Completed Mike's Chunuk Bair Kiwis from 'The Fusilier'

[anstontyke]

stunning, a very moving piece of work and a great tribute to a lot of brave young men.

tony

 

[kiwi45]

Great pic of this masterpiece Mike, shame it's going/gone offshore

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Your superb painting is a given Mike but your work on this composition and presentation here exceeds any words I can pull together.
All credit to you Mate.
Keith

Grateful for kind words Keith, though Steve Warrilow deserves credit for composition.
He managed a tight grouping at various levels which worked well to convey the desperation of this action.
I have another set which I plan to do in a smaller vignette of three one day, with different tone of rest & vigilance.

I'm gob smacked........ again!
Various wounds, some potentially fatal, bruises, cuts, and scrapes. Shattered posts, tangled barbed wire, torn canteen covers......damn
Joe

Ta! Joe, cool to see you picking out these details which aren't really evident without these larger shots.
Unfortunately some details I included aren't visible in any of my photos so will be a surprise for my collector.
Including small roots sticking out of bank below sandbags, something I often saw on the Cove when I visited.

I am absolutely jaw dropping amazed at every part of this
It's incredible
Congratulations
Nap

A stunning piece of art, that's gonna be one hell of a happy collector.
Cheers Ken

Thanks to you both Nap & Ken. I do hope it meets with his expectations.
He normally collects Toy Soldiers such as First Guards & Kings Country which are amazing pieces.
Also so much more affordable than these individually, custom painted pieces we do.

Simply beautiful & a fitting tribute to all the brave men.
Peter.

stunning, a very moving piece of work and a great tribute to a lot of brave young men.
tony

Pete & Tony, this is the most important motivation of all & pleased this comes across.
Steve provided a striking canvas to represent this scene.
Was a special challenge to paint.

Great pic of this masterpiece Mike, shame it's going/gone offshore

Appreciated Les mate!
Yep gotta admit it was a tough giving these guys up, but they were never truly mine.
Honoured to get the commission & I know he will really value them.
Will do my own interpretation one day using some of these figures as a base for telling another story from this era.

 

[Scotty]

I found this on our Regimental museum page and thought of this wee vignette. Excellent work Mike.
Scotty.

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

I found this on our Regimental museum page and thought of this wee vignette. Excellent work Mike.
Scotty.

Thanks Scotty
Argylls & ANZACs must have bumped into each other throughout WW1 with these Battle Honours.
Recall Scots & ANZACs were involved in Etaples Mutiny/Riot in 1917.
Perhaps says something about their "Play hard, work hard" attitude.

 

[Scotty]

Etaples wasn't exactly a high point in the army's history but I suppose the troops felt they were standing against unfair treatment. We had a Kiwi sergeant attached a few years ago and he presented the mess with a grass cape and green stone in a big frame. Nice guy and a good soldier but I can't remember his name.

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Etaples wasn't exactly a high point in the army's history but I suppose the troops felt they were standing against unfair treatment. We had a Kiwi sergeant attached a few years ago and he presented the mess with a grass cape and green stone in a big frame. Nice guy and a good soldier but I can't remember his name.

Recall Monocled Mutineer - interesting revisit of this event with Paul McGann.
I prefer Charley's War story, just read it as collecting this series.
ANZACs were certainly amongst it http://www.militarian.com/threads/mutiny-at-etaples-base-in-1917.7050/
Never good at authority & being told what to do. Similiar incidents in Egypt before Gallipoli.

Neat to hear of Kiwi secondment & gift to mess.

 

[MoboSchreuder]

Great work super

 

[Borek]

Great work indeed, a really cracking piece of art, i think. Congrats

Cheers Borek

 

[R Dominick]

Fantastic!

 

[marco55]

AWESOME!
Mark

 

[Henk]

I'm glad R Dominick brought this up, it's a beautifully executed piece, both the superb detailing and painting of the figures, and the base. Bravo..

 

[Mike - The Kiwi]

Fantastic!

AWESOME!
Mark

I'm glad R Dominick brought this up, it's a beautifully executed piece, both the superb detailing and painting of the figures, and the base. Bravo..

Thanks Robert, Mark & Henk.
It was a special project - miss looking at it.
Coincidentally I’m working in another Gallipoli base this weekend, again using actual earth from Chunuk Bair. It’s a less dramatic scene but will be nice to finally get it completed & will share here as always.
MikeTheKiwi