I finally eked out a little time to do some painting again and did this study of an officer of the 3rd New Jersey Regiment from a photo I took at a Battle of Monmouth reenactment a few years ago. It was ironic too. There's a new book coming out about that very battle. New Jersey historian Joe Bilby has written the first book about it in about 100 years!

He's been the last word about NJ in the Civil War, but now he's turned to the 18th century to fill not a gap, but a yawning cavern. For some reason, New Jersey's role in that war has been under represented. He also chronicles the civil war aspect of the revolution here too. He's sent me a couple of chapters to review and I have to say, I hung on every word. In the first chapter he writes sketch of a theoretical encounter of a patriot militia raid on a tory militia that makes you wonder how great of a fiction writer he could be too.

Here's some other great history stuff coming up in the year ahead . In July, I'll be attending the 2nd Artist Preservation Group Gettysburg Military Miniatures show. As a board member, I'm very proud of what's already been done, but this year's show is really going to be special. This year we will be raising money to preserve the colors of the 149th Pennsylvania regiment. They lost them in a curious event during the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Read about it here.

My article about the colors of the 5th Alabama Battalion, who lost them on the 3rd day of Gettysburg, just appeared along with my painting of the event in the Company of Military Historians magazine. Some of my other work may be appearing in print in another book soon as well!

So, 2009 was kind of a crappy year. 2010 looks to be much better already (aside from the recent tragedy in Haiti). Let's hope so.