There you have it… a collection of pics is better than a long text… this is what I did in 2023… from bottom to top chronologically I am afraid!
I enjoyed the lot of projects. Some come out of nowhere… some were convoluted… some straightforward…
How the mind wanders in a year… seriously considering selling my Playmobil Collection on Ebay nowadays… lack of interest by my grandchildren… and need of space… that happens…
Hope you enjoy my recollections!
Finally varnished, dry, and ready to play!Command Group detail!lanyard corrected!A nice little collection in Khaki…
I do not remember if I did that on 2023… but probably!My only 42MM soldier!The SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON project!Union Cavalry in 6mm (Baccus)6MM Nile Gunboat (Daniel Hodgson REVEILLE production)Rorke’s Drift in 6MM (Baccus Minis and Leven Buildings)My avatar in 75mm.The Charge of the Heavy Brigade (Crimea 1854) 6mm Baccus Proxies!Repainted central Toy Soldier (substitution in the collection)The finished Brigade of Guards Crimea 1854 (Baccus Proxies and a lot of work involved!)The “NEW” additions (Lt. Chard and Lt. Bromhead) in their proper place. DORSET SOLDIERS.Display of finished units!Staff Car and Motorcycles escort!Chard and BromheadXIXth Corps d’Afrique (French) in 54MM… now complete.Confederates in 6MM (Baccus)The whole Heavy Brigade (Crimea) 6MM Baccus proxies.My ANTIETAM/SHARPSBURG Wargame 6MM Baccus (At the end of the game)Another view.Playmobils 75MM… seriously considering selling my collection of them in 2024!Saganne in 54mm Dorset Soldiers casting painted by me…Nathan Brittles last patrol in 6MM Baccus Proxies (Pony Wars and a scratchbuild Olivia Dandridge aka Joanne Dru).I did this “conversion” for a W.S.Churchill at OMDURMAN…. Dorset Soldiers cast!French Foreign Legion by Dorset Soldiers waiting Varnish (Gloss of course!)PLAYMOBIL customized by me NWMP.Last but not least!… this is what I remember… (fondly).
I used this “avatar” or pic of a RCMP Inspector General with dark blue tunic (patrol jacket in Britain) because of childhood memories.
Suddenly one day a member of Facebook commented I have painted wrong the lanyard because it was under the webbing (difficult for the pistol to be used as such at all… lol… he (or she) was right… so:
I modified the mistake.
Here are the pics, enjoy!
Original pic with lanyard under the webbing! (WRONG!)Matter modified!Another view.
After a bit of relax (that included searching for the right paint from Vallejo for the rifles!) I am now painting two units for AGW (12 man units); the first one is only 4 charging figures to complete an existing REPLICA set. Will concentrate on those 4 for starts… but also working on the mounted officers and young Churchill (4th Hussars).
It is easier to paint Infantry soldiers if you are not in a hurry. But you need to have a hold on them somehow… so just a job of adding colours patiently. In the case of the guards the bearskin helps a lot!
Since I was a child and had only marching and at the present figures I have wanted to have them in fighting positions… so in the end… DIY is the best way (not the only one of course!).
I have ordered from Dorset Soldiers and Replica some boxes for 2024… if all goes well I will retire from the painting job myself and keep the pots of paint to do maintenance exclusively.
Now, if Andrew Stevenson send to me the 5 casts of the 2nd US Cavalry to do the mounted colour party for the SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON set… that will be all!
The “square” formation is only to show the Toy Soldiers in a single pic. Cavalry had not use at all “inside”. But even more important the “square” as such was not used at all intensively at that time… so you will forgive the artistic license!
In fact the purpose of this “parade” was to count them all, stop adding more troops without sense of perspective… and find where to put the two machine guns newly commisioned!
Vast majority of them are REPLICA METAL MODEL SOLDIERS (Andrew Stevenson), complemented by DORSET SOLDIERS (Antony Spencer) and even 4 Gordon Highlanders done by my friend Paul Watson in a moment of yours truly deep anguish!…
Enjoy!
You must read Major C.E. Callwell (Royal Artillery) opus SMALL WARS (Their Principles & Practice).
Quite aerial view.Maybe a better shot!Another perspective.Indian Mountain Battery.Corps of GuidesGurkhasBritish Guards66th BerkshiresBobbie (the dog) is purposefully misplaced! (it should be with the 66th!Gordon HighlandersCommander + British Artillery.Just to say farewell…Those are in the offing…The Maxim with wheels too!