Valak -- Intro & Prepwork I

What a difference 2 years make!

When I first conceived of a project with a nun as the centrepiece, she was affiliated with the Light. 24 months later, I am ready to revisit this project, with one telling difference: Sister Sonia has gone over to the Dark, and the project will proceed as Valak, the Demon Nun! As much as I would like to be able to claim this as an original concept, the subject will be based on the cha- racter in The Conjuring cinematic franchise.  

Things are moving along quite nicely. When we last left the Sister, I had removed the rosary/cru-cifix, started general clean-up, and pegged the bust (nb: as per usual from this manufacturer, no means of display support (read: column) is provided. Since then, I have:

• removed the upper portion of the veil and bandeau; 
• restored the upper cranium;
• begun to rework the eyes, removing the upper lids; 
• separated the head from the torso (as a preliminary to reposing);
• begun to rework the guimpe.

Before closing, I would like to clarify the issue of scale. I have seen this bust advertised as being 1/8, 1/9th, and 1/10th--the manufacturer claims 1/8. However, this is most definitely not a 1/8th scale bust: it scales out at very slightly larger than 1/10th.

More to follow. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Sister Sonia - Castle Miniatures' Soeur de Charité

Once upon a time, I conceived of a Papal Order of Demon Hunters. The projected series was launched in March 2000 with the 1/8th scale ff of the Captain-General of the Order, Der Vampyr-jäger. Unfortunately, neither the series nor the story progressed much beyond the initial release, and to this day I consider it one of the few items of unfinished business in my life.

One of the characters in the story was a warrior-nun called Sister Sonia. When Castle Miniatures released the subject bust, I was very tempted to bring Sister Sonia to "life". But I managed to resist the impulse, and all thoughts re: this were soon swept away. . .

Until last week when I found out that a live-action film of the Antarctic Press comic Warrior Nun was in pre-production. This started me thinking about a 3-D representation of the title character, which in turn revived thoughts of Sister Sonia. And today I received Castle Miniatures' 1/8 scale bust, Soeur de Charité.

This is a one-piece resin bust designed and sculpted by Yury Serebryakov. Overall, it is VG+++, though my sample was plagued with a number of small air bubbles throughout the veil. Fortu- nately, these are readily identifiable and very easy to fix: < 20 mins. total.

To date I have removed the rosary/crucifix, started general clean-up, and pegged the bust: as per usual from this manufacturer, no means of display support, whether plinth or rod, is provided. 

Stay tuned!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003