Since horses are often the subjects of my artwork, I chose The Red Pony for my source. Ponies are known for being mischievous, and Gabilan is no exception. Steinbeck says, "But in many ways he was a bad pony. He bit Jody in the pants and stomped on Jody's feet. Now and then his ears went back and he aimed a tremendous kick at the boy. Every time he did one of these things, Gabilan settled back and seemed to laugh to himself."

I have been wanting to try bas-relief. Since I primarily create art cards, I chose that size. I did not design this piece to be cast as an edition, but to be the end product. I used 3/32" basswood as the base. Over 3 days I layered and sculpted the sculpting resin, which has to dry between layers, to create the pony. After a light sanding, the piece was primed. Then I painted it with acrylics, adding some pastels on top for soft details. Borrowing a technique from the model horse hobby, I glossed the eye for a bit more spark to his expression. I wanted the background to have a distant feel, yet indicate the patchwork of the farmed landscape of the Salinas Valley.