Artizan Designs Sky Pirates

Something different. These chaps painted up as what I interpret as classic 1920s-30s aviators rather than anything outlandish. I don't have the imagination to create anything odd! The first five of ten. Looks like they need another coat of matt varnish before they go to their new home as there is a bit of a shine on their jackets under the lights. Good fun and a welcome break to Wolseley helmets!

Gloucestershire Yeomanry (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Palestine 1917-18. Great War Miniatures Conversions 1.

Great War Miniatures Late War British Cavalry with Woodbine Designs heads. Having hacked the original heads from these figures I removed excess metal to leave the helmet which was attached over the rifle bucket. Painted wearing khaki serge rather khaki drill. I quite like the end result. Five more of these to do. I'll post a couple of pictures of the whole unit once complete.

Woodbine Designs WW1 Field Artillery somewhere hot and dusty.

These chaps are mostly wearing the neck flaps on their Wolseley helmets. The only exception is the chap seated on the left of the gun. I just couldn't get any of the heads to sit correctly.... so I gave up. Perhaps I should have gone the whole hog and taken the greenstuff out to add spine protectors?

French Napoleonic Cavalry Casualty Markers

Not the sort of thing I normally paint, but I was asked to paint up these miniatures as French Napoleonic

casualty markers.

In reality, Perry Belgian heavy cavalry figures but a a change of paint scheme to create something representing French Carabiniers in campaign dress, without breast plates, in blue tunics with their cloaks rolled over their shoulders.

The Hussar on the left is also a Perry Dutch-Belgian figure. A change of horse was needed here. The Cuirassier figure is from Foundry with a Perry Plastic horse struggling to get to its feet.

The Cuirassier figure and the two Hussars on their backs are from Foundry. The other two figures are, again Perry Dutch Belgian figures with different paint schemes. The figure laying on its front is a Belgian Chasseur, but painted up a Hussar wearing his undress town coat instead of a pelisse.

Perry Miniatures: French Napoleonic Field Forge.

At last! The period of late May through to July is always a time when work and reality gets hold with a vice-like grip and this year I gave in and didn't lift a brush for the best part of six weeks. An enforced rest is quite beneficial as it recharges the mojo. Back with the Perry Miniatures French Napoleonic Field Forge set. I really did enjoy painting this set, especially the trooper standing with his horse awaiting his turn.

Perry Miniatures Russian Napoleonic High Command

A lovely set of miniatures to paint.

Ready, Aye Ready!

This post has nothing to do with painting miniatures!

Here's a photo of the crew of TS Royalist, the flagship of the Sea Cadet Corps here in the UK. This photo was taken yesterday during the Thames Jubilee Pageant. TS Royalist was part of the Avenue of Sail, moored opposite HMS President. My youngest daughter, Petty Officer Cadet Genny Hargreaves (TS Marlborough, Abingdon SCC) can be seen standing in the rigging on the bottom right. Gen turns eighteen in a couple of weeks. Not a bad way to finish a career as a cadet! Nice one, Gen!

Image from the Royal Navy Facebook page.

Also, Chief Petty Officer Pete Young can be seen here from this image captured from BBC iPlayer. Chief Young (standing just behind the right shoulder of HRH Duke of Edinburgh) is an ex-crew member of HM Yacht Britannia and yesterday had the honour to act as Coxswain to Britannia's Royal Barge, transporting Her Majesty from Chelsea Harbour to "The Spirit of Chartwell." Chief Young is also the Executive Officer of TS Marlborough (Abingdon SCC). Good work, Chief!

Fifty-five Trinity 500 boats from the Sea Cadet Corps, each carrying a flag of the Commonwealth, also took part in the pageant. The cadets must have been frozen by the time it ended... and probably in need of a loo break having been on the water for the best part of six hours in the cold and rain.

Well done to all, you did the Corps proud.

Light Horse on Patrol

May and June are, for me, very bad months for finding time to paint. A good job that the Beast of Bukhara has been active once again on the tabletop as he sent me this image today. Great to see the ALH figures (painted earlier this year) in an appropriate setting.  Something to post else  the blog would remain static until the end of the month! Thanks, Beast.

 

Setting The East Ablaze.

My chum, Steve Langan, co-author of the ruleset "Setting the East Ablaze" and member of the League of Extraordinary Kriegspielers, was very kind enough to send me copy of these rules that were published in April this year.

I painted up some figures for Steve this year (the GWM Scots-Woodbine headed hybrids featured in earlier posts). I also painted up quite a number of Turks and Tommies for the Beast of Bukhara, another Extraordinary Kreigspieler. A handful of images of these are included in the ruleset. I'll not be so churlish as to point out where you can find them as the painted miniatures must be the work of many different brushes. No one is credited directly so why should I shout loudly ....but I am very fond of the image on  page 13 (Tommies in trenches).

Thanks, Steve!

Now go and buy a set from Caliver Books: http://www.caliverbooks.com/bookview.php?464f311e94cd9763685b1bcea8fc25c8&id=20012

Imperial Camel Corps

Perry Miniatures Sudan Camel Corps figures with Woodbine heads to create a representation of the Imperial Camel Corps that served as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the Great War. The purists among us may wince to see the older 1880s equipment, but I've seen photographs of this still being worn so I can live with this. Stirrups on camels on the other hand....

Well, as gaming pieces they pass muster on my opinion.