First of Four Summer Projects Almost Finished. . .

My particular treatment of the Eureka Miniatures 'Ooh, You're So Awful!' vignette. The current English ambassador to The Grand Duchy of Stollen, the libidinous Lord Hawthorne Rumpee de Pumpee (he is of Huguenot stock), takes liberties with a handy kitchen maid while his long suffering wife, Lady Thalassa and a disapproving Stollenian bystander look on.

Things are almost finished with the first of my four proposed summer hobby projects save for two or three of the invariable touch-ups and the sparing application of a few clumps of Woodland Scenics coarse foliage here and there to enliven the circular bases. These figures will join my rather large group of frolicking aristocrats, servants, and a painter, who bears a startling resemblance to the Italian model Fabio ("I can't believe it's not butter!"). A few of you might recall this bunch of figures from when they were painted back in 2012 or 2013.

Of course, as luck would have it, I seem to have misplaced the blasted bag of coarse foliage since last I used it. There are only so many places here in Zum Stollenkeller that it can be, but no luck tracking it down yet.

In the meantime, I've been carefully applying glossy Liquitex acrylic varnish to the infantry standards painted up last winter, so that these can join their regiments before I turn my attention to those 30 RSM95 horse grenadiers in bearskin bonnets, which were started last July before my painting mojo simply dried up as the summer wore on. Maybe I can make some headway and get them finished this year? Keep your fingers and toes crossed!

Finally, don't look too closely, or you will spot the lone piece of cat fur that floated in from somewhere and became stuck in the tacky gloss varnish after I finished a couple of evenings ago, switched off the lights, and went upstairs to bed. Insert very choice words here. I'm not sure how to attempt removal without harming the paint job at this point, so I suppose it will have to remain. Lesson learned? Always, always, always have some kind of dust cover to place over figures in progress better to prevent such annoying developments.

-- Stokes

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...

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!

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...

The Grand Duchy of Stollen

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