New Project Idea - At Last!!

[Squeakyclean]

I've been wracking my brain for a couple of months now, trying to get some idea of what I want to work on next and at last I've come up with something that feels... 'right'. Firstly, I've decided to shelve the 'Angel of Arnhem' project until I'm 100% happy with the composition of it - this is something I'm struggling with, but I know it'll come eventually.

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The piece I want to work on next will be a 120mm vignette of two British soldiers (Infantry, Commando or Airborne, I haven't decided yet), in a typical slit trench scenario, based around the Normandy area of July/August '44. These men have been dug in, in the same area, holding the line for a several weeks so the slit trench has a covered 'sleeping' area at one end and will have bits of kit and rubbish strewn around. They say to always include a little bit of yourself in what you create so my idea is to have one chap shaving (cleaning his weapon, writing a letter etc) and another chap sketching a picture! A nice, typical scene for the time. Now I know that many people are sick of the British being shown standing around drinking tea or pointing into the distance, but the scene I wish to depict is a part of the Normandy campaign that tends to get overlooked; that of thousands of men simple 'holding the line'. If any of you have any feedback I'd love to hear it, as always. Cheers all. Matt

More...

 

[clubcat]

That sounds a great idea. I will await the progress.

Melanie

 

[Dan Morton]

Top notch idea! I'm keen to see what you do with it!

All the best,
Dan

 

[Barke02]

Good to see your next bit of creativity Matt!

The best book I've read on the juxtaposition between heroics and trench boredom in Normandy is by Dennis Edwards...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Devils-Own...8690/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1287871995&sr=8-1

He was a para sniper and one of the very first into Normandy involved with the assault on Pegasus bridge, but the book also sums up the monotony of digging in and sitting in trenches day after day for the seventy odd days after D-day....including digging the company bog under mortar fire! May give you some ideas!

Cheers,
Jon.

 

[Squeakyclean]

Cheers you guys, its taken me a few weeks - since Euro in fact - to get some motivation but I'm firing on all cylinders now and I can 'see' this one clearly...

Jon; I read this book many moons ago and completely forgot all about it! But I located it on the bookshelf last night and its gone into the reference pile, thanks for that! The passages dealing with his sniping activities are a real insight as I remember...

I'll try to keep posting as I work, not exactly an SBS as I've done that before but at least some kind of progress report.

Cheers

Matt