Back in action

I had a mostly successful move from Alexandria, Virginia, to Huntsville, Alabama.  I say 'mostly', because I did suffer one miniatures-related casualty.  This....

...became this....

Long story, which I won't dwell on here.  Suffice to say, some movers are idiots and choose to ignore simple, repeated instructions.

On a more positive note, I am settled in enough to comfortably assemble and paint again.  My collection and supplies are more organized and more discreetly tucked away in the hidey-holes of the new place.

I eased back into the hobby with some low-pressure projects, beginning with batch-painting 15 Orc pikemen for War of the Ring (I don't have any pictures of them handy).  Then I moved on to Zoraida, the Hag, for Malifaux.

I started Zoraida probably 4 or 5 years ago, when I first started playing Malifaux, in fits and starts, until I and the game found a satisfactory common ground.  I have a few other "Swamp Fiend" models to paint to add to her crew, and then I'll have another crew to field in the game.

My next project was to finish up another couple of models for Malifaux, the Night Terror.

I wanted to push myself towards that altered mental state where Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, Simon Bisley, and apparently every French artist resides -- one where the colors are pronounced and slapdash, and somehow still work coherently.  I'm pleased with my progress on this one.  I'm not quite sure what my take-away is with it, though, in terms of a repeatable skill or frame-of-mind.

I use these models to proxy for Malifaux Raptors in the game, which I enjoy using to harass and, if I'm lucky, neutralize enemy models anywhere on the board.

My Swamp Fiend projects will have to wait, as it turns out.  I signed up for the Iron Painter competition, which will keep me occupied anywhere from 2 to 10 weeks.  More on that in the next post.