I take Junior climbing on Sunday mornings and have taken Big Lee's advice to develop a portable painting box to use during the two hours he's swinging on the ropes. It consists of a chunky metal B&Q toolbox (see picture). All the figures are taken out and I keep some paints, unpainted troops, selection of brushes, white tile (for mixing paints on), piece of hardboard (to stop the paint getting onto the table below), cloth for brushes and a beaker (to hold the water). This means a constructive 2 hours rather than (like the other parents there) reading the paper or staring into space...
The lighting inside the climbing centre is pretty poor (strip lighting) and they insist at blasting out rock music at Spinal Tap volumes (I have no idea why - I thought climbers liked peace and quiet which is why they climb mountains in the first place...) but its 2 hours to kill and I can usually get quite a bit done in that time (the Prussian mixed units for Grand Armee were knocked out there last week).
So I set up and dab away. They have garden benches inside (seating and table combined) which isn't that comfy but does provide a wide working surface.
Usually I'm left alone except for the odd curious 4 year old (who also try to join in by jabbing a 000 brush repeatedly into the table unless you're quick and assertive - "Sod off you little brat!"). Oh and the idiot who sat at the same table this weekend and who obviously had St Vitus' Dance as he either kept getting up and down or rocked in his seat - never good when you're trying to paint the face on a 6mm figure. I suffered in stoic silence except for the occasional loud sigh and "FOR F**** SAKE!" which eventually got the message through to him.
Anyway, between the Rocking Fool sessions a young girl (probably 12 or 13ish) came over and was clearly interested in what I was doing. She asked me what I was painting (Japanese ashigaru), where I got the models and paints from, how many I'd painted in the past ("Too many. Far, far too many!") and loads of other questions about the hobby. She asked if she could have a go at painting some so I passed over a brush and paint and let her get on with it. She got so engrossed that she missed out a good half hour of climbing (as her dad kept reminding her) and we had a really pleasant chat about miniatures, painting and wargaming - as well as her hobbies (climbing, painting pictures and playing the piano - only one of which I can do, if climbing the stairs counts).
I gave her a quick demo on drybrushing - which she'd never heard of - and she was quite impressed with the results. Easily pleased, obviously.
So I promised that next week I'd bring down an old 28mm figure so she could have a bash at someting easier. But it was nice to have a simple conversation about the hobby with someone who wasn't (as I've found adults to be) judgemental or condesending about it but just interested to know more. Unlike her dad who obviously was unchuffed at blowing £10 on a climbing lesson that turned into a painting one.
I also told her to type '6mm painting' into Google when she got home for more info - so we never see her again!
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| Metal B&Q tool box - now used for my mobile painting studio. |
So I set up and dab away. They have garden benches inside (seating and table combined) which isn't that comfy but does provide a wide working surface.
Usually I'm left alone except for the odd curious 4 year old (who also try to join in by jabbing a 000 brush repeatedly into the table unless you're quick and assertive - "Sod off you little brat!"). Oh and the idiot who sat at the same table this weekend and who obviously had St Vitus' Dance as he either kept getting up and down or rocked in his seat - never good when you're trying to paint the face on a 6mm figure. I suffered in stoic silence except for the occasional loud sigh and "FOR F**** SAKE!" which eventually got the message through to him.
Anyway, between the Rocking Fool sessions a young girl (probably 12 or 13ish) came over and was clearly interested in what I was doing. She asked me what I was painting (Japanese ashigaru), where I got the models and paints from, how many I'd painted in the past ("Too many. Far, far too many!") and loads of other questions about the hobby. She asked if she could have a go at painting some so I passed over a brush and paint and let her get on with it. She got so engrossed that she missed out a good half hour of climbing (as her dad kept reminding her) and we had a really pleasant chat about miniatures, painting and wargaming - as well as her hobbies (climbing, painting pictures and playing the piano - only one of which I can do, if climbing the stairs counts).
I gave her a quick demo on drybrushing - which she'd never heard of - and she was quite impressed with the results. Easily pleased, obviously.
So I promised that next week I'd bring down an old 28mm figure so she could have a bash at someting easier. But it was nice to have a simple conversation about the hobby with someone who wasn't (as I've found adults to be) judgemental or condesending about it but just interested to know more. Unlike her dad who obviously was unchuffed at blowing £10 on a climbing lesson that turned into a painting one.
I also told her to type '6mm painting' into Google when she got home for more info - so we never see her again!