You are viewing a Custom Painted Pony by Khw (see excerpt below) called ARIZONA ROUGH. This custom pony is aptly called "Arizona Rough" because he has been created to mirror the rough, raw much sought-after Turquoise from the renowned Turquoise mines of Arizona. Arizona Rough is an original, signed by the artist on both the small placard (Trail of painted Ponies) & on the underside of Arizona's Base. He is the only edition (1 of 1) but he is also The Second of 7 Custom Ponies in this Series of : Metal, Stone or Faux Painted Surfaces. He is Khw's sixth Pony offering overall, and will likely go up in value because her work is bound to improve and gain popularity. This figurine is 6.5" Tall X 8.5" Long. He is not airbrushed, but painstakingly hand brushed, dry brushed, & sponged endless coats to attain the color of raw turquoise in blue-green with a coppery matrix. The copper & pewter paints that were used are metallic but the many greens, blues, siennas, browns were all a matte finish...so it looks great. Arizona has an authentic copper colored mother of pearl spiked breast collar with intermittent aqua stones & copper cylinder beads. The bridle is constructed of brown vinyl and dressed up on the headstall portion with woven fine copper wire. There is a pair of clear glass coppertone leaves at his mouth and a turquoise colored bead on each rein. His blanket is fine light deerskin, tanned to a fine suede on inside. Kelly hand painted the traditional curled up Arizona Lizard on the center top portion of the deerskin.The deerskin blanket ties under Arizona's belly as does the bellyband for the chestplate.The breastplate, blanket and bridle can be removed at will, carefully. He has not been Sealed.. Sealant would put a sheen on the raw aqua stone color and real unpolished turquoise has a flat patina. The Artist recommends that he be displayed under glass or in an Airtight/dust-free Case. A letter of information/explanation into future ponies & a COA will accompany each pony purchased. Kelly appreciates each and every one of you that looked at her pony....... and hopes you all have a special equine Pal in your life!
Arizona Rough Turquoise: It is a beautiful aqua blue color and a very hard material with the pyrites & quartz that has made Arizona Turquoise so recognizable. Bisbee turquoise is as good as turquoise gets. It is found in shades of medium to an intense blue color and enhanced by inlaid colors of copper, red, brown or black, sometimes called "smoky" matrix. Fabulous Green shades have also been found. Bisbee Turquoise was marketed very early in the Southwest and that, along with its quality, help make it one of the more famous varieties of American turquoise. With its extreme blue color and beauty, hardness and now rarity.... Bisbee Turquoise has become one of the most valued turquoises in the world today. Bisbee Turquoise is a by-product of a large copper mine located near Bisbee, Arizona. Some of the finest turquoise coming from the section of the copper mine known as the "Lavender Pit," where for years copper miners would bring out the fine turquoise in their lunch boxes. In March of 1972 a miner named Bob Matthews was given the only lease ever granted for rights to mine Bisbee turquoise. It has been said that he had recovered more than 2,000 pounds of good-excellent turquoise by 1974. The Bisbee mine is considered to be the first large open-pit copper mine in Arizona. As the pit was extended... quantities of fine turquoise were recovered. The turquoise occurred in stringers up to a few inches wide along with small nugget-like masses in granite and quartzite. Sadly, Bisbee turquoise is no longer being produced. On December 14, 1974, twenty years later, mining had stopped and the thousand foot deep Lavender Pit covering 300 acres had replaced the hill. The Lavender Pit had become a tourist destination with rim viewing platforms and guided tours. Today in & around Bisbee, as well as under the Mule Mountains, there are over 1500 miles of tunnels & shafts along with the now famous Lavender Pit.
