Spasm

here's a slice from Antonio Barrio's site with the ribbons listed. They are all pretty much the same, the order, the iron cross and the iron medal.

Here's another from Liverpool Medals which looks like it's on the original bar. It may be worth PMing him as he gets on here pretty regularly so should be pretty sure

Looking at the gear he collects he should be well pleased with a nice single action army. His paintings are very nice though and there's nothing quite like an original, especially one that you like. Best of luck and thanks.

Is this it?

Chuck - checked out Don's website, a great artist giving the deserved praise to a country worthy of it. Fantastic collection of art and militaria that sit well together. Have a peep peeps, well worth a visit. I would have liked the pictures to have been a lot bigger though. Would be bloody nice to be there and I'm hopefully heading that way, a long way off yet though. I've gotta get a lot better - practise, practise, practise and more time needed please.

Freezing Eastern Front Dawn

Cor, I quite like the jaw line. Another cool bust. Keep going Colin, these are just going to get better and better. Well done and keep away from the tele.

Watch the Jelly Bean video how many have you got left? What are you going to do today? Good luck to your wife my man

Jock, thanks mate There are many bounds to my talents, I wish i could do a lot better but I'm improving....slowly, very slowly. If you look you can see that the sketches are done on hardboard as i tend to attack the painting rather than be gentle, perhaps due to me being more used to painting Trumpets, Bisas, Harleys and helmets rather than paper. The finish I get on relics took a long time to learn to get right and I'd like to get that look into the paintings which requires a whole new learning/trial/chucking in the bin circle. I've been asked by people enquiring on my website to produce a step by step for a relic helmet painting so I'm planning on doing an M17 in the next few weeks and can bang it on here for anyone thinking about having a go. Unfortunately I still have to work but I try to do this as much as I can to both improve my skills and hopefully to beef up the pension when it comes - if they ever let me get there.

No. my mistake for not looking closely enough. The black areas are caused by the white silk woven onto the underlying black ribbon material being worn away. Looks like once the very thin white is broken it can be unravelled just like your mum's made jumper when you snagged it on barbed wire fences. The silk does look a lot finer on some and has come away in blocks - top row, 2nd from left. I've never looked at the ribbon construction close enough before, obvious now that I think about it, the horizontal weave is black all the way across the ribbon, the vertical weave is made from various colours to make up the overall appearance - easily seen on the very worn ribbon with the spange attached - middle row, 1st on left. The later WW2 black, white, red EKIIs are made the same way - horizontal black with the colours woven vertically. The British WW2 Stars seem to have the horizontal weave colour to match the larger colour within the ribbon although the latest Arctic Star has a white horizontal weave. No need to scurry away, sorry.

Jock Yes, the white stripes have completely worn away. I imagine that this was worn and cleaned very regularly by the veteran - maybe each week to meetings/church/veteran/rallies. I bought this ages ago over a bag of chips in Taunton I seem to remember. The little shop was just around the corner from the Admin Staff's Auntie's where the owner said "yes, that cross used to be mine and in my collection" then he remembered it was his shop and said "oh yes, it's still mine, of course it's mine, it's my shop". On many of the ribbons, the white seems to be applied rather than white silk woven into the ribbon itself. You can see how it's been worn away on a lot of the ribbons as you can see on your own no doubt. Steve

Quite a variation

Another couple

Cheers Frank Yeah, I'm surprising myself these days. Only another 6 months or so and I should have enough stuff for that show. Unsure as to whether it should be a militaria fair with everything up for sale, an art sale or just on show at the local hall. I quite fancy the local hall as I'm a bit windy of people just walking straight by. Or even worse shouting "How '*&^*%$£@' much?!!!!! Your "Awesome" and "I'll have two" would be nice.

Bashed out a few more today.....quite like doing the splashy thing but have troubles thinking up a title

Not for the bonfire then?

And then she wandered up and took this one, pffft

A table top of helmets

Gents Just found this lurking around in the loft. Sorry, pictures taken in the dark. Is it worth taking some more pictures in the day or should it get chucked on the bonfire with the other rubbish (why do I keep so much stuff?) No markings that I can see.

An article in our local freebie - hopefully you can read it : 8 VC winners are to be honoured on the dates of their actions. Pretty cool thing for the City to do..... by the way it's "Talk like a Pirate Day" in a fortnight over here in Britain so all the Bristolians will be in their element

Thanks ever so much Gents. The Admin Staff may have some time after the ironing tomorrow so will get all the stuff together for a photo shoot, cor. Modern trench art is a great thought - thanks Cokin

Just out the box, no flash just the big light on

Mervyn - thanks but may not need to Conversations are ongoing between interested parties.

Some fantastic war artists on display in there Wilhelm Sauter who was buried alive in WW1 on the Somme by an exploding shell who went on to produce some great stuff in WW2 and Claus Bergen who was a war artist in both World Wars - to the Kaiser, no less, in WW1. He painted mainly naval stuff and completed pictures of the battle of Jutland. An article was printed about him in Life magazine in April 1964 which shows many of his paintings. They are very sought after by collectors. His best work was probably when he actually went on combat patrol with U-Boat 53 in 1917. An amazing artist.

Gents A guy contacted me through the website who is moving house and has a few WW1 War Bond posters that have been up in his loft for about 50 odd years. He's offered them to me but they are totally not my thing (I'm trying to get rid of stuff rather than gathering more). I think some of them are in a bit of a state but someone may be interested. They will not be for free but he'd like them to go somewhere to be looked after rather than bin them. PM me if you are interested and I'll let you have his e-mail. If this isn't allowed then please delete this and accept my sincere apologies.