Hey all, I just got back from a two week trip to Italy. I had a great time and, while I was in Rome, I got the chance to check out a few of their model stores. They had some great figures on display. Here are a few of the pictures I took while I was there. The first was the General Store Roma, which had a nice selection of kits. I picked up a copy of Origen Arts' Boudicca bust while I was there, which it a beautiful kit I'd been wanting. Anyway, here's a glimpse at their display case...
I forget the name of the second store, but it had more of a historical figure focus. Again, great pieces on display...
I picked up a figure here too. This time it was Alexandros Models Officer of the Companions. He's a neat 54mm historical figure from the era of Alexander the Great.
Of course I didn't just spend my time taking pictures at model stores... though I don't want to bore you with all of my vacation photos. I did want to share a few more that I think are interesting for reference. When it comes to ancient Greece and Rome I feel like many of us pictures this white stone buildings because that's what we see from the ruins. In reality, these places were full of color. The walls, statues, etc would be covering in decoration be it colored marble, mosaics, or paint. It's just that most of that stuff didn't survive the ages. However, I stopped off for a tour of Herculaneum which, like Pompeii, was buried in the Mt Vesuvius eruption. It's just on the other side of the mountain and not as well known. Because of the different location, the way it was buried was a little different and resulting in things like wood, furniture, and more of the art being preserved than in Pompeii.
Here are a few pictures I took while I was there. Just imagine the ancient city with every wall covered in art like these...
I also stopped off in the Archaeological Museum in Naples where many of the artifacts and a lot of the art from Pompeii and Herculaneum are kept. There was a ton of great stuff here. But one of the pieces I was most excited to see was the Alexander mosaic. I'd see pictures of this when I was doing research for a figure project, so seeing it in person was amazing. I definitely was not prepared for the size of it. I snapped a picture with Meredith in the frame so you could get an idea of how big this thing was. The mosaic shows a battle between Alexander the Great and Darius of Persia and is believed to be a copy of a 3rd century BC painting. When you're painting an ancient figure, how do you know what the equipment looked like and what colors it should be? Well, something like this is a great source of information!
I still say don't talk yourself down and you are right, better to win in a tough year where everyone shows up to really get a feel for where you are. Besides, it's only hard on the judges then 
