Howdy! Not a lot here mini-wise this time. Been off work on disability, and have finished several figures that are ready for pics. However, I plan on buying a new camera next week when I'm in Colorado, I figured I'd just hold off on most of them 'til then.

I'd like to welcome several folks. First, Lee of Goblin Lee's Miniature Blog. A lot of classic lead there, especially Citadel and Grenadier, and some very impressive armies. Next J.D. of J.D.M.L. Miniaturas. J.D. also has some classic minis and is working on a diorama I'm looking forward to seeing. Finally, Darcy at Hits To Kill. Again, some old lead, including some classic Grenadier, as well as some great pics of games in progress.

And a pic of a special supporter, Gigi "Wormsbane", the Office Turtle of Death...

She came to me several years ago. She eats worms, turkey, chicken and any red vegetables or fruits. She needed a home after recovering from a confrontation with a fearsome automobile. She's missing her right rear foot and has a notch in her carapace. Gigi probably could have been released, but legal circumstances prevented it. She's one of two critters who keep me company in the office while I'm painting. The other is often unwelcome, as fur and paint don't go together.

So my offerings for minis tonight are a DeeZee Miniatures platybelodon...

 

 

and a coupla spiders that I painted years ago, manufacturer unknown. 

 

 

These spiders were painted to match three AD&D ettercaps. The ettercaps, however, are going to need some refurbishing. Like the ettin, time was not kind to their paint jobs.

 

Coming soon, AD&D grell and some hill giants.

 

'Til next time.

Howdy! I'm back, after three weeks of illness followed by extreme busy-ness at work, a brief stretch of painting ennui, and a frantically calculated period of experimentation with photography and backgrounds and lighting. Never intended to have two months between posts, but I really don't know where those two months went. I'm planning on much more frequent posts, now that I've figured out a thing or two.

First, I want to say hi to my new friends, Michael from 28mm Victorian Warfare and Dave from One man and his brushes. I've been following Michael's blog for several months now, ever since I discovered we have a common love for dinosaurs when I googled 28mm dinosaur miniatures in a search for reference pics for several DeeZee, HLBS and Acheson Creations critters. I'm newer to Dave's blog but definitely enjoy his work. If you've stumbled onto my little blog here and have never visited either of their blogs, I highly recommend that you do.

Speaking of "dinosaurs", I didn't mention it originally, but I have a fair collection of animals and prehistoric critters in 25/28mm ranging from the Devonian through the Jurassic to the Oligocene and Miocene to present day. And they by no means take a back seat to my fantasy or historic figures. A zoologist by education though no longer by profession, I've had a fascination for living critters of all types as long as I can remember...and that has followed right into my two hobbies: painting/collecting miniatures, and aquariums.

I found my self struggling and getting frustrated with smaller figures, after a long time away from the hobby, and decided to get back to practicing the basics on several larger figures. The end results were a DeeZee miniatures brontotherium...

 

and a Steve Barber crocodile.

 

 

I was really happy with the algae effect on the head and scutes of the crocodile. It came out much better than I had hoped. Still have some things to work out with the lighting, as neither set shows the  colors as well as I'd like, but I'll get there. I have a full table with works in progress...

 

 

...ogres, ettins and giants from Ral Partha and Reaper, two D&D grell from Ral Partha, a Grenadier beetle and intellect devourerer-type critter, a Reaper assassin, and the Bruise Brothers from Ral Partha. The grell, intellect devourer, and Bruise Brothers simply need to have the base finished. The Ral Partha wyrm is in there as well, on hold, as I kinda hit a brain freeze on how to finish him.

 

'Til next time.