8 is a very good ranking
I agree in thinking that it\'s ranking more around 7 than 8.
It\'s a great paintjob, probably better than I can do. The light from the blue sprites are nice, though it is a very strong contrast (too strong, probably) in what is otherwise a very subdued, pale colour scheme. The wood looks too soft, it probably could have done with some sharper highlights or artificial shadows on the underside. The base is a mess, I think it would have been better if it was just a standard sand/flock.
But in the end, the mini just doesn\'t \'grab\' my attention and make me go \'wow\'. That is what the higher scores are reserved for when I look at models.
Nicely painted, but not amazing.
And I have no idea who the painter is, or what her previous minis look like so there is no bias towards or against her based on her previous merits.