Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!
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TIM’s Mid Week Miniature
The observant amongst you will notice that this week there is no new miniature! The reason for that is this week I am mainly concentrating on a review of the year that was 2019. Next weeks Minatures and Musings will concentrate on plans for 2020 so it’s likely that I wont have a miniature to share with you that week either. Devastated as I am sure you are by this news I have a feeling you will be able to cope!
What I do have to kick off with and so as not to leave you with no pictures whatsoever, are my favourite model posts of 2019. These are simply the models which, for one reason or another, gave me the most pleasure during the course of the year. In month order we have …
February – Mad Jack the Lighthouse Keeper
April – Wasp Apocalypse: “Get Out of My Room!”
June – The Wizard Library
September – “Easy Boy!”
https://theimperfectmodeller.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/easy-boy-54mm-cowboy-circa-1865/
September – Apocalypse: “What the F**k Was That!”
November – Tom Goldentome
https://theimperfectmodeller.wordpress.com/2019/11/16/tom-goldentome-a-28mm-reaper-figure/
November – The Dragon Master
https://theimperfectmodeller.wordpress.com/2019/11/23/the-dragon-master-a-28mm-diorama/
December – The Old Fiddler
https://theimperfectmodeller.wordpress.com/2019/12/21/the-old-fiddler/
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Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics
I thought I would begin my review by taking a brief look at my WordPress statistics now that 2019 has come to end. I don’t put to much store by these if I am being honest but as things stand my “Views” are down on last year despite the number of “Visitors” and “Likes” having increased and my “Comments” have taken a dip as well. So what can be determined from this data? Fucked if I know. Make of it what you will. In the meanwhile I will continue to envy the number of followers and views many of you get.
What has been encouraging is that my number of “Followers”, including those that follow by email, has increased to 99. For a couple of days it stood at 100 but then someone decided to stop following me (hard to blame them) and I fell back to 99. I have to say it’s nice having WordPress followers. Even though I know very little if anything about most of you the concept of following is a pleasing one. By contrast when you follow someone going for a walk in the park who you don’t know that well either it’s called stalking and is deemed a criminal offence. It’s a complicated world to understand at times.
The one thing that does give me a buzz is seeing where in the world people have viewed my blog. As things currently stand my blog has been seen in 65 countries and in 6 of the 7 continents and this I do find amazing. Whilst I’m sure a great number of people have logged in by mistake it does excite me to think that something I can write in a house in a tiny little village in Devon can be viewed pretty much anywhere in the world.
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Modelling Matters.
The Plymouth Modelling Club continued to be enjoyable throughout 2019. It can at times be a little frustrating due to most members being fixated on all things World War 2 but I guess that’s just the way it is. To be fair to the guys (notice I said guys, for some reason the club has been unable to attract any hot women but I am hopeful this will change in 2020!) they produce some great stuff but try as I might most are reluctant to deviate from their comfort zone. That said some progress has been made and a couple of the guys have successfully branched out into other genres. Long may it continue. In fairness it is each to their own and I would never tell anyone what they should or should not do but for me variety is key along with trying out new things along the way, something I will aim to continue in 2020.
As part of the club I attended a few shows last year. More than the year before but not as many as I had hoped. Not all of the shows the club goes to have competitions but I do like participating in those when they have them. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea I know but personally I like the idea of bench marking my work even though I know some of the best modellers don’t chose to enter. Still, you can only compete against those that enter and my limited success has enabled me to consider myself a “modeller”, something I would never have deemed to call myself a year or two ago.
Sticking with the show theme last year provided two huge highlights. The first was in April when for the first time I went to “Salute” at the Excel Center in London. A fantastic show and an opportunity to buy some very nice bits and pieces. I also got to meet Alex of Leadbaloony blog fame and hopefully I will get to say “hi” this year too as I aim to go to the 2020 event in a few months time. The other highlight was attending “IPMS Scale Model World” at Telford in November. It is a fantastic event and my second only visit. Success in the competition was an obvious highlight given the standard of models on display and I am gearing myself up for this years event. Win or lose it will be another great event for sure.
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Figures and Dioramas
I had a couple of lost mojo moments during the year but nothing major and as a consequence I managed to get a lot of enjoyable stuff done. Models included figures for selling on Ebay and personal bits and bobs including pieces I hoped would go down well as competition entries. Needless to say some things turned out better than expected whilst others proved a disappointment. Sometimes, despite my best efforts, I just cannot translate the ideas in my head into the model I am trying to create.
Ebay remains hit and miss but continues to pay for all things relating to my hobby so I have no grounds for complaint. It’s fun and I still get a buzz for everyone I sell. Knowing someone likes what I have done and is willing to part with their hard earnt cash is very flattering and continues ro make me chuffed.
So there you have it, a brief review of TIM’s year that was 2019. Next week I will provide an insight to what I hope to achieve throughout 2020.
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Well It Made Me Laugh …
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This week TIM has been listening to …
David Bowie and “Suffragette City” from the Ziggy Stardust album.
Simply the best.
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This week TIM has been watching …
His dark Materials. An 8 part TVseries which was being shown before Christmas but which I have only just started watching. Two episodes in and very much enjoying it.
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Remember …
Never take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.
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Until next time.
TIM
The Imperfect Modeller 
A good post, you have been busy indeed. I really like seeing where the people are viewing from too.
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This stalker right here counts for two countries alone… youve done some great pieces in 2019 mate. I hope to see some more in 2020. Excuse me for not always commenting though, one tends to get lost among all the posts when trying to catch up…
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No worries mate I have the same problem, just pleased you stopped by to check things out.
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I think the fiddler wins for amongst this bunch but your WW2 diorama with the bakery was my favourite TIM piece of work for 2019. Don’t overthink the stats mate, just keep doing what you do. It’s about the quality of people not the quantity.
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Totally agree on the stats. Even if I had no followers I would still aim to keep the blog going as it’s just a nice bit of fun and at my age it keeps the brain ticking over, even if it does so slowly!
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A cracking round-up mate, that’s some great work! Mice to have a reminder 😊
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Thanks Alex. I have to say I like this time of the year and being reminded of what everyone got up to. Amazing really both interms of how much people have done and the quality of it all too.
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A good year really, Dave, and you’re being remarkably modest about the success of The Wizard’s Library! Suffragette City – brilliant! 🙂
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I think when it comes to our own work and the introvert nature of much of what we do modesty is something we all suffer from, yourself very much so too. As for Bowie and Ziggy Startdust, enough said.
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Loved the post apocalypse dios you did- more of those tis year?
Either way I’m looking forward to what you produce.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thanks Pete. More apocalypse stuff is on the list for sure but probably later in the year when I’ve got a few other things done first. I have ideas which is a start!
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I love that dragon master figure and I think it’s my favourite of your output this year. My stats were down in 2018 over 2017 and I found I felt better about the blog when I looked at likes and comments (and spent more time on other people’s blogs!) than looking over my own stats – that worked for me, anyway.
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With you all the way Dave. I’ll take the persoanl interaction over the stats any day. I’d rather be a member of an excellent community than a number. 😊
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What a cracking year you’ve had, well done for producing so many large and complex pieces to such a high standard. “What the Fuck Was That!” wins it for me I think, but it’s a hard choice. Don’t lose sleep over the stats, I think every blogger has seen a decline in views this year (I know I have) but like IRO says it’s the quality of the interactions, the comments and shared ideas that really matters, not the number of passive views.
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Cheers mate. With you all the way on the stats. Comments and a little bit of banter are what make it for all of us I think. Long may it continue! 😊
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Sorry I’m late, I have been helping the Tech adviser prepare to move her tiny house out of the site she built it on, a bit of a bugger but we got there and she has now flown the coop and I’m all on my own posting on the blog so what out for plenty of F…ups HA HA !
A good round up mate ,you certainly got heaps done! stats, there ok but like you I like to see all the countries that have had a peek !
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Good luck to Tech Adviser and even more luck to you Pat!
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HA HA thanks mate, I’ll be as nervous as a schoolboy on his first date !!!
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Wham bam thank you ma’am…
You and I share so many interests. Bowie never gets old. Miss the Starman.
His Dark Materials was very interesting (very VSF), but frigging HBO or my cable provider is not showing the last episode! So I have no idea what happens!
As for your participation in the modeling shows, I for one was happy to see that. As you know, I participate in gaming conventions where I too judge myself by comparing myself to other gamers presentations, as well as by how well the gamers enjoy themselves. For you, I’m sure it is rewarding to see your fellow modeling mates appreciate your work. I certainly do.
As for your work this year they are all faves, my top 3 are the Wizard’s Library, Get out of My Room, and What the Fuck Was That.
Keep on rocking dude.
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Cheers Mark. Plenty of ideas going through my mind for this year but how much I get done remains to be seen.
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