I know, I haven’t updated this blog in a bit.. I started a new project so hopefully I can get enough steam behind this one to actually finish it in its entirety. I started painting 1:72 model figures again. After I got all of those Eastern Friendly Indians painted I never got around to making them a diorama so they’re still sitting in a box somewhere. Over the weekend at my parents my Dad gave me a nice big wooden box, the kind that really nice sets of silverware come in and I decided that this would be the perfect thing to create my diorama in since I can shut the lid and put it away so I don’t have to have this thing displayed anywhere, I can just pull it out and show it to people and look at it then close it up and put it back.
So I decided instead of using the Indians for this project I wanted to do the Spanish Conquistadors invading the Aztecs so I went on my favorite hobby website and bought the two kits. I picked up the Caesar Miniatures 1:72 Conquistadors set and the Aztec set.
Currently working on the Conquistadors.. I painted 20 of the figures last night, all the clothing is done on them, just gotta go back in and do fine detail work and some shadowing. After I get these 20 painted in their entirety I’ll finish up the rest of them before I start on the Aztecs. Here’s the set I’m working on, sometime this weekend I’ll take a picture of the ones I've done so I can post on here.
It's been over a month since I got back and I'm just now posting pictures, better quality ones to come later, just wanted to get the bulk of them uploaded. Enjoy!
Here are the direct links to the albums:
Album 1 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JrOodesigns/AfricaTrip#
Album 2 - http://picasaweb.google.com/JrOodesigns/AfricaTripPart2#
Some photos of my little mushroom table sculptures.. in the beginning stages mind you, I'm planning on making a ton more in different styles, sizes, etc.. made from tree branch slices, twigs, and acorn caps... oh and I'm planning on making a full table and chairs set as well. the first photo started out as the table I was going to use but I want to make one with the bark still attached to the sides like the 2nd photo.
After looking at the picture of the original and what I made I'm DEFINITELY finding something else to use for the beads. Plus I have the spacing all wrong on this piece and I can't let it go.. haha..
I'm going with these: 
4mm Sodalite stone beads, they're small, they're stone, and I feel like it will give the pieces the look I want. The red stone beads they have are a little too vibrant for what I'm thinking so I might have to find another source for them...
So anyways, this is how the first part of the headdress looks. This is the 12 leaf piece, the 24 overlapping leaf piece will sit under this piece, and the 12 "willow" leaf piece will sit on top of the bottom two. And I'm getting tired of staring at her bald head so I decided she needs a wig badly. I'm going to mix up something to put in her hair so I can style it and it will harden so it will look more like its sculpted then just a wig... I'm going to cut out and paint the remaining leaves I need for the 24 leaf piece tonight and after the trip to AC Moore this weekend I'll start stringing up the rest of it.
So here's what I have so far.. The mannequin head primed and painted. The right size beads came in over the weekend so sometime this week I'll start on the actual headdress part. I'm most likely going to end up using the female attendant below as the model I'm recreating. I'm still going to make all of the headdress the Queen wore but just add it to whats on this woman.
After I got done cleaning this weekend I thought I would take a panoramic photo of the apartment to show ya the layout & collections.. It came out pretty nice, only a few places you can tell where the photos were stitched at.. I need to use a wider angle lens so you can get the full view but this will do for now...
c l i c k f o r l a r g e r
oh yea, and click again for the full screen zoom
2 more for ya,
art deco inspired "fishies" antiqued gold filigree drops dangling with gunmetal chain with a single fresh water pearl attached on the end.
art deco inspired checkerboard black & white swarovski crystals mismatched pair. The crystals on the left reflect the crystals on the right in reverse.
Contributors
places to visit
big sur
redwood national park
horseshoe canyon
mesa verde
