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- Feb 2, 2011
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JJDESIGNS NEWS UPDATE 31[SUP]st[/SUP] AUGUST 2020
As we move towards September, traditionally under previous normal circumstances all thoughts would be towards the Chicago Toy Soldier Show.
It was my intention to attend this year’s show, it being the 40[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary, and I had been tentatively asked to be guest speaker at the Friday Customer Appreciation dinner, which was sponsored by several of the attending dealers.
I discussed with Julie from Treefrog Treasures what would be some topics of interest to talk about.
It was suggested that “Life before JJDesigns” would be interesting, and what I had prepared for Chicago was used for the News Update on the 25[SUP]th[/SUP] May 2020.
Another suggested topic, was to talk about what was my favorite, or personally most satisfying series that I had produced.
The Jacobite Rebellion was up there, as it gave me the opportunity to experiment with movement, in representing the charging mob of Jacobite Highlanders. The Movement and colors of the Highland hoard, was also a great contrast to the static linear disciplined red line of the English troops.
But hands down, my favorite series has to be the Battle On Snowshoes.
I’d been living and working in Canada for nine years, and when I started my own toy soldier business in Hong Kong, it only seemed appropriate that I would produce figures from the Seven Years War in North America.
Having grown up in the UK, I was in no way prepared for the harsh freezing cold Canadian winters.
It was during one of these winters, a particularly cold January in Winnepeg, that I came across a small book by Bob Bearor on “The Battle On Snowshoes” (ISBN 978-0788406195), and this little book was what was to inspired me to produce The battle On Snowshoes series several years later.
The Snowshoes series, I believe broke new ground for jjdesigns, with interesting poses, story development, and subject matter.
Things were also changing in many ways in the toy soldier world.
The Treefrog forum was becoming established as the place for collectors to go to discuss, share and keep up with developments in the toy soldier world.
I’d noticed that through the forum there were new ways that collectors could share their passion.
Collectors were finding new and interesting ways to photograph their collections, and post them on the forum.
It was a picture by Randall Bond, of Billy Bishop, posted on the Treefrog forum that caught my eye. Here was someone with a small collection, finding new ways to appreciate and share his hobby. It was the creative and thoughtful use of lighting, low camera angle, and the simplicity of the picture that I loved.
Randall Bond, who as a historian and librarian, had researched several subjects for several toy soldier manufacturers, and It was with great pleasure that I managed to convince Randy to work on a series of pictures for a 2010 calendar.
The calendar would focus on The Battle On Snowshoes series.
There would be 12 pictures, and each picture month by month would illustrate part of the story of this small battle, and all the figures released for the series would be included at least once.
JANUARY
In no time, 12 wonderful pictures were produced.
I will forever be grateful to Randy for his work on this calendar, and how else could I possibly illustrate this series, but by showing all twelve of Randy’s beautiful calendar shots.
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
As we move towards September, traditionally under previous normal circumstances all thoughts would be towards the Chicago Toy Soldier Show.
It was my intention to attend this year’s show, it being the 40[SUP]th[/SUP] Anniversary, and I had been tentatively asked to be guest speaker at the Friday Customer Appreciation dinner, which was sponsored by several of the attending dealers.
I discussed with Julie from Treefrog Treasures what would be some topics of interest to talk about.
It was suggested that “Life before JJDesigns” would be interesting, and what I had prepared for Chicago was used for the News Update on the 25[SUP]th[/SUP] May 2020.
Another suggested topic, was to talk about what was my favorite, or personally most satisfying series that I had produced.
The Jacobite Rebellion was up there, as it gave me the opportunity to experiment with movement, in representing the charging mob of Jacobite Highlanders. The Movement and colors of the Highland hoard, was also a great contrast to the static linear disciplined red line of the English troops.
But hands down, my favorite series has to be the Battle On Snowshoes.
I’d been living and working in Canada for nine years, and when I started my own toy soldier business in Hong Kong, it only seemed appropriate that I would produce figures from the Seven Years War in North America.
Having grown up in the UK, I was in no way prepared for the harsh freezing cold Canadian winters.
It was during one of these winters, a particularly cold January in Winnepeg, that I came across a small book by Bob Bearor on “The Battle On Snowshoes” (ISBN 978-0788406195), and this little book was what was to inspired me to produce The battle On Snowshoes series several years later.
The Snowshoes series, I believe broke new ground for jjdesigns, with interesting poses, story development, and subject matter.
Things were also changing in many ways in the toy soldier world.
The Treefrog forum was becoming established as the place for collectors to go to discuss, share and keep up with developments in the toy soldier world.
I’d noticed that through the forum there were new ways that collectors could share their passion.
Collectors were finding new and interesting ways to photograph their collections, and post them on the forum.
It was a picture by Randall Bond, of Billy Bishop, posted on the Treefrog forum that caught my eye. Here was someone with a small collection, finding new ways to appreciate and share his hobby. It was the creative and thoughtful use of lighting, low camera angle, and the simplicity of the picture that I loved.
Randall Bond, who as a historian and librarian, had researched several subjects for several toy soldier manufacturers, and It was with great pleasure that I managed to convince Randy to work on a series of pictures for a 2010 calendar.
The calendar would focus on The Battle On Snowshoes series.
There would be 12 pictures, and each picture month by month would illustrate part of the story of this small battle, and all the figures released for the series would be included at least once.
JANUARY
In no time, 12 wonderful pictures were produced.
I will forever be grateful to Randy for his work on this calendar, and how else could I possibly illustrate this series, but by showing all twelve of Randy’s beautiful calendar shots.
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
