Modeling Retreat

Hey Sportsfans,

Today I'm going to talk about the next steps. So last update I actually got off my butt and painted stuff. Not only that, but you got pics! Well since then, I haven't done too much more. However, I have been planning. You see I've been working with Menucha (where I did the painting at their Scrap and Sew retreat) and got them to try out a one day Model and Painting retreat. I put the word out locally about it and am now just waiting for the event to be on the Menucha web site (www.menucha.org).

This one will only be a one day retreat, no overnight. First of all, that cuts down on the cost quite a bit. Just $34 a person, which buys you a whole day of uninterrupted modeling and painting, and a good lunch as well. Not too shabby. Why a retreat? Well some times you just need to get away. I've got a family. There is always something that needs my attention at home, be it the wife, kids, pets, or house. With a retreat, I get to go someplace away, remove any distractions, and get real work done on my hobby. Thankfully for me, I have a wife who fully gets that and has no issue with me taking the day. Pro tip to other hobbyists out there, send your spouse on a retreat first for something they love. After that, there is no way in the world they can deny you your own. :)

The other part of the retreat is to connect with your fellow hobbyists. Lets face it, about the only thing better than working on your models, is to hang out with friends working on your models. This also gives you a great opportunity to learn tips and techniques from others, and to share your own. That is what I'm currently trying to work out. What do I want to bring so that I can share with others if interested?

The first obvious choice is to finish my Italians. I still need to do a little painting (facial hair, maybe eyes, and lapels), dipping, and finish the bases. As much as I want to show my dipping technique, those suckers require a full day to dry and aren't easy to transport after being dipped. So that really isn't practical (though I probably will bring a couple for demonstration). I also own an airbrush, but concerned with mess and clearly don't want to get paint on anything inside. I'll probably decide on it once I know what the outside conditions will be. If it is nice enough, I'll just take it outside and use it on some terrain pieces.

But what do I want to actually work on? Well, I did say I had some warmaster empire I wanted to do. I think that might be the next step for me. I really love that game, and I want to get more armies painted so that the table looks great when I do play. Still, I have a month until the retreat. That bolt action call is pretty strong though too. :)

Until next time...