Back to the Painting Table!!!

Today (Saturday) is the day. My return to the painting table after too many months to count away from hobby activities. Almost all of the outdoor winterizing of flower beds, leaf clearing, and mowing has been done. Chilly, damp weather has arrived. We've even had a few dustings of snow the last few days although that has gone by midday.

I'll begin by quickly dusting off the surface and putting away a few things, and then see where things are with the slightly more than half of the Eureka SYW Saxon curassiers that are close to completion. And then open a bottle or two of paint and have a go at things. Probably makes good sense to draft a short checklist of colors/parts left to complete too. Wish me luck.

Hmm. Wait a second.

A complete hobby absence from hobby activities is not entirely true come to think of it. I have tinkered with a few small river sections using printable magnetic sheets from Office Depot (or is it Office Max?), and I like the early results. An idea I borrowed from Lee over at his Figure Painting Therapy Project (actually his related Youtube channel). The sheeting has enough heft to lie flat, takes paint, and minor terrain modeling without too much work, and, apparently, will not warp.

My problem with commercially available river sections (and I purchased some a year or so ago) is that they never seem to blend into the tabletop or surrounding scenery well. Then there is the issue of water coloring (rivers and streams are rarely "bright blue") and glistening water effect. I might have the answer to both after watching many, many such Youtube videos on the topic by gamers and model railroad enthusiasts. More of which anon.

Ok, enough blather! The Grand Duchess has suggested we go out this morning for coffee. And who am I to refuse? So, a quick shower first, then breakfast with the Young Master, followed by our planned cafe outing, and a trip to the jewelers to drop off too wristwatches for new batteries. Then, it's Back to the Painting Table! I can almost hear the rousing theme music and see the late John Wayne emerge through the smoke.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

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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