Pontonier Update #6: The Pontoons. . .

A leisurely stroll with the paintbrush today, finishing the two pontoons manned by my David Soul look-alike in 1/56 scale and his three companions.

One of those truly delightful (and all too rare) totally relaxed Saturday afternoons here today. A dark, chilly winter's day outside, a quiet and yet festive atmosphere inside. The Grand Duchess and I submitted our final grades yesterday afternoon and are now well and truly finished with school work and students until after the first of the year. We sent out the last of our Christmas cards this morning, the house is decorated, and the shopping finished. Whew!

The Young Master, while suffering from a small cold, is currently ensconced on the loveseat in the TV room watching episodes of Daniel Tiger online, and yours truly has enjoyed an extremely pleasant few hours down here in Zum Stollenkeller with the cats today, listening to Christmas Jazz as well as traditional English Christmas carols online. The Christmas Festival can come along any time now.

And here is a photograph of the now finished pontoons, commanded by David Soul's great, great, great, great, great grand something-or-other at right. The outside of the pontoons have three coats of Citadel copper while the insides were coated first in a dark red and then boards were carefully picked out with a brighter red. I've tried to made the figure bases fairly inconspicuous. Ok, let the glossing of the 24 pontoniers, four oarsmen, and two spare pontoons begin!

Life has its stresses and frustrations, yes, but at this moment, I feel more relaxed, happy, and extremely fortunate than I have felt since, well, last summer before the fall term began. Clearly, the key is having enough time to slow down, reflect quietly, and, as a result, be able to hear oneself think. Know what I mean?

-- Stokes

Another vintage Swedish Christmas greeting today, depicting Tomte, the Swedish cousin of the Norwegian Julenissen, lighting the candles on a snow-covered Fir or Spruce.

P.S.
As far as rules for the use of pontoniers on the tabletop and bridge construction, I'll dig around and see what Charles S. Grant suggests. I'll also see what he has suggested in various books and Table Top Teasers from the past as far as scenarios are concerned. It will be nice to wrap these figures up and move onto something else. I realize that I've spent all of 2014, where rare and precious free time has been available, assembling and painting the now rather large generic mid-18th century pontoon and supply train. Great fun and a welcomed change of pace, but it's time to get back to some officer vignettes and the fighting end of things. Finally, the officer in charge of the pontoniers will be an Englishman, General Cadfael Huffington-Blather, on loan to Stollen from the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, a.k.a. Hanover. To represent him and his to subordinate officers, I will paint up the Duke of Cumberland figure et al sold by Crann Tara Miniatures.

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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