Kurmainz Grenadier Company Officer and Drummer Done. . .

All ready for shiny acrylic gloss and basing in the next couple of days.

Not my best painting by any stretch, but they're done and just waiting for the final couple of steps. Sadly, I've got a four-hour professional development seminar of teaching research and writing to undergrads on campus tomorrow morning, so that will delay everything else by a few hours. And we just learned today that the wife of a neighbor couple we a close to has had her Cancer return, and it has spread throughout her system -- not the kind of news anyone wants -- so we might spend some time with them tomorrow afternoon, and see if there is anything we can do to assist. Suddenly, toy soldiers seem rather less important.

-- Stokes

Comments

CelticCurmudgeon said…

My Dear heinz-Ulrich, Salutations,

Nothing can be said that eases the difficulty of such moments. Your friends will need your friendship and assistance throughout this ordeal. The occasional prepared meal, perhaps assistance getting back and forth to the oncologist, but most of all understanding friendship which listens when they relate what is happening - these are the things you can offer and provide.

You have heard me make mention of Karen on the Daisy discussion group. She is recovering from a two year battle with breast cancer and those things I mentioned were given to us by friends and family. They helped us get through this most trying time.

My prayers and commiserations are with you and your friends.

One thing, you may find some solace in being able to occasionally retreat to the shelter of the painting table. While not important at all in the real world, you might need a small break from time to time.

Gerardus Magnus (Jerry)
Archbishop Emeritus

5:25 AM

tidders said…

Stokes,

Great work, the grenadier company looks ready for action.

-- Allan

11:35 AM

It's Early Days Yet. . .

M aking some early progress with Batch A of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment over the last several days/evenings. Nothing terribly exciting just yet, but the basic black, brown, and flesh areas are done as are the green bases, and gray undercoat. The latter two areas needed some careful retouching early in the week. Next up, the neck stocks. I might just do these in red for the enlisted men although some of my source material suggest they were black, but I always look for an excuse to shake things up a bit. Any errant splotches of red (or black) can be covered with another application of light gray before I move onto the next step. "Giddy up!" as one Cosmo Kramer might have said. -- Stokes

And We're Off!!!

Arrrgh! Gotta go back into camera settings on my iPhone to bring all of the frame into focus. Blast! Painting is underway on the 60 or so Minden Austrians, which are slated to become my version of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment of AWI renown. More or less indistinguishable from Austrians of the era really, right down to the red facings and turnbacks, but the eventual flags (already in my files) will set them apart. I went ahead and based-coated all of them over a couple of days lthe last week of August, using a mix of light gray and white acrylic gesso, before next applying my usual basic alkyd oil flesh tone to the faces and hands. In a day or two, I'll hit that with Army Painter Flesh Wash to tone things down a bit and bring some definition to the faces and hands. As usual, the plan is to focus on about 20 figures at a time, splitting the regiment roughly into thirds along with the color party and regimental staff. Depending on ...

The Eventual Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment. . .

The Anhalt-Zerbst regiment musters in the drill square to sort themselves into platoons and companies during the coming weeks Fall maneuvers if you will. A large dose of real life the last few days with the start of classes next Monday, various preparatory meetings, and finishing up a few other things this week. But, I managed to sort out 60 or so Minden Austrian infantry from the pile and get 'em stuck to temporary painting bases. Must carefully drill out the hands of several NCOs for flagpoles and pole arms this weekend before the usual basecoat. I'm thinking of mixing the usual white gesso with the usual light gray to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Applying both base- and undercoat in one fell swoop as my grandmother used to say. In the meantime, the recently finished squadron of Saxon cuirassiers has been placed carefully in one of the clear acrylic boxes on my shelves until I have the suitable flag to affix. -- Sto...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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