Expanding, and not my waistline for once!

As I believe I've banged on about before I have no new projects in the pipeline this year, for the first time since I retired from teaching in April 2002. Strangely I've found this unusual situation to be unexpectedly liberating rather than depressing as I had feared. I've found myself painting only when and what I felt like painting rather than feeling as if I were on a self imposed treadmill, pressing on with numerous figures and units towards the goal of getting a 'new game' on the table in GHQ.
One period of peripheral interest I've painted extra figures for is the French & Indian War. We've played occasional games here in GHQ using amended Astounding Tales rules and had great fun, but last year I bought the new Sharpe Practice 2 ruleset with a view to playing F&IW games with them instead, as I had enjoyed several games at Phil's of their WWII rules, Chain of Command. Working through their helpful lists showed me that I was short of figures for the core of Regulars on both sides. I rectified this at Warfare in Reading last November, buying the figures from Redoubt Enterprises to match those I already owned. I've been painting and basing them off and on and now the whole is finished I thought you'd like to see them for yourselves ~

One unexpected consequence of this photo session is that I've realised I have only 3 French command figures to the 6 British ones! Doh! I really should write things down rather than trust to memory now a days! In the short term I can borrow figures from my main SYW collection until I cross paths with Redoubt at some show or other and pick up the French High Command set.
As I started by mentioning painting, I thought that I would finish on the same theme. I'm currently working on a French National Guard unit for my FRW project, using Foundry early French in bicornes for the unit. I've managed 12/24 so far and am surprised to find that even though on the small side I am managing to make a decent fist of them. A by product of the lack of pressure perhaps leading to more relaxed and focused painting? Who can say, but I'm pleased by the end product so far. A Bientot Mes Amis!