Category: Musings

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 84)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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This weeks figure sees a return to Knuckleduster and a cowboy I very, very slowly painted between Christmas and the New Year.  I was very sluggish over the festive period and barley painted at all but bit by bit this one some how came together.  Nothing to do with the figure just down to me in a mood where between eating and drinking I simply could not be asked to pick up a brush, well not for long at any rate.

The figure goes by the name of “Big Bob” and is one of the six figures in the Bad Guys Faction pack.  Wherever I can I am trying to introduce some freehand painting on my miniatures.  Cowboys offer little opportunity to my equally limited imagination so striped trousers nearly always stand a chance of being done and so it was on this occasion too.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Fembruary challenge

Until IRO mentioned it recently I had forgotten about the Fembruary challenge run by Alex over at the leadbaloony.   I have participated the last couple of years and plan to do so again but having forgotten to put such a key event in my diary I am reminded of the need to purchase a figure.  Unfortunately I am at that age that if I don’t write it down I forget things.  The bigger problem is that I am also of the age that if I do remember to write things down I invariably forget what it was I intend to make a note of and, even more relevantly, where I put the note!

The ageing process is such fun.

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The Makings of a Plan?

Having made a slow start to the year I decided I ought to at least have the outline of a plan.  Nothing to rigid (what would be the point?), just enough to have some focus.  Dio-Bolical Monday takes care or itself at the moment and following that up with the Wizard Tower will keep me amused for a good many weeks.  I also have five more Knuckleduster cowboys to do from the “Bad Guys” faction for Christmas, although one of the figures is badly cast so I might not end up doing that one.

The other thing grabbing my attention right now is the apocalypse.  I really fancy doing more on that genre and I recently placed an order for a shed load of zombies.  More on that once the order arrives and I have had a chance to review what I have bought.  I also need to review the format or the blog.  No rush on that, not least of all because I have no alternative ideas just now but I need to consider my commitment to it in terms of three posts a week and how to breath more life into it for my benefit as much as anything.  Any ideas on that score would be greatly appreciated.

As plans go it’s a start but it’s pretty vague and very fluid.

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Give Me Five

I can cook but I don’t.   She Who Must Be Obeyed does the cooking in our house and the arrangement suits me just fine but for one minor thing.  Without fail she asks every few days what I would like for dinner in the days ahead so she can do the food shopping.  In itself that is not the problem.  The problem is she moans at cooking the same stuff week in week out.  To be fair the menu is not that repetitive but her moaning is.  So, this week I thought you could help me out.  Listed below are 5 of my favourite dinners.  Your job is to identify some of yours so that I can appear to be creative when she asks me later.  If that works then we might move on to puddings!

  1. Steak and chips (with mushrooms, peas and onion rings)
  2. Spaghetti Bolognese (with loads of Parmesan cheese and garlic bread)
  3. Homemade Pizza with loads of Chorizo
  4. Chicken Kiev
  5. Sunday Roast (Lamb, Beef or Pork)

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“Common People” by Pulp.  I do love this song and its increase in tempo part way through.  Jarvis Cocker’s lyrics are pretty cool too.

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This week TIM has been watching …

“The Rhythm Section” starring Blake Lively and Jude Law.  One of those films where the trailer was better than the film.  Watchable but no classic.  I’ve also just realised there is no vowel in the word Rhythm.

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Remember …

If you’re sitting in public and a stranger takes the seat next to you, just stare straight ahead and say ” Did you bring the money? “

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TIM

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 83)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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According to WordPress this is my 400th post and to celebrate this momentous occasion this weeks miniature has not been painted by me, it has been done by none other than my hobby son, IRO!  Let me explain.

Towards the back end of 2020, around about October as I recall, IRO had the idea that we should each paint a figure for the other and then exchange them.  Doing a collaboration when you you are 12,000 miles apart is nigh on impossible and so this seemed like a neat idea.  There were no rules to speak of and the options were relatively simple – do your own thing completely, try and do something which the other would like or try and step into the other persons world of modelling.  You get the idea I hope.  To see what I did for IRO you will need to take a look at his blog.

I didn’t know what to expect from IRO (who would?) but with impeccable timing a parcel arrived from Australia a couple of days before Christmas.  With a combination of excitement and trepidation I duly opened it.  I confess to being surprised but certainly not disappointed.

IRO knowing I have more than a keen interest in the Old West decided to go for a figure in a genre I love.  He also went for a 54mm figure of an iconic character, namely Lee Van Cleef from the movie The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  The figure represented a major departure for IRO it seemed to me.  Firstly a step up in scale is not easy, the period is also something he is not typically associated with and, in order to be true to the film character, painting something in a single colour is, as I know myself, far from easy.

The composition of the figure is excellent, the rustic wooden base is very in keeping and the dry brushing has been done very well too and provides the necessary lift which is needed to break up the dominant black.   All in all I think IRO did a fantastic job but the biggest thing I take from this figure is that he stepped outside of his comfort zone to do something which he thought I would like.  I can report that I am delighted to say I am now the proud owner of a original IRO painted figure 🤗.

Hopefully this exchange of figures is something we will do again.   Not a competition but a very nice way of seeing up close someone else’s style and a neat way of some how making the world a smaller place and bringing the blogger community a little closer to hand.

I must point out this is not an exclusive exchange between IRO and myself.  If anyone else is interested in doing something similar just let me, or IRO, know.  If you want an original TIM or IRO figure in exchange for an original of your own just let either of us know and we will work something out.

Images of IRO’s figure, the original of which now resides in one of my display cases, are below.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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New year plans

I was planning to do a separate post on my plans for 2021 only to decide it wasn’t worth the bother.  Don’t get me wrong I have plenty of ideas and things I want to do but the reality is I have very little control over making them happen as proved last year!

The New Year will be eventful I am sure.  The family world of TIM has a lot going on this year but will any of it go to plan?  Being realistic I doubt it, the early signs are not great.  Take modelling for example, unless the date is put back, it is hard to see Salute taking place in April but maybe there is a chance that Telford might in November.

One way or another the family and I will muddle through in the best way we can much as we and everyone else did last year and whatever does take place, be it modelling or otherwise, will doubtless be revealed through this blog.  We will therefore play things by ear.

I did however set myself one key objective which if achieved will allow everything else to slot into place.  To live.

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Group Shot

Last week saw the completion of a small batch of American Civil War confederates but as rightly pointed out by Wudugast I omitted to include a group shot.

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Give Me Five

A very controversial one to kick off the New Year and one if you are interested in that will get you putting your thinking caps on.  I very much doubt we will get much agreement on this one.  In fact I even argued with myself knowing that I have cast aside so many fantastic music scores from so many great films.  I have barely scratched the surface with this topic and if the truth be told I’m not entirely sure how I came to these five.

  1. American Graffiti
  2. Pulp Fiction
  3. The Last of the Mohicans
  4. Pretty in Pink
  5. Top Gun

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“California Man” by the Move.  Roy Wood and Jeff Lynn at their rocking best.  I just love that saxophone.  This track came out in 1971 when I was 14 and still at school.  I will always associate it with a school field trip to the English Lake District when some local lads made some unwelcome advances to some of the girls from our West London school.  To the annoyance of our teachers we boys had a word or two with the locals and thereafter we became the girls shinning knights.  The day culminated in a party atmosphere in the youth hostel where we were staying which had a jukebox in a cellar room and this track was played over and over again.  Happy days.

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This week TIM has been watching …

“The Amazing Spider-Man” – starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.  Was in the mood for a dip into the world of Marvel comics and Spider-Man is one of the best.

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Remember …

You know when you are getting old when one big fart can put your back out.

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TIM

TIM’s Review of 2020

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings, Uncategorized

As I welcome in the New Year of 2021 and the optimism of a vaccination and a return to some normality I thought it appropriate to reflect on the year that will forever be known to me (and others?) as “Fucking 2020”.  In summary, the best thing about the year 2020 by far is it is fucking over and I didn’t die.

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And so it’s goodbye to 2020! 

What else didn’t I do in 2020?  Well I didn’t go to any modelling shows, including Salute in April and Telford in November, both of which were inked in my diary as major events I was looking forward to enormously.   I didn’t go to France and I didn’t go to Norway on holiday.  My two trips to London were cancelled so I didn’t get to take my daughter to the Tutankhamen exhibition at the Satchi museum or to see a West End show and countless other things we had arranged.  In fact everything I had planned didn’t happen.

I did get to spend most of my time at home.  I did get to experience home delivery grocery shopping, queuing up, social distancing and pretending to be Batman while wearing a mask.  I did manage to spend lots of time claiming financial refunds for things I was looking forward to doing but which had to be cancelled and I did get a lot of jobs done around the house until I ran out of materials.

Unfortunately the pandemic is set to role into 2021 but with talk of vaccines in the pipe line there is at least some light at the end of the tunnel.  The New Year is a separate topic though so back to 2020 and the year that was or should that be wasn’t?

On the positive side of things there was never a better time to be a figure painter and modeller (once things settled down and the supply chains were properly working again).  Stuck in doors with nowhere to go the hobby took on whole new meaning, not just for me but for a great many others who got back into it for something to do.  I enjoyed the quiet roads and the greater freedom that provided for walking the dog and having the kids at home from work and school made for some great family time, particularly during the summer when we enjoyed some fantastic weather.

My biggest disappointed was learning that I shared this world with a far higher percentage of morons than I ever realised but the one big thing I will take from 2020 is “perspective”.  Life is far to short to worry about the trivial shit and in the blink of an eye you are old before you know it.  If you don’t relate to that yet then it is because you are to young but trust me when I say you will come to learn it is a truism in due course.  The point is I now have a different outlook on life and once things settle down again, as I am sure they inevitably will, then as long as I survive then the time for even greater life changes will have arrived.

Reflecting specifically on the hobby what do I consider my personal highlights to have been?  Well there haven’t been many to be honest but let’s start with a few of the things I did which provided the most pleasure.

First up is “Viharis Tenspire” a wizard that I painted for Ann’s Challenge back in March followed by a diorama I called “OMG!” which was intended for shows and Telford in particular but alas wasn’t meant to be.  In May I put together the ever topical “Covid-19: Lockdown Breakout” and during July I got into doing some knights, something I hadn’t done in a long time, concluding with a little vignette called “Knights Hospitaller“.  An odd choice I suspect in the eyes of many but my personal favourite was Zonkers: Killer Klown which I posted in November purely for the time it took me and the amount of freehand work I put into it.  There were plenty of other figures of course and aside from a few I wasn’t happy with I would have to say that in the main I enjoyed what I painted.  It could be argued that 2020 wasn’t a bad year in that respect.

Moving on from the painting side of things the Blog continued to be fun and not long ago I went down the route of acquiring my own domain.  As ever some of the banter was excellent and it remains the most important part of blogging for me and others too from what I have read and seen.  It was great to expand that group with some new followers and am delighted to be in contact with Roger, Dave Stone, Deturnation and Kuribo in addition to all the long standing reprobates from around the world.

Statistically this has been my best year since starting the blog although I do wonder how much that has been influenced by the Covid-19 imposed lockdown.  I don’t put to much store by them but I wont pretend seeing the views go up and gaining a few more followers isn’t rewarding.  My personal statistical favorite is when my blog gets viewed by someone in a country where I haven’t had a view before.  Currently my blog has been seen in 74 countries and of all the statistics available this one blows me away.

Finally I cannot conclude this post without making reference to my Hobby son, IRO.  My podcast interview with him whilst doubtless dull and boring to those who listened was a highlight of the year and one which can only be improved upon by a physical meet and copious amounts of alcohol.  Here’s to that day.

Happy New Year everyone and I will leave you with a few images of the models referenced above.

TIM

 

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TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 82)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings! and my last post for 2020.

Before moving on may I wish each each and everyone of you and your families a Happy New Year.  I will do a review of 2020 in due course but I don’t think I will be sticking my neck out to far by saying thank goodness 2020 is over.  The New Year provides optimism for us all and with much talk of vaccinations here’s to hoping we can all return to our individual normal’s as soon as possible.

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This weeks miniature is another double whammy and my last two 28mm American Civil War Confederates by Dixon’s, if not for ever than for this year at least.  Nothing I can say about these two which I haven’t said already about the others and that wasn’t a great deal either!  I can however confirm if you hadn’t worked it out already that the flag is not freehand.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Christmas

Well I hope that despite everything you all managed to have an enjoyable Christmas.  My own Christmas was more than a little strange.  For the first time in I don’t know how many years I didn’t get to the pub on Christmas day as it was closed this year.  As a consequence I was sober while eating Christmas Dinner and in the afternoon found myself still awake where normally I would have nodded off!  All in all a very surreal experience but as (hopefully) a one off it was actually OK.

Santa brought me a few things, a book I have been looking forward to getting and reading and of course several modelling bits and pieces.  Little in the way of figures this year (I really do need to work through my stash) but some much needed brushes, inks and paints which I am looking forward to using.  The main things on my list sadly did not materialise but then again it has been that kind of a year.

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Give Me Five

Christmas having passed for another year made me reflect on what I received but more significantly what I did not.  I end the year with the top five things on my Christmas list that nobody could be arsed to put themselves out to get me!  Maybe next year will prove more successful.  In priority order for a change, just so family and friends are left in no doubt what I want for 2021, I give you:

  1. A hot date with Jenna Coleman
  2. A hot date with Jennifer Lawrence
  3. An E Type Jaguar Convertible (for my hot dates)
  4. Three World Cruise tickets (for me, Jenna and Jennifer, never travel without a spare!)
  5. Socks

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“Rehab” by Amy Winehouse.  For all of us who over indulged at Christmas and will do so again when we say “Fuck Off 2020”.  Drink problem?  I drink, I fall over, no problem!

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This week TIM has been watching …

“Last Christmas” starring Emilia Clarke.  A very enjoyable and seasonal family film.

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Remember …

If someone says you look familiar tell them you do porn.

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TIM

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 81)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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This is my last post before Christmas so let me start by wishing everyone who reads this a very Merry Christmas.  This year has been difficult for us all and I will reflect more on that at year end, in the meanwhile I hope you and yours have a truly great time or at least as good as the circumstances allow.  I should also add that there will be no Saturday post from me this week as it is Boxing Day and I plan to sit down, eat, drink and watch back to back films!

As far as this weeks miniatures go all I have to offer is two more Dixon Confederates.  The good news is there are now only two more in my little pile to do.  As far as these two go they were just a run of the mill paint job and as Forrest Gump would say “That’s all I have to say about that”.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Christmas Past. Present and Future

I appreciate this will sound like Bah Humbug but Christmas Present for me leaves a great deal to be desired.  I love the food and drink and am happy to see family and friends and play a few games and watch the telly.  I really want to enjoy the occasion and to some extent I will but in truth Christmas Present isn’t that great.

My family is all grown up and this year Covid-19 has pretty much put a block on virtually all the things we would typically do in the lead up to the festive period.  Accordingly I am left with the fondest of memories of Christmas Past from when I was a kid to when my own kids were young.  Christmas is for kids after all and right now little children do not feature in my family.  Hopefully, and all in good time, Christmas Future will address this.

In the meanwhile my only option is to act like a big kid myself.  If Father Christmas does not bring me what I want I will throw a tantrum!

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Thunderbolt Mountain

A shout out to Mark A Morin to say a big thank you for two packs of Thunderbolt Mountain figures which he kindly sent me recently.  Not a manufacturer I had ever heard of but Mark provided the historic details and some amazing information on the sculptor (as only Mark can).  Having been bequeathed them himself but knowing he would never get round to doing them he kindly wondered if I might be interested and duly posted them to me all the way from the good old US of A.

The sculpts are quite different from what I normally do and the scale is a little smaller but I certainly aim to have a crack at one of the sets in the fullness of time.  Thanks again Mark, very kind of you.

If you want to see why Mark hasn’t got the time to do them himself then check out his blog by following the link above to see what he has been up to on his Aztec project.

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Give Me Five

I couldn’t ignore the time of year so this week I have gone for my 5 best Christmas films.  Not a huge list to choose from but I actually had to leave out a couple of films that I really like.  Decisions must however be made and as such here are my top five in no particular order.

  1. Love Actually
  2. Die Hard
  3. Home Alone
  4. It’s A Wonderful Life
  5. Last Christmas

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“Happy Christmas War Is Over” by John Lennon.  Being Christmas I thought it appropriate to have a festive song this week and as December 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of his death outside the Dakota building in New York  I couldn’t think of a more appropriate song.  R.I.P. John Lennon.

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This week TIM has been watching …

“Motherless Brooklyn” starring Edward Norton who also directed the film.  Not the greatest plot but not a bad film despite that.  Worth a watch in my opinion if only for some fantastic acting by Norton himself.

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Remember …

If your wife says you are a skeptic don’t believe a word she says.

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TIM

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 80)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings, Uncategorized

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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This week we have another double whammy, two more Dixon ACW confederates.  I don’t typically batch paint but right now it is proving the only way to get a few figures done while trying to strike a balance with the other projects I have on the go.  In truth I cannot say I am enjoying it.  I wouldn’t say I am cutting corners but I do like to work on a figure which I think has character and take a little more time to enjoy the process.  Come the New Year I will assess the situation and decide what to do and how to go about it.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Cars

A week or so ago I stumbled across an article that said the best scale cars for 28mm figures is 1:43.  The idea of doing a model featuring a car in some way or another appeals to me so I took a look on Ebay to see what I could pick up that was cheap and suitable for a future experiment.  I decided I would go for the classic VW Beatle for no reason whatsoever. 

I searched and found two options both die cast and starting at the princely sum of £0.99 plus postage.  When I looked at the descriptions I noticed one of the two was a limited edition (one of about 400 I think it said).  The other one had front doors which opened.  Given that I will probably trash the car it didn’t sit well destroying the limited edition one and besides I thought the opening doors might prove more useful.  I placed my bid and two days later won the auction and completed the purchase.   

All being well it will be with me next week and then I can see how it stacks up against a 28mm figure.

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Imperial Rebel Ork Podcast

On Saturday just gone I had the great pleasure of being interviewed by none other than IRO himself.  If you are not familiar with luke’s Podcast I would thoroughly recommend that you listen.  Personaly I never miss an episode although I may give episode 45 a wide berth as I cannot stand to listen to the sound of my own voice.  I’m told She Must Be Obeyed can’t stand to listen to my voice either which goes aalong way to explaining why she ignores me! 

I love IRO’s easy style, no doubt influenced by his years in Australia, and I really enjoyed our Podcast chat after which we talked for a good while afterwards.  Hopefully, although not for the Podcast because there are so many far more interesting people for him to interview, we will get to have another chat at some point.  Who knows, maybe one day the bastard will buy his old hobby dad a beer or two! 

Kids!

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Give Me Five

This week I thought I would go with the best ever film sequels (doesn’t have to be the second film but must be part of the same franchise).  As a general rule sequels are usually poor and leave a lot to be desired but sometimes they work.  Here are my top five that managed to be the equal of the first or better.  In no particular order:

  1. Terminator 2 – Judgement Day
  2. The Godfather Part 2
  3. Aliens 
  4. The Dark Knight 
  5. The Good The Bad and The Ugly (third film of the dollar trilogy)

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me Is You”  by Bryan Adams.  Try as I might I have never been able to stop She Who Must Be Obeyed singing this to me.  Believe that and you will believe anything! 

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This week TIM has been watching …

“Red 2”  starring Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins.  I assume there is also  a “Red 1” but if there is I have never seen it.  If I had then I may well have not bothered with “Red 2”.  As films go it was OK.  Deliberately over the top and to be fair it had a very good cast.  The trouble is I think I have grown tired of these types of films of late and much prefer a more realistic yarn.

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Remember …

The worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades.

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TIM

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 79)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings, Uncategorized

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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This weeks miniature is actually two figures for the price of one!  Sorting through my bits box I discovered a number of Dixon’s American Civil War Confederates which I had completely forgotten I had.  In all honesty I didn’t feel like painting them but then felt guilty and decided that I ought to make the effort to do so.   I divided them into two batches and committed myself to doing half in the coming weeks and half after a break, rewarding myself if you like.  Nothing much to say on these at all really.  Confederates provide a little more colour contrast than Unionists so I do prefer painting them.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Christmas Shopping

The pandemic has made Christmas shopping very difficult this year.  I’m stumped with what to buy She Who Must Be Obeyed and my son and daughter will not be easy either.  Then there is my mum and dad.  What do you buy an 89 and a 94 year old?  Well obviously something they can use straight away but narrowing it down doesn’t particularly solve the problem.  The thing is I really need to actually go to the shops but online shopping is going to be the order of the day.  Restrictions might be lifted but having spent so much time in lock down I’m not going to throw it all away by joining the mass hordes as they go mental shopping in the city. 

There is, however, some good news.  Whilst others might have to go without or settle for what can be bought on Amazon everything I want for Christmas can be purchased online.  Such is the beauty of our hobby.

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Give Me Five

Back to the movies this week and the genre is Westerns.  OK it’s and age thing on my part but it’s also my blog!  Now this was tough because there are so many classic films to chose from.  I could have made this a top thirty list and still left loads out.  In the end I went for the films I can watch again and again.  It was still tough but my top five in no particular order are:

  1. Once Upon A Time In the West
  2. Shane
  3. Tombstone
  4. The Outlaw Josey Wales
  5. Dances With Wolves

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“Only You” by Yazoo with Alison Moyet.  Before there was Adele there was Alison Moyet.  I hadn’t listened to her in a long time but I recently watched the final episode of The Office starring Ricky Gervais which featured this track and was then reminded that it was time I dug her music out.  

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This week TIM has been watching …

“Tolkien” starring Nicholas Houston and Lily Collins.  As it turned out this film was interesting but not at all what I was expecting.  A love story and an historical drama which proved watchable but the moral of this tale is read the synopsis first.  Not a Hobbit or a Wizard to be found anywhere.   

 

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Remember …

Don’t trust atoms, they make every thing up.

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TIM

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 78)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings, Uncategorized

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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This weeks miniature is another from the Hasslefree range and the young lady goes by the name of Mythic Helen.  Another lovely sculpt as far as I am concerned and a relatively straight forward paint job with just a freehand eye painted to the shield.  

The more observant of you might have noticed that the last couple of figures have not been stuck to the small oak plinths like other more recent figures.  Part of the reason for this is I feel I have lost my way a little with my base work.  I need to get my act together on this.  Even though the bases are only 25mm square they could be a little more interesting.  I need to do some research.  If I can go back and add to the bases then I will.  If not I will try and sell them on Ebay and start over.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Speed Painting

On a personal level I have never seen the point of speed painting.

I get that Gamers might prefer painted figures to non-painted figures and want them on the table quickly, even if they have been painted badly.  I can see why a commercial figure painter would want to churn things out as fast as possible.  I can even see the fun of a competition too but as none of these apply to me then I just don’t get it.

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Slow Painting

I am happy to chug along at my own pace enjoying the painting as I go.  That said a I have noticed a worrying trend.  Whilst I have never been a fast painter I am getting slower and slower.  An age thing for sure, mental as well as physical.  The good news is my hands are still steady but on the flip side they periodically cramp up and my eyesight is not what it used to be.  For now all is well but I am starting to realise that at some point in the future I’m gonna be fucked and not in the way I had envisaged!

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Give Me Five

This week I thought I would go with my top five greatest groups of all time.  Now if I’m being honest this one was a breeze to do and the reasons for that are simple.  To many groups these days are manufactured, last all of five minutes and their music is shit.  To be honest I feel sorry for young people these days.  Not only is the future of the planet fucked for them but they have no decent music of their own era to listen to either.  In no particular order:

  1. The Beatles
  2. Queen
  3. The Rolling Stones
  4. The who
  5. Led Zepplin  

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“Time Warp” from the Rocky Horror Movie.  Now I am no dancer but when I have had sufficient to drink, by which I mean I am drunk, then in my own mind I am awesome at this!  She Who Must Be Obeyed might argue that though.

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This week TIM has been watching …

“Ocean’s Eleven”.  Oddly this film and its various sequels had passed me by.  No reason for that specifically but having been reminded of that fact I thought I would give the film a go, after all it has quite a cast.  Now maybe because the film is a few years old now or the fact that I am becoming more and more of an old git but the truth of the matter is I didn’t think that much of it.  It was OK and it was watchable but some how I expected more and my overall conclusion was one of disappointment.

Ocean's Eleven - Steven Soderbergh enlisted George Clooney (in the Frank Sinatra role) and a rat pack of other… | Ocean's movies, Oceans eleven, Oceans 11 movie

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Remember …

With Christmas coming up remember to jingle all the way, nobody likes a half arsed jingler.

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TIM

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 77)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings, Uncategorized

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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This weeks miniature is a 28mm figure from Reaper, a young lady who goes by the name of Kristianna and who lists her occupation as a Crusader Warlord.  I suspect she had no problem getting through passport control, assuming any of us can remember that term these days!  When you buy this figure it comes with a little lad too.  As far as I can see he is not named so I don’t know if he is a son or some sort of aide but it’s all irrelevant because I haven’t painted him yet, not even sure I will but I wont rule it out completely (I have).

Kristianna, Crusaders Warlord

As always with a single figure I am finding it harder and harder to say much about them these days.  The paint job was straight forward enough and I didn’t have it in me to do any freehand.  Perhaps I need to start making up some character blurb to go with it?  Not sure I have the imagination that others do for that sort of stuff but one to ponder perhaps.  Which is typically my way of saying I wont do it.

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Covid-19 – Lockdown 2 The Sequel

Back in the days of the first lockdown it was as, far as I was concerned, a fun time.  The sun was shining, the roads were quiet and most people were scared shitless so we had no holiday makers to speak of in the South West.  All in all life was pretty good but for the threat of impending doom. 

Now the UK is part way through the second lockdown and so far I can’t say I am enjoying it much.  Don’t get me wrong I am playing my part once again and following all the rules but the weather is crap, the days are short and I spend most of the time trying to get my waterproof clothes dry in readiness for the next dog walk.  Oddly I am getting less modelling done too which quite frankly is bazaar.  

Sequels are all to often a disappointment and this one is no different.  On the positive side there is much talk of a vaccine.  I wont be top of the list to receive it when ever that is but my age shouldn’t put me at the bottom either.  In any event the time frame is some ways off so it looks very much like the sequel will in fact become a mini series.  Here’s hoping none of us find ourselves in the boxed set. 

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Give Me Five

This week I thought I would go for films with a war theme set earlier than WW2.  Go back as far as you like.  In no particular order I ended up with the list below.  Again I suspect age comes into this. 

  1. Zulu (1964)
  2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
  3. All quiet on the Western Front (1930)
  4. Paths of Glory (1957)
  5. Ran (1985)

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“I Love It” by Icona Pop.  Even at my age I can bounce to this one.  Any record with the lyrics “I don’t Care”, “You’re from the 70’s but I’m a nineties bitch” and “I threw your shit in a bag and pushed it down the stairs” works for me. 

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This week TIM has been watching …

“TheGood Liar” starring Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen.  I do like Helen Mirren in particular so this was a must watch film for me.  Very enjoyable.  A twist was expected from the very start which gives nothing away but the story line shoots off in an unexpected way.  I’ll say no more. 

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Remember …

Two can keep a secret if one is floating down the river.

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TIM

TIM’s Miniatures & Musings (No: 76)

Featured by theimperfectmodeller, posted in Musings, Uncategorized

Welcome to this weeks Miniatures & Musings!

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This weeks miniature is from Hasslefree and goes by the name of “Mystic Warrior Libby”.  A rather neat little four piece figure which like all Hasslefree figures fits together with a minimum of fuss.  I chose to go with a basic paint job and base and that’s about all there is to say!

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Well It Made Me Laugh

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Domain

Well this week I finally took the plunge and took advantage of my free upgrade, albeit for the first year only, and changed my site address to theimperfectmodeller.co.uk.  Despite my apprehension following my trials and tribulations with the new wordpress editor everything so far seems all well and good.  Hopefully it will continue to stay that way.  If there is one thing I hate more than glue it’s technology when it goes wrong.  Oh and I don’t like broccoli much either.

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Give Me Five

This week I thought I would list my top five British stand up comedians.  There have been some great individuals over the years so selection was way tougher than I anticipated.  I could have made this a list of twenty and still left loads out.  I suspect some of the names on here, perhaps all of them, will be lost on overseas readers.  Opinion will be divided I’m sure but over the years these people have given me some great laughs, some still do.  So, for better or worse my top five in no particular order are:

  1. Ricky Gervais
  2. Rhod Gilbert
  3. Rowan Atkinson
  4. Billy Connelly
  5. Dave Allen

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This week TIM has been listening to …

“Paradise” by Coldplay.  I’m not a fan by any means but I do like this track.  Looking at the stats so do 1,355,754,493 other people too.  Then again it might just be one person with an obsession.
 

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This week TIM has been watching …

“The Invisible Man”.  This was the 2020 release, not the 1933 original.  Other than the title I’m not sure the two films have a lot in common.  As to the film itself it was OK and worth a watch in my opinion.  It made She Who Must Be Obeyed jump a couple of times and that alone made the whole thing worthwhile!

The_Invisible_Man_(2020_film)_-_release_poster

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Remember …

Whatever you’re doing today, do it with the confidence of a 4 year old in a Batman T-Shirt.

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TIM