Back painting again.

I haven't done much painting in the last six weeks or so. It's probably to do with all the stress of moving to my new job, which I have now been in in a month. I am finding the surroundings of Oxford Street much more stressful than the City; just walking about, given all the milling language students, shoppers, tourists, Hare Krishna acolytes etc., is a nightmare. Never mind I am within a few minutes walk of Games Workshop, Orc's Nest, Forbidden Planet, Model Zone and Foyles. Lunchtimes are proving to b expensive; good job I'm getting paid more!

The last few weekends have been tied up with taking the children to various events (how did my little baby girl turn into a five foot five inch dancer/choreographer) so it was only on Saturday afternoon that I got down to some proper painting again. I have just taken delivery of a batch of Alban Miniatures lovely new British Riflemen to go with my Sharpe and Harper figures which I got as a giveaway with the Sharp Practice rules last month. They really are fantastic figures and I hope the range grows. Ideally, some manky looking Frenchmen (are there any other kind?), some less uniformed looking riflemen, some Spanish guerrillas (a female one in leather trousers would be nice!) and a few regular British from a fictitious Essex Regiment would all result in purchases! I have started the riflemen but they do suffer from Perry tiny strap syndrome. They are all perfectly correct and in proportion, but it's just I can't bear painting straps and belts, which is why skirmish Napoleonic has got to be the way to go for me.

What has really got me painting again are the Musketeer Miniatures Great Northern War Swedes. These are the complete opposite of the Alban figures: really easy to paint. I'm hoping to have got six more done before I fly to Washington DC on Saturday. I'm getting a little bit done every morning at the moment.

The workbench today: Front: GNW Swedes well on the way, next back Alban Miniatures Riflemen, next row a few more Artizan Spartans, a Perry Sudan command figure and some more Foundry Gladiators and after that Renegade WW1 Germans. Well to the rear are more Perry Beja and Copplestone Ngoni.