Jeremiah 51:21 - tempting, but no

"There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method." - Herman Melville

I have been painting again, somehow overcoming the emotional scars from the hurtful words of the big, bouncy woman. The first, small, batch of the Great War project is now complete and I am reasonably pleased with them. I went for a light khaki, packs and webbing in yellow ochre and leather as appropriate (or at random depending on how you look at it) and then a heavy brushing all over with Ronseal teak varnish. I think the end result could have done with being a bit greener, but then again - and I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned this before - I am severely colour blind so my green is probably different to everyone else's. The varnish has highlighted that I wasn't as thorough in removing the mould lines as I should have been, especially from their helmets. I'll have to think of some way of testing that prior to painting; it appeared OK to the naked eye. Anyway they will look fine at arm's length on the table. Extrapolating out my current rate of progress I shall be able to stage a game to commemorate the centenary of the Armistice.

Just in case anyone is interested I normally only use the teak varnish on horses; other figures get beech. I also rashly bought some mahogany, but have never found an occasion to use it. For the Germans I thinking of perhaps a black wash of some sort will be best; I shall have to experiment. I have also broken with the habit of a lifetime and gone for a matt finish for this period. I've always been a gloss man - they are toy soldiers when all is said and done - but it didn't seem right here.

The chariots have continued to receive attention in the background along with the French line lancers. They, the chariots, seem to get worse every time I go back to them, but I don't have the energy to take them apart now. They will be finished and used, and I am tempted to buy another box, just to cut them up and reassemble them in a sensible looking way to prove it can be done. And as someone once wisely said in the comments to this blog "You can never have enough chariots".