Winter holidays - and Italy again!!!

And we were in Italy again! We spent our winter holidays 2012 in this wonderful country in the Dolomites. Last year, this place captured our hearts with its ​​beauty and warm welcome in Canazei. So there was not any other decision except to go back for those slopes, for this sun, for this snow. But this year we changed the location  and chose Sant Cristina, Val Gardena ski area. This area is good for its availability to different skiing areas for every taste and color: a large circular route Sella Ronda, and some "gems" such as Alpi di Susi and peak Secheda.
 
This is my favourite peak - Sassolungo, I think, my soul remained there:

And there is the best fun place for us - Snow park - at it's foot:

And this is one of the black slopes. We tried to survive there, so I with kids went down more than half of it  with some unusial way - "step by step" on the slope edge:

This is fork to the famous Saslong slope, a place for every year World Cup downhill in men. But the previous black descent was enough for me and I choose a more safety way to the right. And it was a wise decision, because I really ran out of power at the end of it:

Col Raiser and Secheda  - fantastically sunny and beautiful places:

 

The endless  Alpi di Susi:

It wasn't so good weather in this year. Only three of six days were sunny. Plus a temperature fell down to -20C in the mountains. But such small problems couldn't stop us in our desire to view new places!

I very rarely go back home with tears in my eyes, but now I dream about this places again and again...

Demonette 54mm

I am so glad to paint this miniature by Allan Carasco. It was my first chaos creature.  I tried to find my own solution because it's impossible for me just to close to the author's painting level. In addition, a taste of my customer was on the violet-skin side. So I chose  a fantastic Demon from Raffaele Picca as my inspiration. 
Finally I like this result very much because I was so afraid to start this work for  about a month.   It was my first experience of painting 54 mm miniature. And I can say that it is really difficult for me to blend colors on such large surfaces. 
Also, I've tried to mix metallics and HMM, and I like it. Metallics add natural shining for armor parts.Though it seems a  little bit  harder for me. And It was a first time I painted a blood on my miniatures!

CMON

A Winter Angel is ahead!

It's a great news: a new hobby project Russian alternative was born in the chaotic depths of russian miniature community some times ago. 
And its nearest plans are: 
      - 25.01.2012 - a painting competition on-line "Tatyanin day", female miniatures only. (And I had already sent my work for it!)
       - 17.03.2012 - a global painting miniatures competition "Winter Angel". This competition will be really ambitious, as invited to attend all comers. Now there are more than 40 people in a list of participants and  I see there such names as Cyril Kanayev, Natalia Melnik and others very, very good artists. And we're expecting a really star judging: Ben Komets, Matt Cexwish and Jose Manuel Palomares Nuñez. Of course, I and my husband will take part in it (what to do, what to paint?!!!), because it's impossible to miss such event in Moscow!

Paladins of Alahan. Confrontation.

When I hear the word "paladin" I always imagine a knight in a pearl armor, beautiful and bright, with a sword punishing an evil. That's what I tried to put in the atmosphere of this squad. And I like the result:

 

Sessairs Archers. Confrontation.

When I picked up a blister with these guys, my first thought was: "Who is it?". My soul asked for something bright and unusual, so I've tried to search some information about the real Celts. I liked a few arts of them and its became the basis for the color scheme of my group.

And I've decided to paint these guys with individual color schemes (as I did it in some previously painted squads) in conformity with my vision of the nature of each character.  Ок, this is the result:

And a bigger pic:

Griffin Spearmen. Confrontation

The boys have an exceptionally funny armor. I was looking for a long time for their color scheme, as I wanted to do something pathos and  knightly. As a result, I've stopped at the banal red-blue scheme. And I think it suits them.

 

CMON

Drune Wraiths. Confrontation

It was a very interesting work for me - because I couldn't do them bright sa I like to do! A lifestyle of this race :) suggests some asceticism in color, so I tried to limit myself in color choice as far as possible. Here is the result:

And, traditionally, a bigger picture: