Civil War Medical Diorama: Part III

As promised, here are the figures I completed last weekend. I'm surprised at how quickly they got done....hopefully I can keep it up!

First up we have the ambulance corpsmen. They were the ones responsible for retrieving wounded soldiers from the battlefield and getting them to an aid station.

And now, the surgeons. There were lots of little details on these guys that I know visitors won't really be able to see (like the green fields on their shoulder bars), but I really had a fun time going the extra mile. Besides, they are officers after all...they should look their absolute best. 

Now we have some of the wounded. And I just realized that the fellow in the yellow shirt looks exactly like Doc Holliday at the end of "Tombstone." 

Next up, the ambulance driver. He'll look a lot better sitting in his wagon (when it's done).

Last, but certainly not least, is the figure of a Berdan sharpshooter that I call "Cuddles." It's a bit of an inside joke...you see, many years ago I used to reenact with a fellow who had that nickname. It just so happened that this mini looked exactly like him. It was too perfect not to do.

Well, that's all for now! Tomorrow we'll be installing the first part of the diorama at the Lee-Fendall House. I'll be sure to post photos and report back on the progress.

Beyond the Battlefield: Lee-Fendall House and Civil War Medical Care

Great news! The exhibit, Beyond the Battlefield: Lee-Fendall House and Civil War Medical Care, will be opening two weeks from today on October 31st. That's right...Halloween!

What's more, I just found out I'll be credited as Assistant Curator for the exhibit. I totally wasn't expecting this! As a result, I'm expected to say a few words at the opening reception and bring in a few examples of other miniatures I've done.

Looking back at everything I've posted over the last few months, what pieces do you all think I should bring? Please comment below and let me know!

Civil War Medical Diorama: Part II

Things are progressing on the diorama!

I hit Michaels yesterday before class and picked up some parts for the base. Since the dimensions of the display case are a bit odd, I had to assemble five different pieces of wood in order to get the needed size. Elmer's Wood Glue is holding it all together quite well, but to be safe I also put some foam core underneath to add a bit more stability. Then came the fun part: letting it all dry overnight.

Wood glue was liberally used to connect the boards. But after watching reruns of "the Red Green Show" on YouTube, though, I think duct tape would've also worked.

Having let the glue set for 24 hours, I picked the project up again today. I went about attaching a ReadyGrass vinyl mat from Woodland Scenics. Worried that the spray adhesive wouldn't be enough to keep it from rolling up and/or peeling, I also used a staple gun to secure things. These staples will eventually be covered up by figures and other bits of terrain.

MORE STAPLES!!!

The base will installed in the exhibit room this coming weekend, and all the figures will be placed in the following weeks. The exhibition is set to open at the end of the month, so there's still quite a lot of work that needs to be done (and on top of school and work commitments to boot). I'm already exhausted just thinking about it all.

Also, our dining room table is a mess. But thankfully my girlfriend is very understanding and is letting me keep it like this for a bit longer. It's easier than continually taking the paints out and then putting them away again after a few hours.

Well, that's all for now! I'll try to get a post up about my latest figures some time tomorrow morning. Please keep checking back for updates, and thank you for looking!

  

Civil War Medical Diorama: Part I

Progress!

The first pieces of the Lee-Fendall House diorama are done! It's taken a little while to get these guys done due to classes starting up and several successive weekends at work. But I'm pleased to report that the first batch is ready.

First off, we have a soldier from the United States Colored Troops (USCT) standing guard over the evacuation area. Over 175,000 African-Americans volunteered to fight for the Union, which accounted for roughly one-tenth of the Federal army. We felt that these brave men should be represented in this diorama. He is just the first of several that will be in the finished product.

Also, please let me say that I'm really, really pleased with how this fellow turned out!

Next, we have some freshly wounded soldiers from General W.S. Hancock's II Corps (so identified by the trefoils on their caps). The figures at left and right will be included in a firing line at the beginning of the diorama. In the center we have an unfortunate fellow being wheelbarrowed to the aide station with the help of a comrade.

Now we have some soldiers getting ready for transport. I'm particularly pleased with how the artillerist in the blanket turned out. If you look carefully, not only will you see the red piping on the collar of his shell jacket, but you'll also see "U.S." stitched in the center of the blanket like the originals.

Lastly, we have a rather grisly sight to behold. This poor soldier's left arm has just been amputated by a surgeon who looks quite suspiciously like General George B. McClellan. His beloved limb is about to be thrown into a pile of other similarly separated appendages to be disposed of later.

These figures come from Architects of War's Uncivil War line. Despite the grisly subject matter, they were a real joy to paint up.

And that's it for the time being. It's only about a month until the exhibit opens, so please keep checking back for updates.

Thanks for stopping by! As always, comments and feedback are much appreciated.

Napoleonic Russian Officer

I've not been sitting idle while waiting for the Civil War diorama figures to come in. Recently, I scored a box of Perry Napoleonic Russians for a very good price. These gents are going to be a part of a larger force representing the Russians at the Battle of Borodino in September 1812.

Having just picked up the Black Powder rules, I intend to have several brigades of these guys done at some point (and an opposing French force as well....but more on that much, much later).

I've just completed the officer, who is now ready to fight for his Tsar and motherland!

Civil War Medical Diorama: Prologue

After a meeting at the Lee-Fendall House the other day, I'm pleased to report that this Civil War diorama project is now officially underway! The figures were ordered that afternoon, but as they're all coming from the UK it's going to be some time until they arrive.

So in the meantime, I visited the local game shop to pick up supplies. There are so few of these stores in the DC area, and I just happened to luck out moving so close to one. And a rather good one at that! As you can see in the photo below, I stocked up on Vallejo paints and new brushes for the project.

In case you were wondering, this is what $280 worth of paint, brushes, and other supplies look like.

I've started work on some test figures and am pretty happy with the results so far. Expect photos of these lads when they're completed.

Update on Civil War Diorama Fundraiser

Less than a week after starting a fundraiser for a Civil War diorama, we've already met our goal. In fact, we exceeded it! And by a lot too.

Our goal was $150 for the project. But thanks to some very, very generous donations we raised $700! I confess....I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all that money. I suppose this means I get to use the high quality Woodland Scenics products I've been gawking over for years.

Stay tuned for updates on this diorama! I have a feeling it's going to be an epic endeavor.