Bang! Pssssssssss. . .

I'm afraid that my lack of painting opportunities the past few months are to the far right here!

Sooner, or later, I suppose it happens to everyone in the miniatures painting and (war-)gaming hobby. Real life gets in the way early on and will not budge and get out of the blasted way. You know? Kind of like when you are racing to make a connecting flight across a large airport in another terminal building, and you get stuck behind someone with lots of carry-on baggage and numerous drifting children on one of those moving sidewalk thingies. But the people who are walking over to your right or left, those smart souls who chose the old-fashioned method of simply walking on the non-conveyered tiled floor, are zipping by at a much faster rate. It's simply maddening when you think about it too much. Know what I mean?

Anyway, that is what has happened during the last few months, as the autumn term has worn on, here at Stollen Central. The sheer number of student drafts and final papers for my three writing intensive courses this semester have come at such a pace and been so relentless that, very frankly, I have simply lacked the mental energy by the end of the day to fathom picking up a paintbrush most evenings or weekends. And the work has even intruded upon bedtime reading, which is the usual method of escape for a couple of hours most late evenings before turning out the bedside lamp. Grumble, grumble. Whimper, whimper.

Oh, sure. I've done dribs and drabs of brushwork here and there in tiny fits of paniced energy as the water has risen to first to me chest, chin, and then nose. But of the 20 or so Fife&Drum, Minden, and RSM95 mid-18th century generals and staff officers I pledged to complete in the current painting challenge between my collection of wargaming friends and acquaintances, I have only managed to finish two. Almost. The rest remain silently and steadfastly at the ready, still in their two coats of white basecoat on the painting table behind me here in Zum Stollenkeller.

Still, chin up, eh? The nice, long American Thanksgiving holiday weekend is just about here, and things will calm down once classes conclude at the end of the first week of December. That should give me a bit more time than has been the case since late August. And when classes resume in January, my teaching load will be a little lighter. Mercifully. And who knows? Maybe I can get the 20 or so figures currently on the painting table taken care of by Christmas? But enough about my hobby tales of woe. It's time to do a little planning for today's classes. Sigh.

The 18th century? What's the Fascination?

Hessian musketeers by All the King's Men Toy Soldiers of Snellville, Georgia, U.S.A. Just a quick post post today, but I thought the above question might be interesting food for thought. Obviously, there is an array of possible periods, theaters, and conflicts that might catch our eyes. But what is it about the era 1700-1799 -- either real, or imagined? Is it the commanders and politics? The fairly straightforward tactics? The myriad of uniforms and flags? The variety and scope of the conflicts? The patchwork of various and sundry petty states, (at least in Central Europe)? I'm very interested to learn your thoughts. Don't be a lurker! Please leave a comment -- or even two or three. Have a nice day everyone!

An Early July Hussar Update. . .

Marginally neater in appearance with green bases, girths, and ivory horse markings added, but I need to neaten up some hooves now before moving onto the rest of the tack. W here in the world did June go? While I still ponder the answer to that question, how about a quick painting update on the first batch of 14 Minden Austrian hussars and Nadasdy? Good. I'm glad we are of a like mind. Still on the sloppy side, but I've managed to move things along, painting the green bases, white (ivory) horse markings, and beginning the miles and miles of tack adorning the various horses. I always like to begin with the girths spanning the horses' ribs which helped hold the saddles in place. Even with the figures mounted individually on temporary painting bases, these can be kind of tricky to access, but there we are. I've also used various Army Painter washes (Mid-Brown and Strong Tone) as well as their Speed Paint (Grim Black) to make the manes and tails of the horses a bit m...

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...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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