Friday, April 29, 2016

Mobile State of the Painting Desk

Paint station still life
This week saw my routine monthly journey to Seattle for a week in the home office.  Rather than may usual, fair-weather companion of the bicycle tagging along for the 600 mile round trip, I added a twist to occupying my time spent after work.  At the last minute, I decided to include a mobile painting station into the car for the week away.
Packed and ready to go
The mobile station consists of an interlocking three-tiered, stackable container with a handy carrying handle.  The container caught my eye while shopping for additional storage boxes in which to house painted figures.  Upon inspection, I thought this solution would be ideal for transporting a few items for a mobile painting desk.  Into these compartments were placed the paints needed for the tasks at hand, a handful of brushes, a couple of knives, bottles of glue and epoxy, and figures.  Everything needed for a mobile painting kit.
Mobile painting kit
The figures brought along were enough to build two units.  One figure group consisted of 17 figures to complete a 28mm Baden infantry battalion for the 28mm Penninsular War project; the other a five figure unit of mounted Gendarmes for the Great Italian Wars project.
Badeners and Gendarmes
Midway through the week, the Badeners by Murawski Miniatures are about half finished.  The Foundry Gendarmes only have a base coat of horse flesh laid down.  By Friday how much further will each of these progress?  Even if I make no more progress while away, I will arrive home with a solid start on two units.

17 comments:

  1. Very impressive, Jonathan! Here I am at home and I haven't picked up a brush in weeks - months? And you travel on business out of state and continue your fine work!

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    1. Dean, we all await your return to the painting desk!

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  2. Good idea, Jon.

    I stopped at Panzer Depot last week, and the proprietor said to tell you hello.

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    1. Did you pick up some nifty stuff while at PZ?

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    2. I would be too embarrassed to tell you how much I spent, but I bought a bunch of WWI Americans in 28mm and some Artizan winter WWII troops.

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  3. Nice set-up. I do something similar for my TDY trips. I have a small tackle box for my brushes and 6mm minis and then an old VHS case for a small selection of paints. I find the standard coffee filters in most hotel rooms make excellent palettes. They even provide you with a plastic cup for water and a copy of USA Today as a place mat to protect your work area. Mighty nice of them.

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    1. You are a seasoned vet when it comes to painting on the road. Since I don't drink coffee, I use the hotel's ceramic mug for my painting water. A USA Today place mat is a good idea!

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    2. You don't need to drink coffee to use the filter, and I strongly recommend not using a used filter...

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  4. Perhaps not surprisingly, I also do something similar,. I first did it 20+ years ago when attending a 6 day medical CME conference, which happenEd to be at the LANCASTER HOST, perennial site of HMGS conventions. Si9nce it was a conference for usd Family Docs, most of it was pretty packed with lectures etc from 8 AM to 8PM but there was some down time at night and at meal times. So I brought figures, paint etc - I imagine they are used to that at the Host of all places. I almost always bring SOMETHING with me to Historicon that needs painting, flocking, basing or whatever at the last minute. last year it was the bridges for Ligny. I routinely pack a Really useful Box with figures, paint, brushes etc when we visit my daughter in Ithaca. The first 5 colors of the Egyptians on display this week were done while I was up there part of last week.

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    1. Peter, I am not surprised at all! After all, we have little time to waste. This kit of mine is compact enough that throwing it into the car on the monthly journeys is an easy task and a habit I should continue. The Badeners almost made it into the Completed pile this week. Now, that is progress!

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    2. I look forward to their Baden-ness with great anticipation!

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  5. I think I get more painted over the year in hotel rooms than I do at home. Even then I'm not as productive as you!
    Best Iain

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    1. Painting in hotel is a good way to pass the confines of travel. With a compact painting kit, I expect to do this more often.

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