There's something in the woodshed!

Whilst wanting to keep a visible presence on the infoweb, and in a bid to keep the momentum going with the Schloss Itter build, I was looking around for a suitable post as proof of life.  I was conscious that I didn't want to overplay the W.I.P. card as although terrain building is taking the majority of my 'Castle Time' to have a similar post so shortly after the last, might diminish the impact.

Fortunately James has, once again, has come to my rescue.  His visits during the week, bring much needed inspiration and a have presented us with a good opportunity for a chat and some planning time.  One of the greatest joys of working with James is that he seemingly doesn't recognise any barrier to completing a task as a problem, simply a challenge that hasn't yet been solved.  This is such a positive outlook on life and of genuine inspiration to me. 

As we start to see the boards move from fields of colourless foam to recognisable terrain features we are keen to add as much depth as possible.  Any available space is now considered fair game and one such area, located below the bridge, was screaming out for some attention.  I had inadvertently suggested some form of deserted lumber camp might be suitable, a pile of logs, signs of industry, that sort of thing.  In no time at all, James had thrown together some design and ideas based on photographic evidence and presented me with another stunning creation.

The shack, almost identical to the source material, came based on an large MDF disc that allows us to drop it onto similarly placed disks in the terrain.  This means that it sits flush with the ground and allows a modicum of versatility in our set up.  James had latched on to the idea that this was a working lumber camp and his delightful piece came with a fearsome looking saw bench and piles of recently sawn timber - absolutely superb!  

In many ways the piece required very little in the way of painting, but I just couldn't help myself.  Trying to match the colours and textures of the source material, I was looking to create a worn feel, complete with ivy and a log pile.  As for the saw bench, we had joked about the idea of it having done some serious damage and so the remnants of an unfortunate wretch lie in the sawdust and gore.  

This proved to be yet another wonderful diversion at a time when diversions are the last thing I need!  That said, the joy of the project has been its ability to constantly surprise, whether that be by generosity of others or simply in stretching our own imaginations and creative abilities.  As I write this, I do have the small matter of fifty SS troops to complete and so it is back to the paint table for me, at least until the next diversion comes along! 

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