It’s with much pleasure we can welcome a fine artist and model maker , from the sunny country of Malta
I present :
A fine looking ex officer of the Malta Police with a talent for one off figures as well as vignettes and diorama’s
On now to our questions we gave Stephen ...BIG THANKS to him for his time and responses
Hi Kevin. The following are the answers for the questions.
1 How long have you been painting or sculpting figures , what got you started into this form of art ?
I was actually an aircraft modeller first. Had been doing that since my very early teens. Considering the fact that now I'm nearly 60, that's a long time. But as far as figures are concerned I started in 1993. How I started is actually funny. My wife asked me to buy and paint a figure for her that year. So I did ( you always obey the wife right?). And that was it. I was hooked
2 Who if any artist is the main influence and has motivated you to your current level ?
When I was an aircraft builder, Shep Paine was my main inspiration. Luckily for me I got to meet him years later. As far as figures are concerned, my main inspiration was always Bill Horan. Today, me and Bill are great friends and meet often at the US shows.
3 Are you a member of any club ?
Yes, I'm a member of the Society for scale modellers (SSM) IPMS Malta. And have been a member since 1981
4 Do you have a favourite paint product or medium
I don't have a favourite brand of colours. I just use what works which includes Vallejo, Andrea, Scale 75, Maimeri etc
5 On average how long to complete a piece ?
Since I work on commission, my time frames are tied with the delivery date. Normally it's one of the two main US shows ( MFCA and MMSI ). And completion time depends on complexity of the project.
6 Have you a preferred subject and in what scale to work on ie: historical/ fantasy ?
My subject was always Historical. I just love history and researching it. But I did stuff from ancient to contemporary from 54mm to 200mm. But my preferred period is the Napoleonic period
Let’s enjoy some pieces from Stephen
7 Have you a favourite piece in the display cabinet ?
I don't have too many pieces in my display cabinets. The ones I have are old pieces, which I keep to remind me of where I started. Most of my pieces are in private collections in the US
8 Have you a favourite manufacturer you’ve worked with ?
Since I sculpt most of my pieces, I don't buy too many figures. But I love using Pegaso and Model Cellar
9 What’s your favourite show ?
Ihave to say that my favourite show will always be MFCA followed by MMSI. But I've been to some great shows like Euromilitaire, Rome, Eindhoven and Valencia.
Let’s have a look at some more from the man himself ......
10 What’s your thoughts on the current world of Miniatures ?
I think that the fantasy world is gaining ground compared to the historical. This because the younger generation is somewhat lazy and don't want to do the research work needed. In the fantasy, nearly anything goes but in historical stuff you have to make sure you're correct on so many aspects.
11 Where do you see the future of the hobby heading ?
This goes along with the previous question/answer. I see the fantasy side gaining ground. The younger generation is leaning more towards that side. The historical......not so much. I see a small decline there. Hopefully I'm wrong !!!
12 Any thoughts on 3D compared to traditional sculpting ?
This is a question that always gets me in trouble. Let me start by saying that the 3D artists are incredible talents. They are artists for sure. BUT...I don't like calling them sculptors ( apologies if I offended anyone ). For me the real sculptor remains the one who gets his fingers dirty with the putty. I know these people do a lot of work. I can appreciate that. But we have to admit that the computer programmes that they use are very helpful. Having said that, no one can do anything about progress. So good luck with that!
To end this part let’s enjoy a couple more vignettes/ diorama
Nap
I present :
Mr STEPHEN MALLIA
A fine looking ex officer of the Malta Police with a talent for one off figures as well as vignettes and diorama’s
On now to our questions we gave Stephen ...BIG THANKS to him for his time and responses
Hi Kevin. The following are the answers for the questions.
1 How long have you been painting or sculpting figures , what got you started into this form of art ?
I was actually an aircraft modeller first. Had been doing that since my very early teens. Considering the fact that now I'm nearly 60, that's a long time. But as far as figures are concerned I started in 1993. How I started is actually funny. My wife asked me to buy and paint a figure for her that year. So I did ( you always obey the wife right?). And that was it. I was hooked
2 Who if any artist is the main influence and has motivated you to your current level ?
When I was an aircraft builder, Shep Paine was my main inspiration. Luckily for me I got to meet him years later. As far as figures are concerned, my main inspiration was always Bill Horan. Today, me and Bill are great friends and meet often at the US shows.
3 Are you a member of any club ?
Yes, I'm a member of the Society for scale modellers (SSM) IPMS Malta. And have been a member since 1981
4 Do you have a favourite paint product or medium
I don't have a favourite brand of colours. I just use what works which includes Vallejo, Andrea, Scale 75, Maimeri etc
5 On average how long to complete a piece ?
Since I work on commission, my time frames are tied with the delivery date. Normally it's one of the two main US shows ( MFCA and MMSI ). And completion time depends on complexity of the project.
6 Have you a preferred subject and in what scale to work on ie: historical/ fantasy ?
My subject was always Historical. I just love history and researching it. But I did stuff from ancient to contemporary from 54mm to 200mm. But my preferred period is the Napoleonic period
Let’s enjoy some pieces from Stephen
7 Have you a favourite piece in the display cabinet ?
I don't have too many pieces in my display cabinets. The ones I have are old pieces, which I keep to remind me of where I started. Most of my pieces are in private collections in the US
8 Have you a favourite manufacturer you’ve worked with ?
Since I sculpt most of my pieces, I don't buy too many figures. But I love using Pegaso and Model Cellar
9 What’s your favourite show ?
Ihave to say that my favourite show will always be MFCA followed by MMSI. But I've been to some great shows like Euromilitaire, Rome, Eindhoven and Valencia.
Let’s have a look at some more from the man himself ......
.
10 What’s your thoughts on the current world of Miniatures ?
I think that the fantasy world is gaining ground compared to the historical. This because the younger generation is somewhat lazy and don't want to do the research work needed. In the fantasy, nearly anything goes but in historical stuff you have to make sure you're correct on so many aspects.
11 Where do you see the future of the hobby heading ?
This goes along with the previous question/answer. I see the fantasy side gaining ground. The younger generation is leaning more towards that side. The historical......not so much. I see a small decline there. Hopefully I'm wrong !!!
12 Any thoughts on 3D compared to traditional sculpting ?
This is a question that always gets me in trouble. Let me start by saying that the 3D artists are incredible talents. They are artists for sure. BUT...I don't like calling them sculptors ( apologies if I offended anyone ). For me the real sculptor remains the one who gets his fingers dirty with the putty. I know these people do a lot of work. I can appreciate that. But we have to admit that the computer programmes that they use are very helpful. Having said that, no one can do anything about progress. So good luck with that!
To end this part let’s enjoy a couple more vignettes/ diorama
Nap
