From Sarah & Curt for Martijn - Renaissance Baker - Gift Shop (30 Points)

Hello Everyone

As I was talking with Curt about my next entry, which would be the Library Gift Shop, we had an Eureka Moment! and decided to collaborate on a vignette to honour our Tuesday Minion.

Martijn’s commitment to educating us on all the tempting Dutch/Belgian baked goods has been a wondrous addition to our Tuesday mornings.

I found a terrific figure of baker and oven on MyMiniFactory then a quick Google search of 17thC Dutch Paintings for inspiration.

Jan Steen, 1658, The Baker Oostwaert and His Wife

Steen has painted a very happy and prosperous baker - those loaves of bread look fresh, delicious and made with skill and care.

The vignette that Curt and I have created depicts baker Oostwaert working hard at the ovens, this is the action shot “before” the Steen portrait.

We decided that I would paint the oven and the body of the baker, while Curt would do skin tones, the baking tray, highlights/effects, basing and clean up any messy bits left by me. 😇

(Full disclosure… soon after beginning painting Oostwaert, I dropped him and broke off the bakers peel … yes, there were tears and graciously Curt printed off a second figure with stern instructions to be very, very careful.)

I really wanted to replicate the muted tones of the bakers clothing in the Steen painting. We used Vallejo paints - pale grey, silver grey and pale blue. This was my first attempt at using such a soft palette and I’m really pleased with the results!

Our hardworking baker is wearing a head wrap and chin wrap … I suppose to absorb the sweat from the ovens heat … though he could also be quite health conscious and ready to mask up if necessary.

The brick oven was a relatively quick paint job. After some black primer, I then used a dove grey craft paint, followed by a nice red/brown Curt mixed up using the dove grey layer as the mortar between the bricks. Curt assisted in painting the scorch effect on the brick which looks very cool.

This is the Gift Shop entry and will soon be packed up and sent overseas to Martijn … Curt and I hope the baker Oostwaert and his never ending supply of stroopwafels keep good company with Martijn and the rest of his toy soldiers!

___________________________________

I’m not sure how to score this …

1 28mm figure = 5 points

Oven = 1 point

Gift Bonus = 20 points

Total = 26  30 points

Curt suggests we simply split the total score between us (13 each). but we leave final adjudication to Martijn’s more than capable assessment.

Thanks for visiting and seeing our work!

- Sarah & Curt

Wow, Sarah and Curt, what a wonderful surprise! The vignette is a great find by itself, and very fitting to represent the Jan Steen painting. And then the painting is awesome too, you have worked together so well to create this little masterpiece. From the oven itself  to the baker in his plain and simple working cloths it is all very well done. I am very glad that you have liked my little stories and I am truly deeply honoured to be gifted this remarkable vignette. Thank you both!

As the scoring goes, your suggestion is reasonable but modest. Let's award a couple of extra points for the oven and for sheer awesomeness to make it 30, split between the both of you. Excellent work!

Martijn

From Curt - Oni Shamans for 'Hametsu' - Sarah's Book Cart (34 Points)

 

Another small addition to my fantasy Japanese collection for 'Hametsu'. Here are two Oni demon shamans.

These are 3d prints from MyMiniFactory. I scaled them to 40mm to fit in with my other Oni baddies. They will provide some much need spell-casting for the Oni villains.

This rather elegant female shaman is from Lord of the Print. Unfortunately the facial detail was a bit soft, and I tried my best to help it along with the brush, but to no avail. Still, a lovely model to work on.

I will claim her for a trip on Sarah's Book Cart to the Giftshop where I'll be meeting up with Lady Sarah for a co-authored entry!

This hipster male oni shaman is from Kyoushuneko Miniatures.

These two 40mm villains will give me a base of 14 points plus another 20 for Sarah's Book Cart, for 34 points total.

Thanks again Martijn for shoehorning me in for this entry!

- Curt

It is always a pleasure to have you dropping by, Curt, and this contribution is no exception. Both figures are great, I think you did a very fine job on the female shaman, but the hipster villain really takes the biscuit for me. He looks like he's on his way to yoga class, doesn't he? A very nice figure, and an expert paint job as always. Off you are to the Gifts Shop then, with another 34 poinys in the pocket!

Martijn

From PeterD: Picts [40 points]

 A second post from me today with some Picts.

A unit of 6 light infantry javelin men, from the Gripping Beast plastic kit.  These would be drawn from the poorest and or youngest warriors in the tribes, those lacking the equipment to serve in the main war band or with the archers.  I kept the colours very drab and basic.  I had meant to drill out the hands to hold spare javelins but forgot to do so.  Therefore I added some spare ammo to the bases.

A warlord plus retainer with horn, metal figures from Gripping Beast.  These castings have the gritty look of experienced warriors and raiders who acquired some serious kit over the years.

That's eight 28mm foot figures for 40 points with no bonus points.

The javelinmen are always a useful addition to any army, and I in fact like the drab and muted colours you have chosen, Peter. The command base is looking good also, the chieftain with his red manes looks suitably impressive. It has been very nice to see the various additions to your Pictish forces during this Challenge! 40 points it is.

Martijn

From Curt - Metis Fighters from the North-West Resistance - Local History (40 Points)

My submission for Local History is a small group of Metis fighters at the Battle of Batoche.

Many of my friends from away will not know that in 1885 Canada witnessed an armed struggle in Saskatchewan which saw government forces pitted against Indigenous and Metis communities in what was known the North-West Rebellion, or more recently the North-West Resistance (also referred to as the Riel Rebellion or Riel Resistance).

The conflict mainly stemmed from Indigenous and Metis people feeling that Canada was not protecting their rights, their land, and their survival as a distinct people. They felt that the onrush of white settlers threatened their lands and their traditional way of life. Conversely, the Canadian government was under pressure by recent American expansion to aggressively push west from Mantoba to better establish sovereignty across what is now know as Saskatchewan, Alberta and into British Columbia.

The political leader of the Metis people, Louis Riel, led the movement in protest. After hearing no satisfactory response from the federal government, he decided to escalate to military action.

Louis Riel

He had a hard core allegiance of about 300 armed Métis, a smaller number of other Indigenous warriors, and at least one white man. Despite some notable early victories at Duck Lake, Fish Creek, and Cut Knife, the conflict was quashed when overwhelming government forces and a critical shortage of supplies brought about the Métis' defeat in the four-day Battle of Batoche (located in northern Saskatchewan where I was raised).

The Battle of Batoche includes several examples of some of the first live combat photography.

The Metis' remaining Indigenous allies were scattered. Several chiefs were captured, and some served prison time. Eight men were hanged in Canada's largest mass hanging, for murders performed outside the military conflict.

Batoche as it is seen today.

The military leader of the Metis was Gabriel Dumont, who was a tremendously charismatic and colourful character.

Dumont led his fellow Metis in a skilful though hopeless campaign against government forces, foiling their attempts in achieving a quick victory. After running out of ammunition he realized that all was lost. His parting words to his wife Madeleine were, “If the enemy captures you and blames you for my actions, you tell them that since the government couldn’t manage me, it wasn’t easy for you to do so.” Dumont eventually escaped to the United States where he travelled with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, being billed as a desperado and a crack shot. Dumont was later granted amnesty by the Government and he returned to Batoche where he died in 1906.

My mom was a Grade 4 teacher and almost every year she took her class to Batoche to tour the site and learn more about the conflict. As a small boy I travelled with her several times on these class excursions and have very fond memories of those school trips.

These four figures are from Empress Miniatures. While not actually designed as Metis (they are in fact Boers from their Anglo-Zulu range) their clothes and irregular demeanour fit close to my vision of Dumont's fighters.

As the Metis were civilians, I kept the colours irregular, and shaved away some military gear to give them a closer proximity to how they would have looked at the time.

____________________________

As to points:

4 x 28mm figures = 20 points

Local History = 20 points

Total = 40 Points

Thank you Martijn for letting me squeeze in with the Tuesday crowd. I may have one more for you today yet!

Cheers!

- Curt

That is a very interesting bit of local history, Curt! Rebellion or Resistance, I  think the Boer figures fit the Métis very well indeed, and they look gorgeous. Thanks for bringing this little known conflict to our attention, another thing learned today. 40 points added to your tally!

From GregB - 28mm Afghan Regulars (60 points)

Afghan Regulars in 28mm for the Second Anglo-Afghan War; 28mm figures from Perry Miniatures.

This week we swing back to a historical subject - more troops for my Second Anglo-Afghan War project. Here we have a unit of Afghan Regulars for the period. These are 28mm metal figures from Perry Miniatures. They will join with the Tribal warriors painted earlier in this edition of the Challenge to represent an infantry unit for the Osprey game "The Men Who Would Be Kings". 

Making ready for a firefight!

Information about the uniforms of Afghan regulars in this period is kind of spotty, and to the extent it is available, the consistent theme is a certain inconsistency in the reports...so I took some basics and just sort of improvised. I thought the red coats with yellow facings would make for a nice splash of colour, and an ideal combo to engage with the troops of the British Empire.

Officer and musician...had no idea what colours to use for the drum, so I just improvised with some green!

As always, the Perry Miniatures sculpts are top shelf, and it is a joy to paint proper metal figures. Trimming the flash is always a chore, and can be a particular issue with these Perry castings, but in general these are just a treat to work with.

The count down is upon us, and this edition of the Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge is nearly closed. I hope to get one more unit finished for this project before the deadline arrives, but, as ever, I have five projects "on the go" at once, so we'll see :) 

These fellows are ready to skirmish!

For scoring purposes we have 12 figures in 28mm size, which should be good for 60 points. That's all for this week! Looking forward to sharing more as the final few days approach.

A very fine last regular Tuesday contribution, Greg! As usual you have done a great job on them, and it is always nice when you get to choose how to paint as there is little information available. The red coats and the yellow facings work very well . Hmm, they almost remind me of a lot of sons.... I am very exited though to see you tackling this colonial project, and I hope we will get to see more of them in the future! 60 points added, well done indeed!

Martijn

From PeterD: Femmes Fatales for Biography and True Crime (50 points)

Once again.it is a two post week from me, but smaller than I had planned.  It turns out that those 4Ground pdf chariots are really fragile when dropped from table height....

Two figures from Bad Squiddo Games, Zenobia on the left and Nancy Wake on the right.

This is a nice casting with lots of potential for bling.  Were I to do her again I'd do the robe in a darker colour (purpled maybe) to show off the gold better.

Empress Zenobia of Palmyra is my entry for Biography.  She was a serious challenger for the Roman Emperor Aurelian during the Third Century Crisis.  She acted as Regent for her son after the death of her husband and then declared herself Empress and conquered most of Rome's Eastern Empire.  Aurelian eventually defeated her army and captured her.  Her ultimate fate is debated, but her story has inspired numerous books, paintings and Operas and she is still seen as a cultural icon in Syria.

She had me dipping into both Crimson and Purple, left overs of the former for me started on the livery for my Empire Halbadiers.

The camera tends to pick up flaws that aged eyes miss. Zenobia's cloak has picked up some white which will be fixed after post time.

The female of the species is more deadly than the male!  A bit of Kipling Poetry to annoy GregB.  

Nancy Wake was another SOE operative in occupied France.  Her life story is (as expected) literally the stuff of adventures and films.   I will claim her for the True Crime section, as the Germans certainly considered her a criminal, and as she has a serious femme fatale look to her.

A little powder and a little drink on the way, and I'd pass their (German) posts and wink and say, 'Do you want to search me?' God, what a flirtatious little bastard I was

Once again, the colour palette is based on the Bad Squiddo examples in their online store.   It's lovely oufit.

My updated Map shows that I have ticked off at least two sections of four library rooms which means that I am ready for the Rare and Antiques books section.

That's 10 points for the two 28mm foot figures and 20 for each of two bonus sections for a total of 50 points.

Zenobia is a lovely figure, Peter! Once again a very original choice, well done. Nancy Wake really steals the show though, what a fantastic model. I like the way she is casually inspecting her fingernails while holding a deadly argument behind her back. Fabulous, and you did a fine paint job on her too. I am not entirely convinced of the true crime connection, but I definitely agree that she has a criminally enticing look about her. 50 very efficient points then!

Martijn 

From MartijnN: The Tuesday Tomes, Volume X

And so it ends. It is hard to believe that we have arrived at the final volume of the Analogueville Library Tuesday Tomes, but we have. Spring is nearly upon us, and this is the last Tuesday of scheduled posting. 

I hope you have enjoyed our little forays into the customs and traditions of  my native Netherlands and my adopted Belgium, or Flanders. Today, however, I will let our Tuesday Troopers do the talking. As the Junior Assistant Librarian it has been an honour and a joy to be their Tuesday minion. So, without further ado, here are the final Tuesday Tomes of  Challenge XIV:

- PeterD brings us more Picts 

- and some Dangerous Damsels;

- GregB is fleshing out his Afghan project;

- and we have a special visit from the boss too!