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Renowned attorney and hobby artist Victor Hardy revisits his love of miniature painting.

 

A renowned attorney from the bustling Texas state capital city of Austin, lawyer Victor Hardy is also an accomplished and widely celebrated artist. Multi-award-winning and best known for the painted miniature known as Golgotha, Hardy delves back into his love of art after taking a short break from the hobby. 

 

Hardy begins by explaining that his love of art, and, in particular, miniature painting, stems from his involvement with the popular wargame Warhammer 40,000, dating back to his university days in the 1990s. “Since becoming involved with Warhammer 40,000 in university, I’ve remained extremely passionate about the miniature painting aspect of the game,” explains the attorney, “which, in itself, has become among my main hobbies outside of my work.”

 

In the years since, Hardy has garnered somewhat legendary status among followers and fans both of the wargame and the associated miniature painting hobby. Winning multiple awards in the process, the attorney and highly skilled hobby artist has also attracted the attention of prominent figures from the field, such as Bobby Wong, author of popular publication Miniature-Art.

 

“Victor Hardy’s BloodThirster Champion marks an impressive centerpiece for his Khornate Army,” says Wong in a review of one of Hardy’s most well-known pieces. “Victor’s miniature is outstanding due to his originality in conversion, painting, and presentation,” he continues, “and, unlike other painters, his interpretation of the red-skinned BloodThirster takes on a new twist.” 

 

The new twist in question, according to Wong, centers around a reposed head, lengthened torso, the gruesome appearance of flayed skin, and an evocative display base, all cleverly employed by Hardy. “The result of employing such elements,” Victor explains, “saw my BloodThirster Champion take first place for Best Warhammer Monster at a Golden Demon Awards event, earning a coveted Slayer Sword in the process.” 

 

Perhaps surprisingly, Victor Hardy’s BloodThirster Champion is not, however, his best-known work. This accolade, arguably, goes to the piece known as Golgotha, which, more than a decade on, remains the most popular piece of miniature painting on the internet’s largest gallery of painted miniatures – CoolMiniOrNot. The piece, according to the artist and attorney, took more than 500 hours over the course of two years to complete. 

 

Almost three decades on from discovering the hobby, and following a brief hiatus, attorney Victor Hardy is now set to delve back into his love of miniature painting. “It’s just a matter of finding the time,” he adds, wrapping up, “but I cannot wait to get back into it.”

 

To find out more about Austin, Texas-based attorney and award-winning artist Victor Hardy, visit https://victorhardyattorney.com/.

Famous miniature painting hobbyist Victor Hardy discusses almost three decades of practicing the art form. 

 

With fans of his artwork located all around the world, award-winning miniature painting hobbyist Victor Hardy is also a highly qualified attorney specializing in online and multimedia patent infringement litigation, liquidation proceedings, due diligence, and intellectual property law. Taking a break from his legal work, the Texas-based lawyer looks back on almost 30 years of perfecting the art of miniature painting. 

 

“It all started around 1991 when I attended an event called Texas Con and saw people playing the now-popular wargame Warhammer 40,000 for the first time,” says Hardy, from Austin, Texas, who is now returning to the miniature painting hobby after a brief hiatus. 

 

A young Victor Hardy and his university friends decided to purchase a copy of the game, which relies, in part, on the skilled art of miniature painting, and the group quickly began playing on their dorm room floor. “The rest, as they say, is history,” adds the attorney and award-winning hobby artist. 

 

Now more heavily invested in painting gaming models for Warhammer 40,000 than participating in gameplay, Hardy only plays around six games each year. “I do still enjoy a good game, however,” he explains, “it’s just tricky to find the free time.”  

 

Hardy’s work, he says, is a combination of miniature painting both for display and for gameplay. “I choose not to differentiate between display pieces and gaming models,” he reveals, “and I often play my display pieces when I get the opportunity.”

 

“With that said,” he continues, “I only ever paint figures to a standard whereby which they’re of display or competition quality, regardless of whether or not they may, at some point, also be played.” 

 

Victor Hardy has achieved numerous high profile accolades for his miniature painting, including several so-called Golden Demon Awards, a prestigious nod among the Warhammer 40,000 and wider miniature painting communities alike. 

 

His first such win, he reveals, was in what’s known as the ‘single miniature’ category. “My first Golden Demon Award I actually won at my first ever event,” Hardy explains, “in the often hotly contested single miniature category.”

 

The piece in question, he recalls, took around two weeks to complete. “After my first win, I was truly bitten by the miniature painting bug,” says Victor, “and soon committed to improving my artwork further and becoming a serious competitor at future Golden Demon Awards and other similar events.”

 

Hardy recently recommenced work on a part-finished piece after returning to miniature painting following a brief hiatus. “I’ve completed much of the work and only need to add the finishing touches,” he adds, wrapping up, “it’s just a matter of finding the time.”

 

To learn more about Victor Hardy, visit https://victorhardyattorney.com/.

Attorney and award-winning artist Victor Hardy provides a personal insight into the iconography and imagery used in his artwork, much of which is inspired by Roman Catholicism.

 

A respected attorney from Austin, Texas, specializing in online and multimedia patent infringement litigation, liquidation proceedings, due diligence, and intellectual property law, lawyer Victor Hardy is also a highly talented and multi-award-winning artist. Here, Hardy reveals more about the Roman Catholic iconography and imagery which inspires much of his artwork.

 

“I often use a variety of iconography in my art,” explains Hardy, “including Roman Catholic imagery.”

 

A fan of the globally popular wargame Warhammer 40k since his student days, Hardy says that much of his use of Roman Catholic iconography is inspired by the game. “For example, ‘Ecclesiarchy of the Imperium’ in Warhammer is undoubtedly an allegory of the historical Roman Catholic Church,” suggests the award-winning artist and attorney. 

 

“Elsewhere,” he continues, “‘The Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition’ is modeled off the same inquisition that historically pursued heretics, while ‘Grey Knights’ and ‘Black Templars’ are the historical Knights Templar, or Templars, that were connected to the church.”

 

Within Warhammer 40k, ‘Saint Celestine’ is, Victor Hardy goes on to point out, a Saint, and very much in the Roman Catholic Church sense. Similarly, so-called Sebastion Thor’s reformation of the Ecclesiarchy is, he says, a historical allegory for Martin Luther. Luther was a German monk, priest, and a seminal figure ordained to the priesthood in 1507. “Ultimately, however,” Hardy explains, “he did come to reject aspects of the Roman Catholic Church – in particular, the church’s view on indulgences.”

 

Turning his focus back to Warhammer 40k and the inspiration for his own art, Hardy also points out that many of the game’s ‘Sisters’ icons are loosely modeled off of real religious icons. “I could describe the parallels all day long,” says the artist and attorney. “Indeed, there is no stronger influence on Warhammer imagery,” he goes on, “than that of the Roman Catholic Church.” 

 

Referring to some of his best known and most popular pieces of artwork, Hardy reveals that, for instance, his inclusion of a so-called ‘Word Bearer Demon Prince’ in one example is a piece of iconography that’s a slightly twisted version of well-known Catholic iconography. “Within my work, I very often depict various events from the history of the Catholic Church,” he adds. 

 

Each such scene, Hardy explains, depicts a dual message which is, at least in part, applicable to the Roman Catholic Church. “I like to think,” he adds, wrapping up, “that my art pushes the boundaries of imagery, theme, technical proficiency, and level of effort – something which is incredibly satisfying to me.”

Award-winning artist and attorney Victor Hardy looks back on the now-notorious Golden Demon Awards 2004 event.

Victor Hardy, a well-respected attorney from Austin, Texas, is also a renowned artist, famed around the world for his miniature painting triumphs and his involvement with the popular wargame Warhammer 40,000. Best known for the classic piece Golgotha, which remains one of the top-rated piece of miniature painting on the hobby’s leading and most well-established website, the lawyer and artist looks back on the infamous 2004 Golden Demon Awards.

“My most famous piece of miniature painting, Golgotha, is central to this tale,” reveals Hardy. It’s a story, he says, which until fairly recently had not been told, despite occurring 15 years ago now. “I must start by saying that the people I met at the Golden Demon Awards 2004 in the U.K. were incredible, and among those, it was my French counterparts who made the greatest impression on me,” suggests the artist and attorney.

The Golden Demon Awards, sponsored by Games Workshop, are named after the most coveted award presented during the annual competition of the same name. “Held each year, the awards are considered by many to represent the pinnacle of miniature painting,” explains Hardy. The awards, he says, often demonstrate the very finest work from the world’s very best miniature painters.

“At the now-notorious Golden Demon Awards 2004 event I had the pleasure of spending the day with, among others, Jeremy Bonamant, Bruno Grelier, Jacque Alexandre, and David Waeselynck,” reveals Hardy. They had, he goes on to explain, all traveled in a van together from France to the U.K. for the event, even sleeping in the vehicle the night before the awards.

“These guys were crazy!” exclaims Victor. “They were all so enthusiastic and passionate about the miniature painting hobby that they were on just another level,” he adds.

Victor would spend much of the day talking to his French allies about painting and admiring their work. “It was awesome,” he recalls, “and even today, 15 years on, I still have so much respect for their talents.”

“Not since the Battle of Hastings did the French do so well on British soil!” jokes Hardy. The French, he reveals, swept the Golden Demon Awards 2004 and Jacque Alexander took home the prized Slayer Sword trophy.

Despite the now-famous nature of Victor’s piece Golgotha, which he had entered into the 2004 event, the artwork was controversially disqualified. “My new friend, Frenchman Bruno Grelier had entered into the same category and subsequently won,” Hardy reveals.

“Now,” he continues, “here’s the amazing part.”

Bruno Grelier, Victor Hardy reveals, having seen that Golgotha had been disqualified, gave the artist and attorney his Golden Demon trophy and asked him to take it. “Bruno insisted I should have it because he felt that I deserved it,” he explains.

Prior to attending the event, the pair had never met before. “We didn’t even speak a common language,” points out Hardy, “and, yet, he gave one of the most precious things a Golden Demon Awards competitor can have to a complete stranger.”

Sadly, Bruno Grelier passed away a few years later in June 2012.

“Only someone who was totally passionate and crazy about the hobby,” adds Hardy, wrapping up, “could’ve done what he did, and Bruno remains fondly remembered both by myself and countless others within the miniature painting world.”

Award-winning artist and attorney Victor Hardy shares his passion for the millennia-old field of study stemming from an ancient Greek love of wisdom.

The study of fundamental questions surrounding knowledge, existence, reason, values, language, and the mind, philosophy stems from the Greek word philosophia, meaning a love of wisdom. A successful attorney and renowned artist, Victor Hardy offers a closer look at his interest in the field of study, which now dates back thousands of years.

“The study of fundamental questions surrounding knowledge, existence, reason, values, language, and the mind, within philosophy, such questions are often posed as problems,” explains Hardy. These problems, he says, are then closely studied with a view to finding a resolution. “The term was most likely coined by Pythagoras of Samos,” suggests the attorney, “the ancient Ionian Greek philosopher and the founder of Pythagoreanism.”

For thousands of years, philosophical methods have included critical discussion, questioning, systematic presentation, and rational argument. “Classic philosophical questions,” explains Hardy, “include ‘Is it possible to know anything and to prove it?’ and ‘What is most real?'”

More concrete questions, he says, such as ‘Is there a best way to live?’ or ‘Do humans have free will?’ may also be addressed by philosophers.

According to Hardy, philosophy historically encompassed any body of knowledge. “So-called natural philosophy, for example,” explains the attorney and artist, “encompassed medicine, physics, and astronomy.”

Since the 19th century, however, the growth of modern research-led universities has, he says, seen academic philosophy and other disciplines start to specialize and professionalize. “Today, what less than 200 years ago may have been considered to be entirely philosophical in nature, we now have distinct academic disciplines for,” reveals the expert.

These distinct academic disciplines, he says, include sociology, economics, psychology, and linguistics.

“Other areas of focus, closely related, for example, to art and other pursuits, have, at the same time,” adds Hardy, wrapping up, “remained part of philosophy.”

From Software Rights Archive v. Google et al to active social network industry litigation, attorney Victor Hardy specializes in online and multimedia patent infringement litigation, liquidation proceedings, due diligence, intellectual property law, civil rights matters, and class action discrimination lawsuits. A Harvard Law School, University of Houston, and University of Texas Law School graduate from Austin, Texas, he today has more than 20 years of experience in high-stakes law.

In his spare time, attorney Victor Hardy enjoys a passion for miniature painting, inspired by popular wargame Warhammer 40,000. For more than a decade, the multi-award-winning artist has been responsible for one of the internet’s most famous and revered pieces of miniature painting.

Attorney and renowned specialist artist Victor Hardy revisits his decades-long love of miniature painting inspired by popular wargame Warhammer 40,000.

Responsible for one of the internet’s most famous and revered pieces of miniature painting, attorney Victor Hardy continues to be featured on the hobby’s biggest and most well-established websites.

“My most famous work, Golgotha, remains the most popular piece of miniature painting on the internet’s largest gallery of painted miniatures,” reveals Hardy, a renowned attorney from Austin, Texas, boasting over 20 years of experience in high-stakes patent infringement litigation, intellectual property law, due diligence, media industry litigation, and civil rights matters.

First entering the miniature painting field almost three decades ago when the now-well-seasoned attorney was completing his studies, Hardy remains passionate about the hobby, first born out of a love of the miniature wargame Warhammer 40,000, created by Rick Priestley. Both the wargame, he says, and the art of miniature painting, are today enjoyed by millions of enthusiasts around the world.

Looking more closely at his most famous piece, Hardy goes on to explain that he first uploaded details and images of the internationally revered work of art, Golgotha, over a decade ago. “Even today, the piece still holds up on CoolMiniOrNot, a leading website dedicated to user-submitted images of painted models for community voting,” he explains.

The piece, says Hardy, took more than two years to complete. “In all, I estimate that I spent upwards of 500 hours on the project,” adds the miniature painting legend.

Feedback for Victor Hardy’s work is unanimously positive, attracting praise across the board and from well-known names such as Bobby Wong, author of Miniature-Art. “Victor’s [work] is outstanding because of his originality in painting, conversion, and presentation,” suggests Wong, “and, unlike other painters, his interpretation [often] takes on a new twist.”

Accordingly, Hardy has scored multiple so-called ‘Golden Demon’ awards for his work, a highly desirable accolade within miniature painting and Warhammer 40,000 circles. “To think, it all started on my university dorm room floor,” laughs the attorney.

It was, in fact, he says, back in the early 1990s when he and his university friends attended an event called Texas Con that he first saw people playing Warhammer 40,000 and became interested in both the wargame itself and the associated miniature painting hobby.

“The rest, as they say, is history!” adds Texas native artist and attorney Victor Hardy, wrapping up.