Concept: In the end you walk alone

This project is my first one starting with a vision and without mini. Thus it went through quite some changes or even turnarounds.

Happy Time - Heavy Thoughts 

Everything started on vacation with wife and kids. While lying in the sun, the thoughts rotate about life, universe and everything.

And there has been one thing that quite touched me recently. The mother of a friend had a cancer without good perspective. So her husband has to think about “how to manage life when being alone”.

Now, thinking about my generation and the current age - sure, being alone suddenly would be an emotional catastrophe, but my wife or myself could still manage life in general. Though that can be a totally different story for a couple after a (life)long relationship. 

Quite often every partner has his responsibilities and the other part relies on that. Let it be finances, cooking, the supermarket trip, regulatory affairs or even driving the car.

Even me and my wife, we find small examples for that. Internet is down - my job, coordinator Doctors stuff for the family - hers…

These tasks are not rocket science for us young(er) aged, but I see that for many elderly, every single change of the regular routines is a hurdle.

I saw some examples recently. A neighbor of my parents, that outlasted his wife didn't know how to cook a meal - and that nearly ended up by calling the firefighter's. 

Or the grandma in law, who didn’t know how to get money from the bank, because that was Grandpa's job for 40 years.

Mind games

So that’s what circled around my brain at that time.

If one passes away - the other has to find his way to handle the new challenges. And life will be way harder from there on.

Now such heavy thoughts are usually not my thing. I’m too happy minded. But suddenly, I had a miniature scene in my mind:

An older couple, walking along a flowery road and there is a grave on the side after which the road and environment decays. All flowers pass away and the road gets stony.

While still relaxing on vacation I created details in my mind: 

• Flowers on the grave
• Shall the couple go hand in hand or split at the grave
• A tree indicating the environment split - half green - half empty

Find the mini

Shouldn't be that hard to find a mini, shouldn't it?

It should. 

The more detailed an idea is, the harder it is to find a matching mini - especially as I’m not trained in converting.

That's even more true for peaceful minis without weapons or with proper setting. E.g. a sci-fi grandpa wouldn’t work.

A variety of search phrases is usually the key for success: miniature / STL, grandpa, grandma, granny, elderly, old man / woman, old couple, grandparents. 

I didn’t find a proper matching couple but at least suitable grandmas. I wen’t for the old Nan from Dark Sword Miniatures that has been part of the range “George R.R. Martin Masterworks”, Sculpted by Tom Meier.

It has a great pose looking over her shoulder, a walking stick and neutral clothes. That’s not my first Dark Sword mini,  so I knew quality is good, for sure. 

Replanning

Now with a single mini only, I had to replan.

The grave needed indications who is buried. So a walking stick, a hat, something clearly showing that this is her husband.

After 10 days of thoughts passed, vacation ended and I got bored during the flight, thus scribbled the scene with fingers on my phone. 

Quite ugly sketch that feels a bit weird to share, but hey - it was an important part of the project. The sketch already revealed that a painted backdrop would be key to enhance the mood of the setting.

Physical Sketch

Back at home I’ve sighted the available material. I took a 5*5 Wooden block as socket and sighted my box of printed stuff and bits. 

The path has been sketched on the block and it became immediate clear that some height is needed. Anything like cork or foam can do the trick.

I found a printed tree and a rose from epic basing that suited fine, but for the tomb stone, I just found very creepy ones - So I created a wooden cross by hand from ice cream sticks.

And that is the final sketch. Of course many changes occur in the building phase, but such a final sketch is my point to decide to start a project, abandon it or put it on hold for future revision.

Thoughts about the title

The title "In the end you walk alone" was identified quite early. I love it in the sense that it does not give a clear indication who is referred. On a first glance, it seems to describe the old lady that has to walk the remainder of her life alone, symbolized by the heavy stairs. But on a second thought it could also refer to the one died, her husband, that by his death, has to go the unknown - alone