I have been repainting and customizing model horses since 1990. I only made them at that time for myself and for gifts. In 2000 I discovered the live shows which I never knew even existed! I then started customizing model horses for other people and selling on Ebay and also privately by order..This is the most wonderful hobby I have ever been involved in as it has completely kept my interest for so many years. I usually get extremely bored of doing one thing and I have to begin something new, customizing is completely different... I do not get tired of it, sometimes I may need a break for a while, but I always come right back to it. I have met some of the most wonderful and beautiful people in this hobby and I continue to meet more all the time. Sometimes, the people I have met through sharing wonderful emails and photos keep me going. I live about 5 hours south of Chicago, in a small town called Salem. I have lived most of my life here and it's a nice calm place with very little crime and some nice people. Most of my family is here and Matt's family also not very far away. I live with my Matt, my Son, my Dog, 11 Fish, and a Mini Rex Rabbit. As of right now, I do not show my horses myself, I live quite a ways away from any of the shows and I really have no desire to go to Chicago ever again! Also, I can never seem to keep enough finished horses around to take to a show anyway LOL. I will just keep painting and sculpting, improving and creating winners for my wonderful customers :) |
Me and Sadie
| My Custom Horses |
| My Background |
My Dad was a wonderful artist and he passed the talent to me. I started drawing at age 2 and completed my first oil painting at age 4. It had a smiling sun, a
blue sky with storm clouds, a huge 'I Love Mom' across the top in red... a grey horse, a barn and silo and some grass. My ex husband burned it...I should
have shot him when I had the chance LOL.
I was an entrepreneur at the young age of 9. I used to go around door to door selling my drawings and paintings. 20 cents for pencil sketches, 50 cents for
india ink drawings, $1.00 for colored marker or colored pencil, and a big ole $3.00 for my 5x7 oil paintings LOLOL Gosh I remember this so well! I thought I
was rich LOL. There was one old guy that bought one every week from me...and he always taught me something, one thing I never forgot was that the first
letter of all the Great lakes spell HOMES. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. I know he is gone now but I will never forget him, his name was John
and he had been a teacher when he was young. He was such a nice person. I met so many nice people in my little town...I think we had 300 people or
something. No one worried about their kids, everyone knew everyone.
We never had much money, we were raised on lots of Love. I have the most wonderful loving parents in the world and I would never ask for anything else.
My Mom is the strongest but most gentle loving person I have ever known. We went through many very tough times and hardships, but we always made it
just fine, and we were always overflowed with love. I will never lose that part of growing up. My Mom is perfect.
My Mom and Dad got divorced when I was 10. She never restricted him from seeing us whenever he wanted to. It didn't matter how short the notice. He was
our Dad and she knew we needed him as much as her. I have the most respect of my Mom for that, and she never ever complained or said one bad thing
about him to us.
My mom met the most wonderful man when I was 13, he is just as much blood to me as my Father was. His name is Leonard, I call him Dad because that is
exactly what he is, my Dad. He has always Loved us completely and taken care of us as if we were his own kids and never doing anything to hurt us, ever. I
Love him with all of my heart. He is the best thing that could have ever came into our lives and I'm so glad he belongs to us. He has the kindest heart, and is
the most giving person in the world. Our baby boy Darrell has his middle name, Ray. I am definitely a Daddy's Girl.
.My Father committed suicide in 2003 he was 59. He was very ill and he couldn't take the pain any longer. I Loved him very much and I miss him every day
of my life. Always let the ones you Love know you Love them.
My Mom and my Dad (Leonard) live very near to me only a few blocks away. They have been married now for 20 years! OK so Im getting old LOL... I have
lived a lot of places too far away and I will not do that again. There is nothing more important than my family. I don't always say how much I love them, but I
hope they know. My parents are the most wonderful people in this world, and I wouldn't trade one second of my life with them for anything.
I got married at age 17...it was a really bad marriage. My husband was extremely physically abusive, and mentally. He was an alcoholic and a cheater. I
really don't know why I stayed with him for 6½ years...thats something you just cant figure out I guess.
I have kept my last name as Ward all these years because I signed so much of my artwork with it and I didn't want to be lost, Now I am happy to get rid of
'his' name.
blue sky with storm clouds, a huge 'I Love Mom' across the top in red... a grey horse, a barn and silo and some grass. My ex husband burned it...I should
have shot him when I had the chance LOL.
I was an entrepreneur at the young age of 9. I used to go around door to door selling my drawings and paintings. 20 cents for pencil sketches, 50 cents for
india ink drawings, $1.00 for colored marker or colored pencil, and a big ole $3.00 for my 5x7 oil paintings LOLOL Gosh I remember this so well! I thought I
was rich LOL. There was one old guy that bought one every week from me...and he always taught me something, one thing I never forgot was that the first
letter of all the Great lakes spell HOMES. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. I know he is gone now but I will never forget him, his name was John
and he had been a teacher when he was young. He was such a nice person. I met so many nice people in my little town...I think we had 300 people or
something. No one worried about their kids, everyone knew everyone.
We never had much money, we were raised on lots of Love. I have the most wonderful loving parents in the world and I would never ask for anything else.
My Mom is the strongest but most gentle loving person I have ever known. We went through many very tough times and hardships, but we always made it
just fine, and we were always overflowed with love. I will never lose that part of growing up. My Mom is perfect.
My Mom and Dad got divorced when I was 10. She never restricted him from seeing us whenever he wanted to. It didn't matter how short the notice. He was
our Dad and she knew we needed him as much as her. I have the most respect of my Mom for that, and she never ever complained or said one bad thing
about him to us.
My mom met the most wonderful man when I was 13, he is just as much blood to me as my Father was. His name is Leonard, I call him Dad because that is
exactly what he is, my Dad. He has always Loved us completely and taken care of us as if we were his own kids and never doing anything to hurt us, ever. I
Love him with all of my heart. He is the best thing that could have ever came into our lives and I'm so glad he belongs to us. He has the kindest heart, and is
the most giving person in the world. Our baby boy Darrell has his middle name, Ray. I am definitely a Daddy's Girl.
.My Father committed suicide in 2003 he was 59. He was very ill and he couldn't take the pain any longer. I Loved him very much and I miss him every day
of my life. Always let the ones you Love know you Love them.
My Mom and my Dad (Leonard) live very near to me only a few blocks away. They have been married now for 20 years! OK so Im getting old LOL... I have
lived a lot of places too far away and I will not do that again. There is nothing more important than my family. I don't always say how much I love them, but I
hope they know. My parents are the most wonderful people in this world, and I wouldn't trade one second of my life with them for anything.
I got married at age 17...it was a really bad marriage. My husband was extremely physically abusive, and mentally. He was an alcoholic and a cheater. I
really don't know why I stayed with him for 6½ years...thats something you just cant figure out I guess.
I have kept my last name as Ward all these years because I signed so much of my artwork with it and I didn't want to be lost, Now I am happy to get rid of
'his' name.
I went through a few long relationships, and of course they ended. Most of them weren't badly ended and I am actually still friends with a couple
of them...not that I talk to them very much, but we don't have any hard feelings. Things just don't work sometimes.
Now I am with the most perfect loving man I have ever met and I'm not ever giving him up! We share everything and we always get along so
good, it makes me wonder how the heck I used to think I was happy. We have so many things in common that it is wonderful to be able to look
at each other and know what the silent joke is, or finish each other's sentences.
Matt and I met at work...I came back to work after a year off from shoulder surgery... and there he was. I asked my friend "whoa, Who is
that???" She said "That's Matt" I asked her a bunch of questions making sure he was single...then I made my move...about a month later
LOL...I'm a chicken shit LOL. I had never asked a man out before but I sure am glad I did this time, I made him all mine!!! He never did talk at
work much until we started dating, then you just couldnt shut him up! LOL. He moved in with me after a couple months and we have been
together ever since. I got pregnant in March 2006 almost exactly a year after we were living together and now we have our adorable little boy. I
have never been happier in my life as I am now. I have everything I need, and my horses keep me busy while Matt is at work and the little one is
sleeping.
On Nov 25th 2006 Matt and I were married, my name changed from Lora Ward to Lora Speiser.
Matt and I have been together since March of 2005 and we had our baby boy in August of 2006. Our little boy's name is Darrell Ray
Speiser...Darrell being Matt's middle name and also Matt's Dad's first name, and Ray is my Dad's middle name.
My Wonderful Husband and our Beautiful Baby Boy