From SanderS: It aint over till the Fat Sander sang...

 Hoi there,

Another Challenge has gone by and I am rather happy with my results even though I failed to reach my set target. This was the first year in which I only painted stuff I actually felt like painting rather than miniatures I needed done or off my table. This was absolutely more pleasing and I will keep that as my motivation for following Challenges. 

It was an absolute blast participating alongside such esteemed Challengers as you all are and as such I am keenly aware I have not replied to your posts as much as you all deserve, I hope to rectify that in the future. As for what I finished together with the obligatory mug-shot:

My favourite figures this Challenge were of course the Bretonnians and while I have but scratched the top of the pile I need to do to get the force table-ready I am pleased with them all the same. 

The Library Theme was great fun and books very prominent in my Challenge experiences this year. I did buy the Legend of the Green Knight (translated by J.R.R. Tolkien) in the end and it's now on my to read pile. As a teacher I have the privilege to go on field trips and help organise them. Last year we first went to Waterloo and we got to go there just a few weeks ago again. 

This is me at the Waterloo Panorama, an oldie but a treasure all the same. I brought along my copy of Mercer's Journal and took a picture at the last known site where his battery was located on the field of battle before pursuit of the French army started. 

As for my Challenge contribution: as Martijn has already stated Dutch (and Belgian Libraries) are state funded and do not accept donations but I have tried to alleviate my contribution in two different ways: first up our school has plans to renovate and build a new building soon. Our history department will be getting lots of bookshelves and I will donate part of my historical fiction library to it in order to have the pupils be able to read about history in a more fun way as opposed to from the regular text books.

Next my wife and I (be honest mostly my wife) arranged for the 4 of us to have an animal sponsored through myfahlo.com. It's a format that lets you donate money to a cause that helps safeguard endangered animals around the world and you get to track "your"animal by way of it's GPS transponder. Both our lads are heavily into conserving the planet and saving animals so I got an elephant and Arthur a Sea Turtle. I hope you find this okay Curt! 

Talking about the great Snowlord; no Challenge would be possible without the endless energy and ministrations of Curt, the Lady Sarah and the long suffering minions: thank you all heaps from both Arthur and myself. Specially Teemu and Sylvain of course who were tasked with herding the van Straeten boys this Challenge. Oh and Sylvain you are still going to tell us how we can obtain those excellent  Musée des Fossiles mugs!

So thank you all and see you next year,

Cheers Sander

Sarah & Curt's Challenge Wrap-Up

Hi All!

Sarah and I had a great time with the Challenge this year with the Library setting providing lots of fun for themed entries. I'll hand over to Lady Sarah before chatting about the awards for this year.

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Hello! Sarah here,

This was my third challenge as an active participant and I’m super pleased that I surpassed my goal, but I also think this was my most enjoyable challenge yet!

The Library Theme was quite inspiring since I don’t paint armies (haha... Curt probably wishes I would) but instead figures that appeal to my sense of whimsy.

The book stacks will see good use in Curt’s Moonstone Games, the Baker Oostwaert will soon be shipped off to my minion Martijn, the Wuthering Heights trio will live in our library alongside with the Brontë book, while Elfio and the rest of the library denizens will reside in my own little display case in Curt’s Gaming Studio.

The Regina Public Library accepts donations of all kinds and also receives funding based on circulations, so that's how I chose to offer my support.

During the Challenge, I checked out 8 books, two of which may be of interest to this group:

'The Librarian of Burned Books' by Brianna Labuska

Set in 1933 Berlin and 1944 New York, a story of the rise of fascism, complicity, banned books and of course difficult romantic relations set against the chaotic times of war.

'The Blue' by Nancy Bilyeau

Huguenot refugees in England, political intrigue and espionage and a quest to discover a new shade of blue in the high stakes world of the European porcelain industries.

Thanks for the terrific Challenge, now back to Curt!

-Sarah

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Hi There,

As to myself, I'm happy with what I got done, though as usual, I found myself constantly distracted along the way, especially with all the excellent work being displayed by others during the Challenge.  

I did manage to keep my eye on the ball to get the majority of my figures done for 'Hametsu'. This has been great as I've managed to host a few games with them over the winter and its nice to see them all properly done up in colour.

I also managed to complete a load of 10mm Warhammer Fantasy stuff. I now have a good start on a Beastman herd, added a sizeable reinforcement to my Night Goblin mob, and made inroads on a few detachments of Undead and Daemons. Fun!

Probably my favourite project of the Challenge was working on the Trojan Horse and Odysseus' raiding Greeks. I really enjoyed doing the research, scoping the scenario and collecting the miniatures for this little diversion.  I hope I can keep-up the steam and get enough done to have a skirmish game sometime in the near future.

The rest of my efforts ran the gambit from Moonstone, to Metis with many stops in between. All of which I really enjoyed as well. A terrific Challenge to be sure! 

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I want to remind those who haven't yet, to please send in your nominations for Challengers' Choice. I'm hoping to get a voting poll up next week and a post up announcing the awards for April 21st.

Have a great weekend everyone!

- Curt

From Mike W - Final Wrap up

Well this was my 7th Challenge and as ever it was really enjoyable, if somewhat mentaly and physically draining. As ever, trying to get the volume of figures painted that I had wished / thought that could as opposed to what is actually physically possible was the hardest bit.

With the challenge running over so many weeks I often find it hard to do a wrap-up, often times the figures are used in games and then get stored away with their little friends - making it hard to identify what is new and what is old.

This same thing has happened again this year with my Orcs and to a lesser extent my Lizardmen. The Orcs have been distributed amongst several regiments and thus I resally can't accurately tell which ones are those I completed this year! The Lizardmen Cavalry have been stored away in the loft and I really don't have the time or energy to fetch them down again for a photoshoot.

Thus I have gone with what is at hand - pimarily my new Tau Army! Still short on vehicles but I'm really pleasd how they have tuned out with 70+ figures completed during the challenge.

My new orange & White Tau Army

Other figures included here are some fun sized projects that I still have at hand - 28mm Alamo figures are some of my favourites as are the Warlord Games Epic Garibadi and Fenian Infantry units - I'll likely be doing more of these soon. 

A group of Alamo related figures, with General Santa Anna at the front

Front in green are the Fenians, in red the Garibali Infantry and a lone stand of Confederate inantry to the rear

Not forgetting the Warlord Epic Scots Covenanters.

Two Warlord Games Epic Scots Covenantor Regiments of Foot

Also we have some WW2 figures - Americans in 28mm and British in 20mm, I haven't photograthed the 15mm Germans again as they are tucked away in their boxes...

28mm Americans

20mm British in Italy

28mm Medjai

Finally we have the old Bretonian Infantry set that was rescued from oblivion by the re-release of Warhammer Fantasy / Old World.

A few Bretonians

I didn't think I was going to be able to make a particularly high score this year, hence the target of 2,000 points, I surprised myself by coming 4th with over 3,000. Only to be beaten yet again by Grahame H, on the last leg of the challenge. All I can say is well done Grahame and just to let everyone know - as good as his painting seems in photos, when you see the real things they are magnificent. Its cool that we are both occasional members of the same Wargames club.

Seems that I'm now in striking distance of the 20K club, as are a number of other participants but a clear target for next year.

On the Duels front, I failed miserably with my Skulls count - who knew that my Orcs would have so few skulls between them. However it was pleasing to come out top on the Squirrel side duel - although this is more a reflection of my inability to concentrate on one thing for extended periods of time, than any special skill!.

All that is left is to say thanks to my Minon Sylvain, as well as to Curt for running this event once again. Roll on next year!