The Grand Duchy of Stollen

  F or the final third of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment on this frigid day!   Obnoxious alliteration aside, and with the temperature hovering right around 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-17.7 C.), it seems like a smarter idea to forego skiing today and get some time in at the painting desk.  As you'll see, I just trimmed the North Star wire poles down a bit and Gorilla Glue'ed the finials into place.  I'll make the cords look a bit more dynamic later this afternoon, and possibly trim another five or 10mm from the bottom ends before cementing them carefully into the hands of the ensigns.   And do the same for the NCO's polearm.   Then I'll basecoat the three with my usual blend of white acrylic gesso and Quaker Gray craft paint.  Might also touch up a few spots on the others too before adding flesh tone to the remaining three faces and six hands this evening.  Between planned ski tours tomorrow (one solo late in the morning and another with the ...

  A  shot of yours truly taken by the Grand Duchess after lunch in the yurt at Forbush Corner Nordic Center on Sunday as we headed back out toward some more challenging intermediate and advanced terrain a few kilometers further along the trail. Conditions were about as close to perfect as one can get.  Cold, plenty of snow with more falling throughout the weekend, and many winter smiles as one of my coaches up there refers to happy skiers.   And there were record numbers this weekend!  250+ adults on Saturday alone. Lots of families or parents, grandparents, children of various ages, and even babies being towed in Burley ski trailers (usually by the fathers) out on the trails and in the yurt for breaks on Saturday and Sunday, which suggests at least to me that cross-coutry/Nordic skiing is far from dying like some doomsayers moan.  It's doing quite well in Michigan at least.  Admittedly, our own trail adventures were not quite The Heroes of Telema...

  B efore my mind turns to other pursuits of a cross-county/Nordic skiing nature, it seems like a good idea to document the remaining third (or so) of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment.  Here they are.   Amazingly, I had the foresight tto basecoat and apply the basic fleshtone to these too at some point during the autumn months before stowing them in one of my clear acrylic boxes where various painting projects reside in full fiew on a shelf above my painting table.  They are thus fully visible and in mind but protected from dust, feline paws, errant teen-aged fingers, and the like.  Not touching Dad's things seems to be a  skill that has been really difficult for the Young Master to internalize.  Ahem. Returning to the point at hand, the eagle-eyed among you will notice that the two standard bearers and an NCO have yet to receive their acrylic Quaker Gray-Gesso basecoat mix.  Must drill out their hands first and glue the various staves into place y...

  A short while ago, I put the finishing touches on the middle third of my version of the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment.  And not too many necessary touch-ups either.  Sometimes, the stars line up rather nicely.  As I always say, not perfect, but pretty good middle aged eyes and (often) caffeinated hands notwithstanding.   Taking a break for a week or so since we're having a long ski weekend up north next weekend. That means ski prep and packing in the evenings this week.  Huzzah! -- Stokes

  The latest 'Kodak Moment' photo update.  I typically use the Fotor editing app online to brighten and crop my photographs (taken with an iPhone 15 Pro Max).   W ith apologies to the Rolling Stones. Taking some time now over a few days to carefully apply my usual gold to the many visible buttons.  Focusing on more pleasant things that I can control you understand.  Influenced by current reading on the Stoics, courtesy of my theologian/philosopher uncle.  Another professor in the family.  Now, I typically do not attempt the many buttons up the outside of the gaiters modeled on each infantry and artillery crew member casting.  That would be (another) sheer folly.  But those on the cuffs, lapels, waistcoats, at the small of the backs, and (where visible) the pockets on officers, drummers, or NCOs?  Those are fair game and really help the figures to pop as the cool kids were all saying a few years back.   Of course, one needs...

First They Came  Pastor Martin Niemoller  First they came for the Communists  And I did not speak out  Because I was not a Communist  Then they came for the Socialists  And I did not speak out  Because I was not a Socialist  Then they came for the trade unionists  And I did not speak out  Because I was not a trade unionist  Then they came for the Jews  And I did not speak out  Because I was not a Jew  Then they came for me  And there was no one left  To speak out for me.

  A lone RSM95 grenadier figure amidst quite a few Minden Austrians.  The former are slightly cruder castings, but they nevertheless work well along side their crisper brethren.  You can even drop one or two carefully chosen figures into a larger unit without raising any eyebrows.  Not sure where this one came from, but he is destined to be part of the color party when those are issued at the end of the current 60-figure painting dance (it's a rather slow minuet).  Fitting for a grenadier I hope you'll agree. T ook some time a couple of evenings ago to sort through the many hussars and horse castings, organizing them into squadron-sized batches in plastic ziplock sandwich bags.  During the process, I discovered something like another eight or 10 of each, which means I might as well plan on a regiment of 64  or so when all is said and done.  I know, I know. . .  But since I have them, it seems a shame to leave 'em unpainted In the meantime, it...

  Both illustrations of the later uniforms apparently sported by the Warasdiner Grenz Hussars were lifted (I prefer the milder "borrowed") from the Project Seven Years War website. W ell, the Christmas and New Year's holidays have come and gone.  We've dedecorated the schloss for another roughly 11.5 months.  And before I suit up for a solo ski tour locally this Sunday afternoon, it seems like a good idea to clarify where I see the Grand Duchy of Stollen collection heading in 2026.  So, here's the plan such as it is, and if we might use that rather grandiose term.   In short, I aim to paint something in the neighborhood of 57 Austrian hussar figures and horses.  You read that right.  But hey, why not celebrate the approaching 20th anniversary of the Grand Duchy of Stollen Blog (September 2006) with something monumental?  Of course a game too would be a nice change since it's been quite a while, but one thing at a time. Back to the hussars for...

S till a few areas perhaps in need of a final wash, but the basic white is about finished for the current 20 figures slated to become the Anhalt-Zerbst Regiment.  Trying to avoid the Hollywood Smile look you understand, so very light gray is preferable to bone white.  Belts and webbing, however, along with the fronts/tops of shoulders and elbows -- where the fabric of the coats would be stretched tight -- are closer to pure white.   Still a ways to go, but they don't look half bad en masse. In the next day or two, I'll talk more about the planned hussar project for 2026 which will follow completion of this 60-figure unit.  I should probably have my head examined, but I must admit that I'm looking forward to getting back to some cavalry even if they are the dreaded hussars.  Feel free to remind me of that 'round about September.   Back to the painting tomorrow at some point, but for now I have a date with the Grand Duchess by the fireside for some ...