Happy U.S. Thanksgiving 2025 from the Grand Duchy of Stollen!

Happy Thanksgiving to U.S. celebrants wherever in the world you might find yourself, and a belated Thanksgiving wish to our incredibly patient neighbors in Canada (less than an hour from my doorstep here in Michigan).

Quite a few Canadian family friends over the years, plus a number of colleagues here at Michigan State, so a big shout out to you. The world has gone mad as my late maternal grandmother used to say. Or, more accurately, not "the world" but rather us. But we will come to our senses and get through the current situation one day. Eventually.

Some say that awakening is already happening, but I remain skeptical. We'll see.

In more pleasant news, still here and still ticking along in the Grand Duchy, losing a few minutes here and there but still keeping time. More or less.

Almost finished with the MANY brass buttons on those first 20 Anhalt-Zerbst figures before the glossing stage. No time for painting today, however, since we actually have company joining us this year from out of town. Two grad school friends we've known for years.

So, lots to do after another mug of coffee, shower, shave, and dressing myself. The now 16-year old Young Master will sport his first suit for dinner but still needs assistance with his necktie. Where in the world does the time go? It'll be driving and college or university next.

-- Stokes

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A Little More Brushwork. . .

A little more brushwork on the first batch of (my version of) the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment yesterday (Saturday). Taking a different tack this time and addressing many of the details first before the white coats and other larger areas of uniform. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that I've painted the (dark) red stocks of the enlisted men. Always a difficult and frustrating item to paint, it made sense to paint from the inside out as it were and get that particular detail out of the way first rather than try to paint it in later after much other painting has been accomplished. Trying to reduce the need for later retouching of other items on the figures you understand. Hopefully, I will be able to get back to these later today after a second trip back to the Apple Store for help with a couple of new iPad issues and, following the return home, some revision of Google Slides for tomorrow's meetings with my students. -- Stokes P.S. And according t...

Basic Reds Done at Last. . .

S till quite a way to go with the current batch of 20 human figures and a horse (of course), but they're actually starting to look like something after all of the red distinctions. Quite a bit of painting in hour-long sessions the last week as and when time has allowed. Mostly applying the basic dark red to facing areas and turnbacks followed by the inevitable touch-ups to clean up wobbly edges and those misplaced, minute splotches of Citadel Khorne Red. They're looking like so many Austrian infantry regiments of the era at this point, but the eventual flags will turn them magically into the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment, more or less, of the AWI period. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. One frustrating point (ahem) of sad discovery. I've started trying to use those Winsor & Newton 'Series Seven' brushes (#1 rounds) purchased last spring, and the blasted things simply will not keep a point. Very frustrating since I have heard over the y...

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

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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