and only, Nikki Button! I have SO many of Nikki's gorgeous horses in my collection and in my show string. This month in particular, some little micro horses just took the top of the list in my most recent favorite ponies. Say hello to Derecho, Emma, and Oscar.
This adorable family just brings so much joy to my dilute loving self! All three ponies are sculpted by Sarah Mink and all three painted by the talented Nikki Button. I was lucky to get Emma and Oscar (the mare and foal) directly from Nikki at the Artisian Gallery at BreyerFest in Kentucky in 2022. I have loved having them and they do so well in my show string! Fast forward 6 months and Sarah announces the release of Micro Stormwatch, Derecho. I immediately ordered one and asked Nikki if she would be up to commissioning him for me. She said yes and so naturally we started discussing dilute ideas! I thought these three would make the perfect family so I wanted something that suited him as Oscar's dad. Nikki brought my dream to life and I couldn't be happier with how he turned out! The tones are perfect and Derecho looks like such a proud dad!
The little lip just kills me! Nikki is probably the most talented artist I have had the privilege of working with when it comes to micros. Eyes, hooves, teeth. Every detail is done with teeny tiny brush strokes of perfection. And these three are THE perfect example of that!
Nikki is the best to work with. I had the opportunity to meet her for the first time in Kentucky last year. We had met briefly in the AG and then proceeded to do pony exchanges at midnight in the lobby of my hotel, LOL. I am pretty sure hotel workers in Kentucky around BF have legit learned to just not ask questions because it 100% can look like a drug deal or something shady going on! Nikki is so kind to work with, she responds very timely, she sets and meets timeline goals, she communicates throughout the process, she ships very securely, and goes above and beyond to meet your needs and requests. She is a full time artist and often has a long wait list of commission slots open but trust me, she is worth the wait! If you are an avid collector looking for realism and details, Nikki is your artist! I have had the privilege to not only have several commission slots with Nikki over the years (and some in progress!), but I have also bought several of her horses secondhand. I have yet to see any resin mold painted in Nikki's work that I don't love! She can paint amazing life like blue eyes that are to die for! The first commission I worked with Nikki on was a portrait of my lovely, and late, Palomino Appaloosa in 2019. We chose Liesl Dalpe mold Lopin' Lenny and Nikki brought him to life. From then on, I was hooked with her work!
Nikki, thank you for your friendship and support of my photography and work over the past several years! It has been a joy getting to know you and I am excited for some of our upcoming projects!! All images below are horses Nikki has painted and are in my current collection. Enjoy the eye candy! And next time you are having an itch for detail, check our Nikki's work and get in line for a commission. You will NEVER be disappointed! She can be found on IG and FB as Realistic Equine Art by Nikki Button and online at https://www.paintedmodelhorses.com/
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