Dream Projects

[John Long]

Lou, you wouldn't happen to know what book it's in? I know I saw it in a book or magazine, but can't remember where. That's great that you know Dennis. I only know his work from photos. I gather he's very accomplished at shadowboxes. I've been re-reading Ray Anderson's book, and am considering doing a simple shadowbox. I just need the gumption.

 

[RobH]

Hi John

"Battle Honours - US Military Model Show - Medal Winners" by Bill Horan and Phil Kessling (Windrow & Greene 1995)

has 3 of Dennis's box dioramas in:
"Raus - Goering's Angels" Best of Show MFCA 1993 & Best of Show Long Island 1993; this is 4 paras exiting a Ju52. Absolutely superb
"Tauchen! Tauchen! Tauchen!" inside a U-boat
"Faithful unto Death - Pompei 79AD" BoS Long Island 1994

All excellent!

hope that helps

Rob

 

[RobH]

Also, the book has loads of Phil Kessling pics and some of Joe Hudson's work and Bill Chilstrom, all contributers here!

 

[Lou Masses]

John,

Rob answered before I did - Phil and Bill's book is it that I know of. Dennis does some amazing work. For a while he was only doing shadowboxes. He did one of Pompei that was visually stunning because it tricked your eye. In the forefront there was a 90 or 120mm Roman soldier in an alley and he used forced perspective and progressively smaller scaled figures to trick you into thinking they were far away and running from fireballs. The figures towards the back of the box were 25mm or so. Incredible piece of work. To the best of my knowledge there aren't any photos of that piece.

Lou
PS-I only said "I happen to know Dennis"(though he is a good friend) as a not so subtle slap at Pete "who happened to know the creator of the piece he was talking about" :lol:

Back to Gray's thread here, I too would love to do a shadowbox someday. I have't thought of the subject, but I would like to do one.

 

[Pete_H]

Sorry Lou, but you got kind of vague there for a second I guess there was more than one shadowbox dealing with these airborne subjects.

 

[jitch0t]

hey Frank H., i saw that dio of the beginning scene from Gladiator in a monographic book from Andrea, "Painting Romans" or something like that...

My dream project... learn.

 

[ori]

Originally posted by ColoradoMiniatures@Mar 29 2004, 01:11 PM
... and a scene sort of harkening back to that famous photo from the Spanish Civil War where a soldier was photographed at the exact moment he was struck by a bullet. this would probably be a great subject for a shadow box, except that the shadow box would make it too dark.

Hey!
That was one of my first projects, some years ago.
I show you some picts. The problem is that i have not find time to paint it.
If you want more information maybe i can help you.

 

[Joe Hudson]

Gray,

I am glad you started this thread and I am sorry I did not post anything sooner but I have been racking my brain( it is true I have a tiny one! :lol: ) but I have finally found your dream project! I knew I had seen it done before and it has taken me awhile to locate it but if you can get a copy of Military Modelling Vol. 29 No 13 (it is the Euro special #3) on page 30 Antonio Leveque did this and won a gold medal in the class 17.

By the way I will start on my dream project when I return from MFCA. For anyone that is interested it will be a 5 + figure vignette of Bobby Jones just hitting a ball out of the sand trap and the gallery around him.

Joe

 

[Joe Hudson]

Gray,

Sorry that you don't have this issue. One day I will try to see if my friend Bill or Dave can scan it for me or are there any shows that you attend? I can bring it with me. I have seen several of Antonio's work but never put the two together.

As far as mine goes, I will build up the groundwork. I will probably use the idea that I stole from John Long, that is using floral foam and then cover it with putty of Celluclay. I am trying to decided on a square base or a round one. Any suggestions? I am leaning on square. Here is a picture that I am going to try to model mine after. I have even thought of doing him in a bigger bunker like at the British Open.

Joe

 

[Grizzly]

ok got another one(man this stuff is addictive lol)
Just finished reading Osprey's book on the boxer rebellion and it would be fun to model a part of the wall with the mix of the different allied armies fighting off a boxer charge,and from what i,ve seen from Osprey's book on the boxer army it would be a colorful one too

 

[CondeJulian]

My dreams are modest related to Models .
one 1:35 Ausf. VOMAG with 88 with lots of figures and Andrea's Trebuchet Diorama .
For now it would be nice !
Regards
Julian

 

[bwildfong]

Gray et al:

Great thought for a topic Gray ! It's sure to provide a wellspring of inspiration !

As a matter of fact, I just recently completed one of my "dream" pieces; for years, I'd wanted to re-create Edmund Hillary's famous photo of his partner, Tenzing Norgay, as he raises his flag-bedecked ice axe in celebration of being first on the summit of Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953; however, my sculpting skills (or was it my courage?) weren't up to the task.

Last year, I bit the bullet and started with a load of Milliput and some Historex body parts as an armature. Two nights ago, I added the snow to my simulated Everest summit to complete the dream. Talk about the feeling of satisfaction that comes from knowing that it was just a wild idea 12 months ago, and now, there it sits, a reasonable facsimile of a moment that has inspired me since I was a kid (I'm 41 now) - is this a great hobby or what ?!

Hope fully, I'll get some photos posted for your collective appraisal.

Hmmm... what's next ? Perhaps Lady Butler's painting of a British square at Waterloo, in 54mm ... !

Cheers all,

Brian

 

[Lancer]

What a great thread! Unfortunatly I tend to spend as much time with dream projects as I do with good old fashioned figure painting! Always loved a good cavalry charge and for the real detail its got to be 120mm, Confederate, Light Brigade, Australian Light Horse, Scots Greys etc. I've gathered heads, bits of equipment parts and pieces for years but alas, I can't sculpt a charging horse to save my life and have not found anyone producing 4 or more in various poses.
I am working on Picketts Charge with about 25 or so 54mm figures, maybe some day it will see the light!
Another favourite is last stands, the Old Guard at Waterloo, the 24th at Isandhlwana, Germans at Stalingrad, Seelow or Berlin. Always liked Bill Horans Last Stand at Gandemark(forgive the spelling)!
If only I could work as fast as I dream!!
Cheers
Mark

 

[kidney stone kid]

There are so many seminal events to choose from, so many images, but, here are a few.

From movies: Grounskeeper Karl from Caddyshack, doing the "Cinderella story".

From sports: Bill Buckner('nuff said)

From current history: Moshe Dyan(why this hasn't been done yet, I have no idea, I mean, come on! an EYE patch?)

From ancient history- Brian Boru(yes, I have been bending Jimmy Corless's ear for years, and he is at the least, receptive)

From literature- "Billi the axe", from the Robert Adams "Horseclans series(pure 70's and 80's pulp fiction, but, fantastic cover art on the book.

From music- The Beatles- surprised that Andrea hasn't done them yet....

 

[Pete_H]

Jim,
Dude, see if you can find Jaguar's 120mm Brian Boru, which was released about 3 years ago. "Uncle Milty" sculpted it.

 

[Major_Goose]

Well my dream project would be a dio in 120 mm involning 3 apaches and 3 US Cvalry men in close fighting .

Talking bout Guliver u mean something like that ?

 

[jasmils]

G'day All,
Ummmm, what would my dream vignette be 120mm or 54mm?????? I'd have to say Australian SAS patrol South Vietnam 1970. Full jungle canopys, the works. Preparing an ambush on a well used trail.
Maybe one day.

Cheers Jason

 

[Alex M.]

Hey man, great thread...

took me a while to clue into it as well...
I remember reading And No Birds Sang, by Farley Mowat, about his experience as part of the 1st Canadian Division through Sicily and Italy. There's one scene where there's a column of Canadian Shermans rolling through the hills of sicily covered in tank riding infantry, and the germans are expertly waiting to ambush them....
I wanted to do a Letterman-esque size dio with the whole column and some of the advance german positions, 88's, 20mm flaks dropped for ground fighting, etc.
Unfortunately i find a jeep a daunting project let alone a whole platoon of shermans, armour, etc.
As well as there being very very few commonwealth tankrider figures available..sounds like scratchbuilding to me

But that's one of my dream projects..noone seems to do anything about the Canadians, except the rare armour model..

-Alex

 

[mondo bizzaro]

54mm chess peices of our native tribes. That would be something.

 

[garyjd]

At this point, to sculpt a figure and be able to say "hey I painted it too" would alone be a dream project.~Gary