Greetings Coven,

In the long days of this transition from Spring to Summer, I am inspired by the chirps of insects, the eruption of plant life, and the vibrant colours of this impermanent period. It's important to note that I am appreciating this fleeting moment against my will as it's so oppressively torrid that I must choose to bake inside English architecture or roast in a nearby park. 

So, to the trees I go. 

The Meadow (My favourite place to go touch grass)

A few months ago I attended a workshop hosted by Jacob of Banhaus Miniatures where we sculpted with natural materials. While I’m no stranger to using some sticks and dried tea in my miniatures, it opened my eyes, quite literally, to looking for more treasures in the wild. This is well timed since we’ve had more sun this Spring than any in recorded history and I’ve got a little trip out to the lakes next week. So for some time now, I’ve been stopping by the park on my way home, collecting leaves, seed pods, twigs, bark, and anything else that I might preserve in my hot water cupboard or on the window sill. 

This is quite to my embarrasment, a very small part of my collection.

I’ve seen artists that can build characters and creatures using what they’ve found outside and I’ve seen miniaturists that can use flock and basing materials to emulate a naturalist look. What’s been on my mind is combining those two practices. Starting with some miniature bits I have on hand and fusing them with natural objects to make what I hope will be a totally unique looking, and fairly quick, warband. My only constraint on this craft will be that I’m not allowing myself to sculpt with clay. No epoxy, polymer, or air drying. This is partly to take a break after last month's massive project but also to hopefully encourage more people to try it. 

Besides the changing of the seasons, another principal inspiration for this craft is The Green Knight, specifically the 2021 film adaptation by David Lowery. Despite the middling reviews by audience members, I’ve always enjoyed when a classic myth is respected but also dismantled. The Court of Grene, a name I'm semi-attached to at this point, is going to be a small warband, made up of no more than six figures. Their essence transformed by the wild world around them, with some help from the Green Knights powerful axe. It will be led by Noè’s Sunflower Knight, although she won’t be a sunflower by the time I’m done, supported by a medley of peasant models, and one of my Headless Hill Giants; likely as some kind of great forest entity. 

My goals in abstract for this video are to create something that is atmospheric, with a focus on feeling over the result. Practically, I want to rely on natural materials to do the heavy lifting, using as little paint as possible to get real colours from the world. In the long term, I hope to find out how well these materials hold their colour and form after being preserved, but my expectation is that things are going to change quickly once adhesives are added to the mix. We’ll just have to see what happens. 

Thank you for all the support on last month's massive undertaking. My plans for the Summer are even bigger if you can imagine it. I will see some of you this weekend for some world building, and the rest of you as soon as this video is complete. 

Yours in Craft,

Terran