To begin this Kong Fu I got to hit the jukebox with a truely good song:
Enjoy Mr. Sinatra!
As the jungle is very busy the last days I got to hit the post-button again - yesterday i was asked about one of my latest painted figures on facebook chat - a good question indeed - the question was if the model is a bit older because it doesn't match my typicall quality standard. Good question indeed but I found my freedom my answer. There is no jarhead-from-the-internet-standard :)
I was lacking in painting the last months and felt a invisible force field that kept me from enjoying painting at my workbench. For sure there have been reasons like summer, bikinis and Fallout New Vegas and much more but in the end, after i have answered the question of standards myself i realize what kept me away from painting with a joyful mind. I was thinking about my standard and wanted to improve and improve and improve and do things better here and there and always more, thought maybe some hours will bring back the plan I have made to find my standard here at this spot or there - but there is none and in the end I really flagelleted myself, at least it feels like. So I was thinking and searching all the time instead of painting. A lot of stuff was begun just to be forgotten. Some things finished for sure but never able to reach my personal standard - but there is none and I decided to just paint without thinking about competitions or other things as standards all the time. Hell yeah - it was about time saying that - it really felt some weight on my shoulders was left behind as I choose to grab the brush a couple of days ago just for the painting aspect - without thinking what it will be in the end or which standard i have to reach (i somehow realised again that i have to follow my heart and don't have energys for trying to paint every piece on high competition level) - just pure painting and I know the so called standard thing, which Iwould call a quality aspect will come and settle down again during the process of pure painting. Just painting, finishing stuff and doing. It was the best thing I could do after those months passed while missing the joy. So i do these days - letting the brush dance and finish projects, some fast, some less fast - and I can tell you finishing stuff is really satisfying. Standard? There is none - my standard these days is a great call that says (deep dark voice) "Finish him!!!" ... just wanted to share these thoughts with you in this Kong Fu to show that my soul is still alive and maybe it helps you too to get some things finished - it is truely the best feeling in the hobby :)
Now back to Miniatures:
There will be some ebay auctions rolling in the next weeks and i will update the Jungle Offers on the right. Check the Happy Monk if there are still some available. As you read here also Raffa has some cool Minis up for auction - check those here!!
Today there will be some projects by my brush searching for a new home. All with a fair starting price of 0.99 $ like always. May they find a good new home and be sure you are bidding on some really unique pieces.
Click on the images to get directed the auctions on ebay ...
To make this posting not only about Kong Fu and ebay there will be some more brain curd - I am painting like a wild stallion these days and finished already some other projects - one was really pretty fast, around 2 hours of painting - a little dragon painting a little dragon by miniature-heroes ...hope you like him - it's always great to paint something cute once in a while ...
Lil' dragon painting little dragon
Miniature-Heroes, 28 mm
I've managed to paint the last days with pure joy and other stuff already jumped the workbench - here is a little preview from my cabinet at the moment, ever growing but really strange photo as it was done with lightning by the camera:
So far - i guess i am off again - painting the next one to finish. Soon we will do some final photos again and i am still corious about this standard thing - just forgot, there is none :)
What do you think of standards?
Keep on happy painting!
Best Wishes
Roman
Love the painting dragon. The sculpt doesn´t look detailed but you´ve made a great job.
ReplyDeleteLooks great Roman, thanks
ReplyDeleteMH
Well, that depends. Standards are set by expections, yours and the ones of others. If you are painting for yourself and only for fun, you set the standard for every piece anew. Some people prefer the actual doing, getting busy with something, and some other people value the outcome more, with the actual doing being only a mean to an end. You are the only that can decide what you want to do and how to be happy, as this is the most important thing. You decide where to set the limits and your priorities.
ReplyDeleteIf you are painting for money to pay for your bananas, you are setting the price depending on your previous pieces. Buyers expect to get a certain level of qualtiy in exchange for their money.
The problem with expectations, theirs and your own, is that you cannot live up to them all the time. We are only humans and fallible. That is what we all have to accept and how to still become happy nevertheless!
Thank you for the reminder about importance of enjoying process as opposed to result!
ReplyDelete@Redwing: Twinkle. ;)
ReplyDelete@Roman: I guess the thing behind "standard" is desire. Why would one paint a miniature at a special "standard"? Even as everyone defines his own standard - and you know humankind, everyone has it's own brain ;) - one desires with a standard something. May it just a "wow, incredible" nice-word from an admirer, may it be a price or money.
I guess just to paint, without thinking of a reason behind it, without a goal - without a desire is the highest standard. :D
The only difficult thing is to be aware that you're painting and what you're painting without trying to think to "how shall I paint, will I paint the right way, etc.?"
I, for myself didn't found the key jet - it's either perfectionism(?) and therefore straight running in a blind alley, loosing the joy painting this special miniature or the "i want to get finish/rid off this miniature" and therefore ruin it within the last hours. :)
But, well, enough of that semi-mystical writing, thanks for your open words again. Not everyone would admit such thoughts that you have that public. :)
Many thanks for your thoughts on this - i really appreciate them and enjoyed reading them. Loved this sentence: Thank you for the reminder about importance of enjoying process as opposed to result! - that is what i was searching for myself somehow but could not name it - muchas gracias!
ReplyDelete