Every Vally Shall Be Exalted - The Valentine Tank Family Vol.1 - Finished

[Bertie McBoatface]

I haven't a great deal to update you with today, but I just couldn't bear to stay away.

 

 

I've settled on three officers. General Strike, Colonel Blimp, and Captain Ratface. Painting continues but not tonight, I'm too tired now.

 

 

Ratface is in the middle. He's obsessed with giving his Colonel data on all the men's efficiency ratings.

 

Blimp on the right is too old for all this modern warfare and is hiding behind his formidable administrative skills.

 

The General, who walked up to the range behind the tanks if you remember, is saying something like "I don't give a tinkers cuss about your statistics, Colin. All I need to know is whether the beggars will fight!" (Try it in Sean Connery's voice for best effect.) He seems to have problems with his liver.

 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

The Archer diorama is finished. Or at least ceased building. It's something that a person could tinker with for months, but not this person. I'm pleased with it as it is and happy to be moving on to something new.

 

I'll take some photos for you tomorrow. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

The diorama is posted with an amusing storyline for new readers. It's taken ages to write it so I hope you will understand if I just post the photos here in the order that I took them and leave it at that. (I may add captions later but I've been at the laptop for hours!)

 

Please feel free to comment and I'll answer any questions and comments as usual. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rabbits!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APA]

That is pretty excellent Bertie. Lots of life and a thread to follow in lots of directions. Top work 👍👏

 

Andrew 

[Maddoxx77]

Great work! It tells a story without words. The facial expressions, the kid with the icecream, the officers and the crew.... it all fits and looks like a 3D snapshot of history. 

My compliments!!! 👍👍👍

[echen]

Tremendous work. It has been an education watching this develop. Lots of ideas to try later. 👏

[Bertie McBoatface]

16 minutes ago, Maddoxx77 said:

It tells a story without words

Interesting. I thought it had failed to do that. Hence the detailed narrative captioning in the RFI 

[Maddoxx77]

10 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

Interesting. I thought it had failed to do that. Hence the detailed narrative captioning in the RFI 

I still need to read the story. I wanted to see the diorama without reading first. Now we will see if the story ads to my own imagination.

[Bertie McBoatface]

1 minute ago, Maddoxx77 said:

I still need to read the story. I wanted to see the diorama without reading first. Now we will see if the story ads to my own imagination.

That’s a brilliant test of the story telling. Please let me know what you saw before and after the captions. 
 

It may be that I should have had more faith in the viewer’s interpretations. 

[Maddoxx77]

2 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

That’s a brilliant test of the story telling. Please let me know what you saw before and after the captions. 
 

It may be that I should have had more faith in the viewer’s interpretations. 

It ads up. In my head some parts of the story were the same. I immidiately saw the Sergeant chewing out the loader for putting the shell the wrong way. Also the bit of the paper loving Captain is so clear. 

The part of the "Scruffy Hero" and the old Colonel was something i did not picture as you told it. For me the scarf gave me a bit of a "dad's army" joke feelimg...that lead to me thinking the guys by the car were laughing/discussing there collegue who was playing a trick on the old Colonel. The boy in the car looked to me as the son of one of the "highups" like it was take-your-son-to-work-day.

So all in all pretty good. I think the real power of this diorama is the fact that it's all so well positioned that when you look at it, your mind starts to think up stories, wether that is the story you thought of or not is of less importance. Great art triggers the mind! 

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

10 minutes ago, Maddoxx77 said:

It ads up. In my head some parts of the story were the same. I immidiately saw the Sergeant chewing out the loader for putting the shell the wrong way. Also the bit of the paper loving Captain is so clear. 

The part of the "Scruffy Hero" and the old Colonel was something i did not picture as you told it. For me the scarf gave me a bit of a "dad's army" joke feelimg...that lead to me thinking the guys by the car were laughing/discussing there collegue who was playing a trick on the old Colonel. The boy in the car looked to me as the son of one of the "highups" like it was take-your-son-to-work-day.

So all in all pretty good. I think the real power of this diorama is the fact that it's all so well positioned that when you look at it, your mind starts to think up stories, wether that is the story you thought of or not is of less importance. Great art triggers the mind! 

 

Thank you for that detailed reply. I rather like your scruffy soldier version. 
 

what you said has made me think about how I respond to real art. Sometimes I don’t get it at all and have to Google the

poem or painting or whatever. And sometimes I see meanings that no-one else can see even when I tell them. They are mine and special to me. Valuable. 

 

I know of artists who refuse to talk about their work because it stops people thinking for themselves. Hmm. 
 

I have to say I don’t think this is great art or that I’m an artist but that doesn’t mean I can’t pinch some of their principles. 😁

[Bertie McBoatface]

12 minutes ago, Maddoxx77 said:

For me the scarf gave me a bit of a "dad's army" joke feelimg

It’s almost the same colours as Private Pike’s scarf so that’s not an accident. I made it an Aston Villa scarf because I thought the manipulative general would fake a football interest to get well in with the troops. And not even one from his native Scotland. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

By the way, it’s only the Archer Diorama that’s finished. Near, far, wherever you are, I believe that the thread will go on. 
 

First though, I have a boat to build so there will be a pause before I can add another build to my Vally tally. I’m guessing I’ll be back here in September with Bertie Builds a Bowser. 

[Pig of the Week]

That's a cracker 👍 

So much lovely detail to spot, first class !

The only thing that did strike me was, wouldn't the officers have brown boots ? Just a thought...

[Bertie McBoatface]

21 minutes ago, Pig of the Week said:

brown boots ?

 

Did they really? I'll remember that next time. Thanks.

[Maddoxx77]

On 07/05/2022 at 00:02, Bertie Psmith said:

Thank you for that detailed reply. I rather like your scruffy soldier version. 
 

what you said has made me think about how I respond to real art. Sometimes I don’t get it at all and have to Google the

poem or painting or whatever. And sometimes I see meanings that no-one else can see even when I tell them. They are mine and special to me. Valuable. 

 

I know of artists who refuse to talk about their work because it stops people thinking for themselves. Hmm. 
 

I have to say I don’t think this is great art or that I’m an artist but that doesn’t mean I can’t pinch some of their principles. 😁

You are a great storyteller. I always enjoy the background stories you provide with your builds. And this diorama is an example of telling a story without words. As i said, it encourages to make ones own story by looking at the diorama. And that is a great quality. 

[Bertie McBoatface]

On 5/8/2022 at 9:46 AM, Maddoxx77 said:

You are a great storyteller. I always enjoy the background stories you provide with your builds. And this diorama is an example of telling a story without words. As i said, it encourages to make ones own story by looking at the diorama. And that is a great quality. 

 

For me, all modelling is storytelling. Even the kits I threw together as an eight year-old helped me tell stories to myself of gallant airmen dueling in the burning blue. 

[Maddoxx77]

50 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

 

For me, all modelling is storytelling. Even the kits I threw together as an eight year-old helped me tell stories to myself of gallant airmen dueling in the burning blue. 

Been there...done that.....almost burned the house down once as a kid..... my storytelling of a spitfire going down in flames got a bit too real with matches and thinner 🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[Ned]

20 minutes ago, Maddoxx77 said:

Been there...done that.....almost burned the house down once as a kid..... my storytelling of a spitfire going down in flames got a bit too real with matches and thinner 🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

I pity the gallant crew of any of my childhood kit builds. Thrown into combat in ramshackle things chucked together in an afternoon, a wonky world of barely air/sea/land worthy constructions more dangerous to their crew than the enemy.

[Bertie McBoatface]

20 minutes ago, Ned said:

I pity the gallant crew of any of my childhood kit builds. Thrown into combat in ramshackle things chucked together in an afternoon, a wonky world of barely air/sea/land worthy constructions more dangerous to their crew than the enemy.

“Oh the humanity!”

[Maddoxx77]

26 minutes ago, Ned said:

I pity the gallant crew of any of my childhood kit builds. Thrown into combat in ramshackle things chucked together in an afternoon, a wonky world of barely air/sea/land worthy constructions more dangerous to their crew than the enemy.

Hahahahaha. 

[Maddoxx77]

Btw @Bertie Psmith how is your apocalyptic sun god rocketlauncher on ice weels comming along????

[Bertie McBoatface]

5 minutes ago, Maddoxx77 said:

Btw @Bertie Psmith how is your apocalyptic sun god rocketlauncher on ice weels comming along????

 

I pulled that thread because with a little thought, I judged it to be politically provocative.

 

Also the idea was a lot better than the kit and I have so many really good kits to be building. Like the one in the next post...

 

[Bertie McBoatface]

  

 

 

Archer vs. Achilles. Two approaches to mounting a 17-pounder gun in a tracked chassis. The Achilles isn't any relation to the Vally series but I thought the comparison between the US and UK versions of the same story was interesting. I like the mix 'n' match nature of armoured vehicles of the 40's.

 

 

[Maddoxx77]

5 minutes ago, Bertie Psmith said:

 

I pulled that thread because with a little thought, I judged it to be politically provocative.

 

Also the idea was a lot better than the kit and I have so many really good kits to be building. Like the one in the next post...

 

Hmmm i really liked the backstory. But i can understand why you pulled the topic due to present sircumstances.

I'm looking foreward to your next build. Always a joy to tag along.