Painter's Block

It happens to everyone, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. I need to paint, and I've got plenty to paint, but just can't get the enthusiasm to get into it.

Get the paints out, select from the wonderous selection of beautiful miniatures, apply first coat of something, and then... interest wanders. Put it away again.

I always admire professional figure painters such as the impossibly talented Andrew Taylor, or Dave Imrie - not just because of their stunning ability to colour in toy soldiers, but also because they seemingly manage to paint relentlessly to a fantastic standard.

This morning I even tried forcing myself to paint by sitting down and starting on something simple (15mm Saxon war dogs from Splintered Light), but that just made it worse. So, in the absence of painting, I'm going to ramble on about the other bits of my wargaming world.

Currently my gaming is occupied entirely by 15mm Dark Ages, and Song of Splintered Lands (notionally 18mm, but fairly open to interpretation). Over the years I've grown tired of playing on cricket pitches, so have been investing some Google time on scenery.

I've picked up a Celtic farmstead from Hovels (via great service from Essex Miniatures), and had a pop at some OO scale trees on individual bases. Currently waiting on a delivery from Hotz Matz to play on, and a Longboat from Essex for raiding party action. The farmstead is very good value at £27 with the pigsty (still missing the pigs I got from ERM at the same time), but been looking for something special to fight over.

This led me to pick up some books on Iron Age forts, and culminated in a discussion with a commission scenery builder about Roman roads, dykes, and marsh sections. As I'm largely hopeless at scenery building I think I'll be investing in this soon.

The real spark has been the scenery builder's suggestion of having a go at making Bamburgh castle circa 500AD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamburgh_Castle

Whether intentional or not, this has struck a chord with me as I love Cornwell's Warlord series about Uhtred of Bannenburg. Will report shortly on progress