I posted in my second “Off the Top of my Head” some of the 40k figures I painted.  While I started painting with the five “came with the paint set” marines, the second model I painted wasn’t a Black Reach Ork but a Games Workshop, Citadel Balrog of Moria.  I love the Lord of the Rings movies, but I don’t have much interest in the game (I like the grim darkness of the 41st millennium).  This model was given to me by a friend I work with.  His son loves the Lord of the Rings figures.  He found this particular to be a little too advanced for him and offered it to me as a thank you for locating some hard-to-find movies and toys online (he calls me “the finder of lost items”).  The weekend before my vacation I decided on a weapon for the Balrog, primered him, glued him and started painting him.

After painting it I decided, since I don’t collect the LOTR figures, I would return it to the young man who gave it to me.  He was very happy to get the completed Balrog back and I received the ultimate kid compliment for my work: I was invited over to view his collection of Lord of the Rings miniatures and play video games.  I take it as high praise!