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"Hootch Maid" Vietnam 1968

J

JamesOLeary

Master at Arms
Since there is about a month left before the Tulsa Figure Show and I have only two projects completed and the M577 in progress, I figured that I would try to knock out a quick vignette that I had been planning on making for a while. It depicts a Vietnamese civilian woman who was hired to be a Hootch Maid sweeping huts and tents, cleaning uniforms, and cleaning and shining boots which is what she will be doing in this vignette. For a base I am using a base from Black Dog. The figure will be a converted one from Paracel Miniatures. I started on the base on Saturday - prepping and priming. Today I painted the base. It went more quickly than I thought it would which is good.

Here is the kit I used for the base and the basic layout of the vignette.

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And this is what it looks like painted minus a few touch ups. Can anyone guess what may have been stored in the striped drum before it was filled with dirt and used as a protective barrier?

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Cheers,
James
 
This evening I attached the right arm onto the hootch maid after I sculpted the cloth wrapped around her first two fingers and hanging down. Those of you who are familiar with spit shining boots should appreciate this detail. I still need to make the can of shoe polish, buffing brush, and container of water.

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I think it was 1985 I last did that...after that it was wipe it on the back of your pants leg to get the dust off, if that much!

Excellent James! :vgood:
 
Looking good and bringing back a lot of memories. Our last hootch maid was an older woman we called "Mama son". Real nice lady.Gary S.
 
moon puppy said:
I think it was 1985 I last did that...after that it was wipe it on the back of your pants leg to get the dust off, if that much!

Excellent James! :vgood:
Click to expand...

Most of the time if I shined my boots, it was just a brush shine. Then once we got the Desert boots I no longer had to do even that.
 
centaur567 said:
Looking good and bringing back a lot of memories. Our last hootch maid was an older woman we called "Mama son". Real nice lady.Gary S.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Gary.

I hope they are the more pleasant type of memories that are coming back. I try to invoke the better memories through my work.

My dad told me about some of the hootch maids they had. At one time they had an older msmma san and her daughter who used to bring an iguana to work with her every day. One day after my dad had returned from flying out to pay units in the field, his First Sergeant actually cut him some slack and let him go to his hootch to take a nap before going on bunker guard. My dad woke up to the flicking tounge of the iguana that was on his chest and looking him in the face. He chased the girl and her iguana down the company street. She was laughing pretty hard because she thought it was funny.
 
Thanks, Saul.

I started painting the hootch maid, but I haven't taken any photos of her yet. Because of the way her arms are positioned, her face and the front of her blouse are going to be challenging to paint.

In order to make some progress I made an open can of Kiwi shoe polish that is painted to give the impression of a period correct can. The reason it is just an "impression" is because it is so small that there is no way I can paint any letters on that lid. :)

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Now I just need to make the dauber and a brush. And finish painting the hootch maid. I hope to have this finished soon.
 
Tonight I finished painting the hootch maid. After looking at the photos, I might touch up the face, but she is done for the most part. Because of the positioning of the arms and boot it was pretty challenging to paint her face and the front of her blouse.

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I also made the buffing brush and dauber. I will paint those tomorrow and will glue the figure and those final accessories onto the base.
 
Thanks, guys.

I just completed the vignette a little while ago and took some preliminary photos to see what needs to be touched up. I will take better photos whenever I set up my portable photobooth.

Details to note would be the can and lid of Kiwi shoe polish, dauber, buffer brush, and C-ration can holding the water for spit shining.

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First, I applaud the attention to detail and authenticity. Second, I imagine most of the subjects you make come from personal recollection.
Third, you get a gold star for building in 1/35 instead of succumbing to the temptation of 1/16. I don't want to slobber all over your posts, but even the mundane becomes artwork for all of us to admire.
Do you enter these in contests? If so where? Seeing such a thing in person would be a treat for the eye-bobbers!
Well done, indeed!

Are we sure Bob doesn't have a foot fetish?
 
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