Kind Words from a Fan
I just wanted to recognize not only you, but all the artists in the BTP family. You guys seem like a really tight group of not only workers, but friends as well. I really like seeing that the whole studio gets the job done, and the people doing the job, really love it. You’ve brought not only fully painted armies to people, but happiness and maybe even a little bit of whimsy. I’d like to thank you, and everyone else at Blue Table Painting, and I wish you well!
– -Kyle
Tuesday May 20 2008 Sweet Spot
Picture: an Eldar Revenant Titan by Forge World. See the other pictures here. PS- the oddball models in there are incidental to the project (same client).
First off, the BTP website it loading slowly or not at all because of work being done on the server. I’m not happy about it, but it should clear up soon.
Second off, if you’re not following the youtube stuff, you are really missing out.
I woke up at about 7:15 this morning. I let the kids sleep in. I mowed the front and back yards. My wife was out there watching me, admiring my manliness as I pushed around our old WW1 Tank of a lawn mower. Or maybe just in astonishment that I was actually doing any sort of yard work.
Then Jonah came out and we fed the rabbits. I decided to let them out of their cage and to run around. That was fun until they figured out that they are faster than me. I did manage to catch one, but it clawed at me with its filth-encrusted talons (drawing blood) and I dropped the fiendish rodent. I had to get to the studio by 10am so I just left the rabbits running around. “We’ll see how fast they are when the neighborhood cats show up.” I thought. My wife and daughter managed to run them down later in the afternoon (one ended up in the garage and the other in a neighbor’s yard).
Rest assured that everything is proceeding apace. I haven’t had time to really give a rundown of the schedule lately.
I put up numerous new videos today.
I have a single, sweet opening on the staff, full time. It will be roughly thirds: assembly, painting, and being my right-hand-man. If you’re the right person for the job I can get you out here right away, setting you up with housing and other details. Here’s what I’m looking for:
- Work ethic
- Teachability
- Skill (usually, if you’ve assembled and painted three armies that’s usually enough to start with)
- Cheerful attitude
If you’re interested, please email me at bluetablepainting@gmail.com with the subject line “Artist Needed- Your Name” and I’ll get things started with you.
We got in a bunch of resin McFarlane dragons which will be set aside in order to cull their wings. I also got in a huge undead dragon which I am hoping someone will turn into a centerpiece for their Vampire Counts army.
I got home late, like 9pm, and I still had to leave some stuff undone. I really don’t like falling behind at all. But right now it’s only about a day for my own personal work. We are booked out about a week more than usual, BUT the pace of project completion is nice and stiff. I’ll get up early tomorrow and hit it!
I was greeted with the smell of Thai food. My wife has learned how to cook a few dishes, and well. There was a huge pan of pad thai, an enormous crock of tonkagai soup, and pot stickers. It was beyond belief. I went downstairs (in Utah most housed have finished basements, like a second house) with the steaming lime-spritzed plate, along with a huge glass raspberry-vanilla italian soda, to find my wife on the couch, my youngest son cradled sleeping in her arms. Then the other two kids came in and sat with me, bringing in pillows and blankets.
Now that’s paradise.
There’s a formula for it. Just like a recipe.
PS- I highly recommend the arrangement of having a stay-at-home mom. It’s the ideal situation. I would say it’s worth curtailing expenses and living humbly to get it. I have a saying “It’s the man who makes the living, but the woman who makes life *worth* living”. For a time, I thought that it was Tamie who was the sort of assistant while I went out and did the important work; you know “get my shirts ironed for work.” BUT the deep truth is that what I do outside the home makes possible the REAL work that goes on inside the home. We truly are partners in the great work of raising a family.
Monday May 19 2008 Dynamo
Today, the studio was a flurry of activity. It’s too much to write. I mean it was insane. But rest assured, all projects are accounted for and underway.
I have a few treats for you tomorrow, namely a few Forge World pieces, including an Eldar Titan. We were going to give up on the magnetization, but Renn and I stayed late and made it happen. It looks really nice.
Ok, the other one is a Tau Barracuda, but you knew that.
Right now it’s 11pm and my wife and I are watching Cloverfield. Take your motion-sickness pills. But so far a good flick.
Oh, and I got a new book in the mail, “Leave Us Alone” by Grover Norquist. I’ll give a review of that in a while. All I have to say that if it doesn’t mention the maintenance of a massive foreign empire by the rampant printing of new money (debasement of currency), I won’t be able to put much stock in it.
Sunday May 18 2008 The Long Run
What I lack in intelligence I make up for in volume.
Over the weekend, I managed to meet my goals for my Tau army:
1x Barracuda
2x Forge World Battlesuit Commanders (the Shas’o R’myr suit and this other one)
2x Forge World Broadside
2x Forge World TX-42 Piranha (I had to partially repaint one—I decided to be adventurous and do a camo scheme, but it was a disaster)
2x Remote Sensor Towers
I can’t wait to get my rematch with Renn. It’s on RENN! Do you hear me!?
NO MORE game-related material today. Warning! Preachments ahead!
Today I slept in until about 8am. Sweet.
Then I got up and had a giant bowl of Captain Crunch (generic brand). Again, sweet.
As a service to my beautiful wife, I cleaned the garage and took care of the rodents (two rabbits and a guinea pig). I enlisted the kids for this. The garage was no small feat. It was really disgusting. I am on a crusade to reduce the mass of “stuff” in the house by 50%.
It was hot today, hitting ninety degrees. We turned the A/C on. It’s nice and cool in the basement.
My pregnant wife is having a rough time, and on top of that she has a sore throat so she stayed home. I got the kids ready and headed out to church.
I gave my wife a new affectionate nickname: “my little pork pie”. I am secretly hoping to fatten her up good this time. I’ve been waiting on her hand and foot. (OK, for the record, for those that can’t tell, this is tongue and cheek; I am very kind to my wife, I only include these things for humorous effect).
The lesson in Sunday School today was about Abinadai (Mosiah 11-18). Was his mission a success or failure? What do you think?
The end of the lesson was this following quote. I shed a tear because I often wonder if my life has been worthwhile. Looking at it another way, I AM that little boy. Read on noble reader:
“You don’t know how much good you can do; you can’t foresee the results of the effort you put in. Years ago, President Charles A. Callis, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, but who previously was president of the Southern States Mission for twenty-five years, told me this story. He said that he had a missionary in the southern [United States] who came in to get his release at the conclusion of his mission. His mission president said to him, ‘Have you had a good mission?’
“He said, ‘No.’
“ ‘How is that?’
“ ‘Well, I haven’t had any results from my work. I have wasted my time and my father’s money. It’s been a waste of time.’
“Brother Callis said, ‘Haven’t you baptized anyone?’
“He said, ‘I baptized only one person during the two years that I have been here. That was a twelve-year-old boy up in the back hollows of Tennessee.’
“He went home with a sense of failure. Brother Callis said, ‘I decided to follow that boy who had been baptized. I wanted to know what became of him. …
“… ‘I followed him through the years. He became the Sunday School Superintendent, and he eventually became the branch president. He married. He moved off the little tenant farm on which he and his parents before him had lived and got a piece of ground of his own and made it fruitful. He became the district president. He sold that piece of ground in Tennessee and moved to Idaho and bought a farm along the Snake River and prospered there. His children grew. They went on missions. They came home. They had children of their own who went on missions.’
“Brother Callis continued, ‘I’ve just spent a week up in Idaho looking up every member of that family that I could find and talking to them about their missionary service. I discovered that, as the result of the baptism of that one little boy in the back hollows of Tennessee by a missionary who thought he had failed, more than 1,100 people have come into the Church.’
“You never can foretell the consequences of your work, my beloved brethren and sisters, when you serve as missionaries”
I am impressed today that someone reading today is thinking that life is not worth living. I say to you that your worth is great. Your life is worthwhile. The sum of your life will be filled with joy. Better times are ahead.
Your Heavenly Father would rather annihilate a thousand stars than to lose you. But why is life so hard? Why are the heavens silent? Give it time. It’s all part of the grand plan of life and eternity. Even the super crap-tastic parts. There is no way around it.
When I got home from church, I found that “my little pork pie” had made a delicious pasta dish with shrimp and peas and pasta. It was really something and we were picking away at that all afternoon.
In the afternoon I took a walk with the boys and pushed them for quite a while on the swing. Griffin actually started to nod off. He was so tired.
Tamie makes this simple dish that is so amazing: it’s a slab of cream cheese with Harry and David brand “Sweet Red and Ancho Chili Pepper” spread. Then just dip in with ritz crackers. It tastes so good.
Then some Indian Jones movies (heavily edited for the kids) and we’re off to bed.
PS- during this coming week, a good friend of mine is helping me with some of the Kroot. Here’s what’s coming:
2x shield drones
10x Fire Warriors with Pulse Rifles
17x Kroot Warriors
1x Kroot Shaper
3x Great Knarloc Riders (I am thinking of magnetizing on some Kroot guns, possibly looted stuff from the new Ork kits to make them into Krootox)
And that makes 3,000 points. Not too shabby. Future additions? Maybe just maybe a fast attack choice.
Saturday May 17 2008 Clucking Cluckers
Last night I was in charge of the boys, which of course means Lord of the Flies. Griffin tore off all his clothes and fell asleep on the couch under a huge green blanket with his hands behind his head like some slumbering pygmy king. I was painting until 11pm when Tamie came home, found the house in complete disarray, and commanded everyone to bed.
“Yes, but honey, look at all the painting I got done!
I was awoken at 4am by Griffin who wanted to watch Chowder. Thank goodness I managed to get both him and myself back to sleep.
We headed up to Salt Lake to drop the kids off with Tamie’s sister. We headed off to a lecture-type thing with Dave Ramsey that was quite enlightening. Life doesn’t take Visa– life takes paying with cash.
Afterwards we went back to a miniature family reunion with fried chicken. Tamie’s mother is in town (surprise) and the three women convened in the kitchen fretting and clucking over spices, recipes and the best way to bread the birds!
I take supreme delight in my children. They are a source of constant joy. They are so polite and kind.
Check below for the finalized army list in the post just below this… for the studio Tau Verdaan. With models actually in the studio it turned out to be an Apocalypse-worthy 3000 points! Everything will be done in the next few days except the Kroot Knarloc Rider Herd and a unit of Kroot, which should be about nine days.
Oh, I’m excited to fight a rematch against that scheming Azrael and his Dark “Angels” so called.
This army is for sale: $2200, which is standard pricing.
I have found that a painted army, everything included, magically appearing at your doorstep, costs from $0.60 to $1.20 per point. That’s usually how it works out. It all depends on quality and type of army.
3000 Pts – Tau Empire Roster – Studio Tau Army Verdaan Sept
HQ: Shas’o R’myr (3#, 190 Pts)
1 Shas’o R’myr @ 190 Pts
Double Barrelled Plasma Rifle; Ejection System; Flechette Discharger; Hard-wired Drone Controller; Hard-wired Target Lock; Shield Generator; Shield Drone; Shield Drone
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
HQ: Commander Shas’o (1#, 135 Pts)
1 Commander Shas’o @ 135 Pts
Cyclic Ion Blaster; Hard-wired Multi-tracker; Stimulant Injector; Plasma Rifle; Vectored Retro-thrusters
Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (3#, 186 Pts)
3 Crisis Battlesuit @ 186 Pts
Missile Pod; Plasma Rifle; Multi-Tracker
Elite: Crisis Battlesuit (3#, 159 Pts)
3 Crisis Battlesuit @ 159 Pts
Twin Linked Missile Pod; Targeting Array
Elite: Stealthsuits (6#, 180 Pts)
6 Stealthsuits @ 180 Pts
Burst Cannon (x6)
Troops: Fire Warrior (13#, 210 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 210 Pts
Add Shas’ui; Pulse Carbine (x9)
1 Devilfish @ [95] Pts
Burst Cannon; Gun Drones; Decoy Launchers; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker
2 Gun Drones @ [0] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Shas’ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Carbine
Troops: Fire Warrior (13#, 210 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 210 Pts
Add Shas’ui; Pulse Rifle (x9)
1 Devilfish @ [95] Pts
Burst Cannon; Gun Drones; Decoy Launchers; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker
2 Gun Drones @ [0] Pts
Twin Linked Pulse Carbines
1 Shas’ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Rifle
Troops: Fire Warrior (10#, 115 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 115 Pts
Add Shas’ui; Pulse Rifle (x9)
1 Shas’ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Rifle
Troops: Fire Warrior (10#, 115 Pts)
9 Fire Warrior @ 115 Pts
Add Shas’ui; Pulse Rifle (x9)
1 Shas’ui @ [25] Pts
Bonding Knife; Pulse Rifle
Troops: Remote Sensor Tower Team (2#, 80 Pts)
2 Remote Sensor Tower Team @ 80 Pts
Markerlight (x2); Target Lock (x2)
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (20#, 159 Pts)
17 Kroot Carnivore Squad @ 159 Pts
Add Kroot Shaper; Add Kroot Hounds; Kroot Rifle (x17)
1 Kroot Shaper @ [28] Pts
Kroot Rifle
2 Kroot Hounds @ [12] Pts
Troops: Kroot Carnivore Squad (20#, 159 Pts)
17 Kroot Carnivore Squad @ 159 Pts
Add Kroot Shaper; Add Kroot Hounds; Kroot Rifle (x17)
1 Kroot Shaper @ [28] Pts
Kroot Rifle
2 Kroot Hounds @ [12] Pts
Fast Attack: Pirhana TX-42 (IA) (2#, 180 Pts)
2 Pirhana TX-42 (IA) @ 180 Pts
Twin Linked Rail Rifle (x2); Targeting Array
Fast Attack: Knarloc Rider Herd (3#, 120 Pts)
3 Knarloc Rider Herd @ 120 Pts
Kroot Rifle (x3)
Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 185 Pts)
1 Hammerhead Gunship @ 185 Pts
Railgun; Smart Missile System; Decoy Launchers; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Target Lock; Targeting Array
Heavy Support: Hammerhead Gunship (1#, 190 Pts)
1 Hammerhead Gunship @ 190 Pts
Railgun; Smart Missile System; Blacksun Filter; Decoy Launchers; Disruption Pod; Landing Gear; Multi-Tracker; Target Lock; Targeting Array
Heavy Support: Broadside Battlesuit (6#, 200 Pts)
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ 200 Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Broadside Battlesuit; Smart Missile System; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Drone Controller
1 Broadside Battlesuit @ [100] Pts
Twin linked Railgun; Smart Missile System; Shield Drone; Shield Drone; Drone Controller
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
1 Shield Drone @ [15] Pts
Shield Generator
Heavy Support: Barracuda (1#, 230 Pts)
1 Barracuda @ 230 Pts
Ion Cannon; Twin Linked Missile Pod; Two Burst Cannons; Decoy Launchers; Disruption Pod
Total Roster Cost: 3003
Created with Army Builder
Copyright (c) 1997-2005 Lone Wolf Development, Inc. All rights reserved.
Tau Sept World Verdaan reinforcements
Tau Sept World Verdaan. What I’ve got so far.
At long last the Forge World models for the studio Tau army are all put together and ready to paint. And I’ve been a busy little painter!
Here’s what I have to paint over the weekend:
- 1x Shas’o Myr (where can I find rules for this model?) done!
- 2x FW Broadsides done!
- 1x Barracuda done!
- 1x FW Battlesuit Commander (which I had just threw in there for kicks but is now by far my favorite model)
- 2x Sensor Towers (people diss them but I think they’re cool. It’s on.)
- 2x Pirahnas (not sure I like the FW ones now that I see them put together. I think I like the normal ones, just need to get railguns on there)
These are all painted to what I would consider L3 (except O’Myr and the Barracuda which I gave a little extra attention).
I’m using a few colors I don’t normally employ this time around; all Vallejo.
- Cavalry Brown with Hot Orange blended on.
- Hot Orange with Lemon Yellow dots (for lenses)
- Foul Green with White blended highlights
- Black Grey with grey highlights
I should also point out that they are painted using only traditional method. That wasn’t intentional, but they didn’t turn out too bad.
Daemonic Daydreams
I have splendid ideas and army themes for each of the four chaos gods. Here are a few:
Wyches of Thoth
(based on the fluff story on p83 of the 40K codex for daemons)
2 Heralds of Tzeentch on Chariots (Dark Elf Wych Elves converted with egyptian-type staves on large scratch converted armored flying discs. If one is not averse to models outside the range I think this one would be good.)
9x Flamers of Tzeentch (standard models)
36x Horrors of Tzeentch (standard models, four units of nine)
9x Screamers of Tzeentch (standard models)
1x Changer of Ways (played as Daemon Prince or Greater Daemon of Tzeentch)
Bell of Nurgle
(The entirety of the troops in this army are based on the Skaven Plague Monk kit– rat tails removed, rat faces removed– only these strange empty-hooded beings with scrolls, bells, parchments, etc. The whole army draws a lot on Empire Flagellant, Black Templar skull-stuff, and Vampire Counts bitz)
1x Epidemius (based on Skaven giant bell thing, or maybe a scratch build palanquin on a many-legged monstrosity with an enormous bell and huge banners. This model will likely need to go on a 100mm round and will easily be the massive centerpiece of the army)
3x Herald of Nurgle (on Palanquin, a beasty of some kind, rotted boards, banners, nailed on parchments, shrines to pestilence)
7x Beasts of Nurgle (various models, with the theme of parchments and proclamations woven in there, using the new kit plus chaos spawn kits)
28x Plaguebearers (using plague monk kits as a base)
30x Furies (using plastic forest goblin spiders, pose adjusted, with blades, and paraphernalia and fly wings out of clear plastic; these are critical to the army since they are a fast moving element that can tie up enemies while the plaguebearers get to grips) OR forego the wings and have them as “Hounds of Nurgle” (ie played as Hounds of Khorne– which would work better since they can Fleet the turn they arrive).
2x Soul Grinders (hellcannons with no wheels but rather spider like legs to carry them along, tentacles and what not spewing/dripping from the maw, and “goads” to prod it along)
Wednesday May 14 2008
Today I went to see Iron Man with a couple of friends. Plenty good the second time around.
I also picked up an enormous custom bike army, just over fifty bikes, about half of them very well converted with chopper-type front prongs. Very nice, more to come about that. I don’t have any personal interest in the army– I just picked it up to sell it.
Battle Brother Specials
Strike Force Alpha
2x Rhino
30x Tactical Marines (options: missile launcher, heavy bolter, meltagun, flamer, sergeant, as you will)
10x Assault Marines (with jump packs, full regular options)
Cost is $449 ($60 for models, $260 for painting L3, $120 for assembly, $9 for shipping)
Special: if you set it up before Friday evening, May 16 2008, you get these models at no charge.
Upgrades
- $30 for a fully painted Commander (options: bolt pistol/power axe, 2xlightning claws, or bolt pistol/power fist)
- $75 per Tactical Squad of ten marines (options: missile launcher, flamer, sergeant)
- $20 to upgrade Rhino to Razorback (we have option to convert a turret)
- Other options or additional models available at regular prices.
Catches
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply.
- You must pick one of the following chapters: Black Templars, Dark Angels, Ultramarines, Blood Angels, Crimson Fists OR Artistic License. Inquire if another chapter can be included here.
Pulling the Trigger
If you want one of these specials, contact Shawn at bluetablepainting@gmail.com or 801 372 8545 to see if they are still available, then send a deposit (half down) and an Instructions sheet.
a. Pay by phone with major Credit Card 801 372 8545
b. Pay via Paypal to bluetablepainting@gmail.com
Strike Force Beta
2x Rhino
30x Tactical Marines (options: missile launcher, heavy bolter, meltagun, flamer, sergeant, as you will)
10x Assault Marines (with jump packs, full regular options)
Cost is $449 ($60 for models, $260 for painting L3, $120 for assembly, $9 for shipping)
Same options and restrictions as for Strike Force Alpha, above.
Basilisk Battery
This one is simple: three Basilisks for $150.
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply.
- Painting Options: black/grey, urban camo, desert camo, forest camo, or military green
Dark Eldar Raiders
Three Raiders for $150.
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply.
Talon of Chaos
2x Chaos Rhino
30x Chaos Marines (standard options from kit)
10x Possessed
Cost is $529 ($60 for models, $330 for painting L3, $130 for assembly, $9 for shipping)
- This special is running through May 19 2008.
- Limited Supply. One available.
- Deposit in by May 16 and models are no charge.
- Add a Chaos Lord in power armor for $30 (standard options).
- Painting Options:
Tuesday May 13 2008 Red Eye
Hey all, I’m sorry but I’m super tired. Stay tuned though, I got a real wild hair to put up some short term specials. That should be up sometime tomorrow.
In the meantime, enjoy these battle clips where Renn and I battle to a stalemate. Good times.
Shawn