Shoeshine!!

[slaj]

Here's what I was working on before I left for Chicago.Just added the finishing touches when I got back. A US Marine having a shoeshine ca1861/2. It's in 54mm and it's scratch except for a couple of spares. Hope you like it.

Stephen Mallia

 

[tonydawe]

Superb sculpting and painting Stephen. I love it.

 

[housecarl]

A lovely vignette, great painting & sculpting.
Carl.

 

[yeo_64]

Beautiful, Stephen !

Hi Stephen !
BEAUTIFUL WORK, my friend; I really like it alot !!!! Cheers !
Kenneth .

 

[Black Army]

Great idea and work!

 

[rej]

Absolutely great artistic work.
Sculpting and painting are awesome. I was wondering, the man who is cleaning up the shoes in that time...shouldn't that be not a Afro-American...Just wondering.
Because in those days they did all the dirty work.
Good work Stephen.

Marc

Marc, Stephen will surely elaborate more about this as we discussed it sort of before he embarked on this project and we both concluded that if he had to go for "historical accuracy" it would look a bit rascist

I admit we may both have been a bit over cautious, because now that I'm seeing what a gem he did, and how much better it would have looked with an Afro-American doing the shoe shine (after all it would never have been his intention of being a rascist) but as long as he could get away with this "little historical deliberate mistake" it would be forgiven!!

Steve, a very BIG weldone to you mate........idea, sculpting, painting and IMPROVED PICS

Ray

 

[Joe Hudson]

Hey Steve,

Looks nice and it was greaqt seeing you again. Hey try to take another picture but this time set up your white balance and see what you get.

Joe

 

[Hardy]

Steve mate, thats a fantastic piece of work. Hope to see it in Malta next year. Hardy

 

[garyjd]

That's really nice (both painting and sculpting) although the hat on the shoe shiner makes him look more like one from the 1900-1920s (or later) instead of the 1860s. A "wheel hat" or slouch type hat would have worked well. A colored shoe shiner would have been interesting, although probably no more or less accurate than a white one. Here's a photograph of a group of boys taken at St. John's church in Richmond, VA circa 1865. They wear an interesting variety of hats, with a fair amount of kepis among them. ~Gary

 

[John Bowery]

Stephen,
Great sculpting and painting. Fantastic piece. It was great to talk to you in Chicago and thanks for the lecture.
Cheers
John

 

[slaj]

Guys,thanks for the response. I had fun doing this.

Marc, I steered away from raising any arguments whatsoever,altough a coloured guy might have looked better.But since there's a union soldier I sort of rested a bit more easy that it's acceptable to portray him as it is.

Gary, your input is perfectly correct but I happen to have a pic showing a hat like that so I went for something different.

John, you're welcome and thanks for coming

Stephen

 

[kastigamatt]

Great job and great painting too. I love unusual subjets, congratulation.
Luca

 

[slaj]

Luca, thanks a lot

Stephen

 

[Wendy]

Lovely work Stephen! The marine's pose is nice and relaxed.

 

[btavis]

Very nice.

 

[blaster]

Dear Stephen,

Very original piece and great presentation.

Rgds Victor

 

[el cid]

Bravo Steve!
Hope to see this at MFCA
It was great rooming with you this year at the Chicago show
Thanks again for the paint and the tips as always...
your pal, Steve (el cid)

 

[rheath]

Now this is very good, nice original vignette, as usual splendid work from you Stephen, thanks for posting, RobH.

 

[Elaphus]

Hello Stephen,

wow, fantastic sculpting and painting. A great idea and a wonderful presentation.

Superb

Karsten

 

[Dan Morton]

Excellent little street scene!

All the best,
Dan