Work has been crazy lately but no matter how bad the day, once I sit down and paint, my problems and stress fade away. Or shrink to approximately 15mm in size! I make it a point to try to paint almost every day and with that habit, I've managed to paint more than 578 figures year to date. On the rare occasion that painting doesn't lower my stress quickly enough, there's always a good craft beer to finish the job!
As a blogger, I worry that a week will come and I'll be too busy or too uninspired to come up with an article. I keep a couple of posts "in the can" so to speak and on a tough week, I'm glad to have backup material. With the oh so short Minnesota summer, I need to let my paintbrushes rest. I need to get up from the table, go outside and do things like take a hike, go to the lake, go on summer vacation and make a trip to NY for work! Not to worry as I have a large backlog of painted figures to post in the months ahead.
Lastly, I'd like to take a minute share an updated picture of my workspace.
December 2011:
May 2012:
For my birthday, my wife bought me a lovely painting carousel that I've almost managed to fill. I keep my paints sorted based on color and shade so I can easily do 2 or 3-tone highlighting. I also grabbed another 3 tray box to hide all my hobby stuff. I have a small red moleskin notebook for recording hobby and article ideas. The trick for me is to take it everywhere, including work. Leaving it on the nightstand next to my bed was not working. Now it travels with me, I've been putting it to good use. Want proof? I'll share one of my ideas.
Painting Scutarii last month made me think about the Roman silver mines in Hispania. For Field of Glory, I need to make some impassible terrain and then I thought, what's more impassible than an open pit silver mine? I haven't put down my paint brush long enough to make terrain but one day soon, right after I finish with the yard! See you in the sunshine!
Cor, that's a lot of figures! I've painted up four figures this weekend and i thought i was on a roll! You're becoming all posh with the paint holder, i'm still with a blue biscuit box to store my paints in :)
ReplyDeleteNow go and enjoy the sun!
Neat looking table (unlike mine!). looks like a nice spot to paint at as well (I'm relegated to the crappy bedroom in the attic!)
ReplyDeleteThe carousel and space is pretty nice. I dragged an old table into my bedroom and if my wife ever looks on my side of the room, she'll probably hit me. Despite some care and a rug under the table, stuff just keeps getting spilled on the carpet.
ReplyDeleteSo Phil, the attic might actually be a "safer" place to paint, as long as people don't mistake you for Quasimodo.
Almost 600 minis so far... that is a fair number even in 15mm! You can be proud of yourself!
ReplyDeleteOrganising the workplac is a must for us painters I think and that carousel is a good way to go. The only bad thing is... all those empty spaces make you want to fill them up.
I can remember as a small lad I used to have a lid from a shoe carton half filled with paints. When I moved from emanel paints (good think with all the fumes from them) to acrylics that became a tray from a toolbox, then a drawer box from IKEA, followed by a second drawer box and these days a custom build paint cart. I just hope I do nt have to modify a minivan one day ;-).
Yes, I've seen your storage stuff...great stuff!
ReplyDeleteAnd organizing is key dhc. When I'm not organized, I start, stop, read and move slowly. When I'm organized, I can move a lot of lead. For the Gauls, I put 100 shields out on the table and worked them in batches of 20 to improve efficiencies. And it worked!
Monty,
ReplyDeleteThe number of figures painted is impressive as is the fact that the minis and bases look good too. Anyone could slop paint on 500+ figs to get them done (not that I am judging, -as I have done it.) You have great attention to little details, and I like your use of color. I am thinking that you "out paint" my entire gaming group...
David S.
Hey David! I must confess that it's a little bit of an addiction. I've given up my other hobbies as the calculus is "if free time, then paint!" Just when I said I'd chill, I got a game of Maurice in today and now I need to paint a musket-era army.
ReplyDeleteI have not forgot your discussion on tournaments. I still have a post rolling around in my head on that if I'd focus and write it.