Skip to main content

An Advent Painting Update. . .




Not completely dead here in the Grand Duchy, just pulled in too many directions by "life" these last several weeks.  

Nevertheless, I have managed to get my version of Austria's Wied Infantry to the detailing stage.  Still lots of little things to take care of for all 60+ figures, including the flags, but many of these are small enough that we are talking a slight touch of the brush to leave color behind (Buttons anyone?), and Bob's your mother's brother.  In theory at least.  

Plus the inevitable and invariable touch-ups and clean-ups.  Looking at the photos, I need to clean up the dark brown musket stocks to cover areas where I went outside the lines with gun metal on the musket barrels for instance.

And The Young Master has suggested a battle or two during Christmas week.  Good man!  He is always hankering after a larger affair though, so I am thinking a preliminary skirmish followed by a larger set-piece.  What do you think?

-------------


In other news, the fall semester/term is winding down, so besides a couple of committees, some collaborative writing with a colleague, and finalizing a pilot study for next semester, I should have a bit more time for painting shortly.  He said.

I've also included with this post a few Advent images from around the Grand Duchy.  We tend to keep things relatively understated here in the run up to Christmas, but it is starting to feel kind of festive at Chez Stollen.  

Apropos that, The Grand Duchess and I spent yesterday evening drinking a bottle of Italian red by the fire and chatting about all manner of this to soft seasonal German choir music in the background.  It was a delight.

Today (Saturday) The Young Master tests for his Black Belt Recommended status in Tae Kwon Do.  If he makes it, he will enter the final six months of training toward his black belt, with testing for that in June 2023.  

We also have a gala dinner Sunday evening for the various Tae Kwon Do students and their families at a local hotel.  Time to pull out and dust off the evening attire!

-- Stokes






Comments

david in suffolk said…
Looking good - has the Grand Duchess baked the traditional Stollen yet?
Have a great Xmas, and good luck in your battles with the Young Master..
11:33 AM
WSTKS-FM Worldwide said…
Thank you for your kind words, David! Not quite yet. The Grand Duchess usually bakes one about the 18th or 2oth to carry us through to New Year's Although once, I did manage to wheedle a second one out of her, but multiple stollens within a couple of weeks of each other are not, shall we say, kind to the waistline.

Warm Compliments of the Season,

Stokes
9:09 PM
David Morfitt said…
Coming along very nicely. They will make a splendid unit. I am impatient to see them with flags! :-)

Compliments oif the Season to you and yours too. It sounds as if you have got off to a good start...

Cheers,

David.
9:05 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Presenting the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere!!!

Here they are, with the rearmost nine figures still drying, three squadrons of the Anspach-Bayreuth Kuirassiere, now in the service of the Grand Duchy of Stollen. And now, it's onto that artillery!
14 comments
Read more

Keepin' an Eye on the World Going By My Window . .

'The Nap at the Palace' by Jose Triado Mayol N ot much in the way of hobby-related activity happening here in the Grand Duchy lately.  Sigh.  And no surprise there really since there are only so many hours in the day, only so much mental and physical energy to spare, and you sometimes simply just have to give in and know when to say, um, "When!"  A glass of wine and/or evening yoga by the hearth with the Grand Duchess (who has practiced for over 20 years), and then off into la-la land.  Zzzzzzzzz.   More immediately, I'm recovering, mentally speaking, from a grueling Friday in which I was involved with three (online) conference sessions, one right after the other, followed by a 90-minute meeting at the end of the day. Also virtual. My brain has been mush ever since, so an easy, completely unproductive Saturday watching intermittent snow fall outside (no accumulation however) and drinking coffee while the visiting handymen completed some repair work down h...
3 comments
Read more

And It's the End of September!!!

  Saxony's Ploetz Cuirassiers, an illustration lifted from the Kronoskaf website, which has thus far guided my spectacularly glacial painting of 30 28mm Eureka Saxon cuirassiers purchased all the way back in October 2016. A gray, cool Saturday here in Mid-Michigan with rain in the forecast. The Grand Duchess is away at a conference, so it's just "The Boys" here at home. The Young Master (almost 15) has retreated to his room for something or other following breakfast while I have stolen back down here to Zum Stollenkeller (masquerading as my office) with a second mug of coffee and both cats comfortably ensconced nearby. Enjoying the late morning and still in my pajamas! Not much planned for today beyond designing a couple of promotional flyers for workshops my department is presenting (small parties we will throw?) in October and November.  With maybe a bit of on the next podcast script. More important,  I am toying with the idea of returning for an hour or...
3 comments
Read more