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Finding Inner Peace in Toy Soldiers. . .

 

Finding inner peace in toy soldiers is something that I expect non-wargamers, painters, and collectors would not quite understand, but it helps calm me as we prepare to return to campus and business as usual (??!!) tomorrow morning.  

Faculty, staff, and students have been advised time and again by our university, in the wake of Monday evening's shootings here at Michigan State University, to practice self-care and find joy/peace/calm/salvation in ways that work for us.

So, with that in mind, I made the decision to press on yesterday evening and this (Sunday) afternoon with wrapping up my version of Austria's Wied Infantry, which I've been tinkering with since last August.  Time to get back on the horse and get 'em done.  

And they are almost there.  Just a few remaining teeny, tiny things to touch up -- details no one but me will ever notice -- and then Bob's your mother's brother.  I'll call 'em done and get moving with that company of 15 generic jaegers.  Strike while the iron is hot all that.

In any case, here they are, all freshly cemented to their permanent bases.  Look closely, and you'll see an incomplete third rank of a few sergeants, corporals, and an officer or two. plus the drummers on the flanks.  The influence of various Big Battalion proponents, past and present, on either side of the Atlantic, as well as down under, is openly and freely acknowledged.  You know who you are.

-- Stokes 






Comments

tradgardmastare said…
Splendidly arrayed troops Stokes.
I am glad the project worked for you.
I look forward to seeing them in action in the not too distant future…
1:42 AM
David Morfitt said…
They do look terrific, Stokes. And I'm sure wargamers will understand the meditative nature of the hobby and its wonderful creativity... We all need creative distractions, especially when reality is so very distressing at times.

Cheers,

David.
8:15 AM
Donnie McGibbon said…
Superb looking regiment, top work on them, I have to agree with you about the inner peace painting toy soldiers bring, you can lose yourself and forget about the horrors that happen all around.
12:13 PM
Matt said…
Seeking calm in this mad world should be a top priority for us all.

Plus they look grand in their shiny coats!
3:30 PM
Independentwargamesgroup said…
Stokes, through my entire life I have salted myself away from reality by either playing or painting my toy soldiers.When I struggle to sleep I think of my latest project [toy soldiers] and find comfort in those thoughts. Frankly as Featherstone once quizzed, what would he have done if he hadnt had his soldiers and wargames. So keep picking up a brush and lose yourself in a world where all is good.
9:54 AM
WSTKS-FM Worldwide said…
Thank you everyone for you kind and encouraging words. Of course, there is much good in the world, but good God have we had a lot of awfulness the last 6-10 years or so. Not to mention the last 14 days. The endless cycle of bad news really makes one despair. Toy soldiers are healthier than other alternatives I suppose.

Kind Regards,

Stokes

11:25 AM
James Fisher said…
These look superb.

Best wishes from afar for you, colleagues and, of course, the families. It ain't worth much, but is meant genuinely as I can imagine the dismay, the grief and gut-wrenching pain of family and friends.
Regards, James
10:45 PM
Pat Longton said…
The troops look great!!! I recently sold all my Minden and am returning to a simpler age with Spencer-Smith..the look of shiny toy soldiers is indeed very calming. I am more of a painter than collector but raising my own imperial and electoral armies is fun...stay safe and enjoy each day.
12:13 AM
Paul Mahoney said…
Great work again, can I ask the process and colours of how you paint the faces of your troops please.
9:38 PM
Keith Flint said…
"lose yourself in a world where all is good."

Yes indeed. I've certainly done that many times myself. It's hard, living in the UK, to come to terms with or understand the attitude of the gun-lovers in the USA. But there we are - I guess it's none of my business. Very best wishes to you and your colleagues in coming to terms with this tragedy.
2:55 PM
Carlo said…
Stunning work Stokes and yes,I absolutely understand what you mean about the joy in losing oneself in our superb hobby. It held immeasurably in my own stress relief and relaxation.
4:15 AM
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