Happy New Year

As 2025 begins I am reading Desmond Seward’s The Wars of the Roses, which documents the lives of five people who lived – and in one case died – at the time: William Hastings, John De Vere, Margaret Beaufort, and Jane Shore.

As I finish my screw gun battery transport mules for a later era, I have restarted my attempt to ‘get my eye in’, continuing to paint anything other than an English retinue and its leader. Francesco Coppini, Papal legate to England and Scotland, and his standard bearer, serve here, then on to finish some mercenaries. I am attempting a different painting style for this project, with less use of Army Painter strong and soft tone shading, and more definite use of paint to define light and shade.

I am beginning to form ideas about which characters and their entourages I wish to represent. As noted in a previous post, John Clifford and the Flower of Craven are intended, with Clifford himself already begun. More of this in due course.

Meanwhile, I hope Santa delivered to you all of the toys you wanted, and that during the coming year all of your dice rolls are sixes!

Amidst mercenary artillery crews, hand gunners, and crossbowmen, Francesco Coppini and his Papal standard bearer, with John Clifford sneaking in to view, top right.