I Still Have The Love And The Ability. Or - That Was An Eye Opener

 Well, the last few days have been an eye-opener...

It's been a loooooong time since I undertook a large project for myself in any scale, and as you know, if you follow my gaming life, for the last 6 years I've sent everything to a painter, since Lockdown meant I amassed a stash of money through the lack of shows.

2026, has resulted in attending just one show, with absolutely zero desire to go to any others for the time being, the idea of those moon-faced, wholesome idealists we seem to be plagued with these days along with over priced tickets - no the organisers do NOT bring people in, it's the xhibitors who don't get any financial recompense, and the traderts who pay for the pleasure of having sometimes sweaty and unhygienic souls pawing their wares before reaching into the coin purse to nbuy one figure, expecting the trader to act as if they are being showered (see the irony?) with largesse comparable to a trip to Harrods by a Saudi prince.

Yesterday, I received an unsolicited message on social media from a stranger, asking if I was going to a local Oldhammer event (of course I wasn't - I own an Oldhammer Event in my games room) and the message 'Maybe see you there?'

What in the name of all that is holy (the beard of Gygax etc) makes a stranger think that I'm in any way interested in 'seeing them' anywhere? 

Kids today... 

Look, I choose my friends verty carefully, don't often feel the need or desire, to increase that circle, and certainly not on the strength of message out of the blue.

On top of which, when I originally offered to take a fucking huge number of pre-slotta figures and some great terrain to exhibit, the organisers of that show, blew me out. So, ther ya go...

Anyway, the 4 day holiday and the delivery a week ago of a large amount of 15mm figures and vehicles from Ground Zero Games, Alternative Armies and only yesterday, Brigade Models meant that I had a chance to see if I could still paint stuff for my own collection. 

I have fond memories of display games by South London Warlords and various sci-modelling displays at shows in the 80s, as well as reading Fantasy Modeler repeatedly. Hell, I remember when mecha kits were new and exotic and nobody outside of a very small cadre knew anything about them. 

I was always taught not to use my own stash, but I felt that it was about time, because I've been reminiscing at length and as I wanted to just do something which was selfishly 'just because',  I decided to give it a go.

I paint a lot of green stuff in my day job, and of course, I have a little 'kink' about the 70s/80s 'clean and green' look of artwork for the Striker rules etc, so I decided that green was the way to go - at least to begin with.

I seem to have somehow got myself into an altered state, because the output from this effort, this self-experimentation has been pretty fucking awesome.

About an hour ago, I finished all the vehicles for the 68th Hov-Cav and the infantry is already primed and the filters added. As I said, the time taken versus output simply does not balance up. 

I think that as Penny Rimbaud has stated 'art should always be for art's sake' and I think that because I had no target or deadline or expectation, I've existed 'outside of normal time' temporarily, and the muse has taken over. I do know that on Friday, I was dehydrated and a little 'temporally discplaced' not realising that it was gone 7PM, the sun setting to the west of my studio windows and totally mind fucked. It was as if I'd been in a trance, mechanically working through the various stages.

And, I'm happy with the results:

 

 

 What struck me as I chatted with my wife about the experience, was that I have subcosciously got the same kind of tones and 'look' as the late Pete 'Greblord' Armstrong. I think he'd grudgingly agree, which would be high praise from someone I looked up to whilst being simultaneously verbally abused by, making me the well balanced individual I am today. No, really...

What I have taken from this is that I have (at the moment, certainly) no desire to add to my fantasy or historical collections, but I do have a really burning desire to buy and paint lots more 15mm sci-fi.

I'm not inrerested in the modern spiked or angular sci-fi. I love clean lines, sharp edges and soft curves. 

This means that  with the stuff I can get from the three comapanies above, I have a lot I can go at. And of course, that desire to recreate 'properly' funded' takes on the games I played as a young teenager means that my vision is clear, enthusiasm at a level I genuinely cannot remember having for several decades at a personal hobby level.

To look at something and think 'I love that, and this time it's for my gaing table.' is exhilirating in a way I thought I'd not experience again. The only 'bummer' is that I wish I had more of my life time left to truly embrace it with the same 'immortal enthusiasm' I had aged 13 or 14. But, hey, that's OK...

 Several people have said that what I've donne has inspired them to change scales or simply buy stuff from GZG, which I think is truly fantastic.

Well, if you will excuse me, I think I'll sign off here on a 'high' and go and get some skincare on my hands which have seen some serious solven abuse in the last 72 hours.

 

TTFN