who is durgin?
And other questions you have never thought of asking, but that I feel compelled to answer anyway.
LOVE AT FIRST (BADLY PAINTED) SIGHT
Oh, ciao!
I'm Matteo, I was born in Sanremo, Italy, on a hot August in 1988. Honestly, I'm not sure it was a particularly hot August, but it makes the story more dramatic.
I'm Ligurian, which means that I like to complain about anything and, of course, I know how to make and recognize a properly made focaccia.
I discovered this hobby a long time ago, almost by chance. I was 12 years old and I came across my first box of miniatures in a stationery store: it was love at first sight. I assembled my first kit, glueing more fingers than plastic, I tried my best to paint it with an old set of colours and I spent hours inventing a story for that proud, little toy soldier. Despite the result being terrible, I was proud of myself like never before. I realized how much I love to create things with my own hands and imagination. Since then, I just kept making things to the best of my ability.
It makes me happy.
A NICKNAME, A PAGE, A MOTORCYCLE
Durgin was, in fact, my historical nickname on the former official GW forum, the Forum GWTilea, the virtual square where I grew up first as a simple enthusiast and then as a painter. In the limited Italian context, no one knew me as "Matteo Donzelli," but simply as "Durgin." At the dawn of Facebook, my friend Alberto, knowing that I took painting commissions, decided to open a showcase page for me to give some visibility to my activity: Durgin Paint Studio. I certainly didn't go viral, but those were simpler years compared to today, and in a short time, I gathered around a thousand followers: those were times when you could film a low-resolution painting video with live audio and metal music in the background, post it on YouTube, and not feel particularly out of place.
I miss that somewhat naive and improvised carefree time a lot.
Over the years, I decided to set aside commission painting and take the big leap: producing my own range of miniatures! In 2012 I sold my motorcycle to fund my first kits, teamed up with sculptor Valerio Terranova, and the Studio became a Forge: thus, Durgin Paint Forge was born.
Why the name stuck
I can imagine it’s a somewhat funny and not very understandable name; I think it's the exact opposite of what any marketing expert would advise a startup looking for a name, but try to understand me: Durgin is a name I’m very attached to.
I believe that the greatest strength and weakness of Durgin Paint Forge is precisely this naive carefreeness.
This, and not having rich parents.
Besides, when I wrote the lore of my dwarves, I decided their language had a word for it.
durgin
(runjk, dwarven) - hope.
Hope. Specifically, the stubborn hope of someone who has started something far bigger than himself, and trusts that, somehow, it will all work out.
The hope of a dwarf who starts digging through a mountain with a teaspoon, fully expecting to be home for dinner.
Allies of the Forge
A small forge, yes. A lonely one, never.
Carlos Perez Bugedo
Freelance digital sculptor, father of The Longsnouts. He sculpted several of The Offcuts members.
Want to follow the forge?
One letter a month, or a new kit every month. You call.
or just write to info@durginpaintforge.com