The mother of all dioramas

[Lou Masses]

There is no question that Satan now own's Bill's soul!

One of the amazing parts about his talent is that he developed 99% on his own. At the time, there was no internet, he knew no one, all he had was Shep Paine's diorama book and some enamels from the local hobby shop (hence why he uses Humbrols, he's used to them). The rest was his own, quiet perserverance and refusal to be satisfied.

 

[quang]

Anybody with a slight interest in art and a moderately keen eye would have recognized the original paintings/sculptures which were the inspiration behind several of Bill Horan's pieces. Johan quoting William Barnes Wollen is but an example.

Besides being an exceptionally gifted modeller, BH is obviously well-read and observant. His strength lies in his ability to transpose the 'recipes' of the Great Masters into our hobby WITHOUT being a plagiarist.

But to say that BH achieved what he did, alone in the sticks, cut off from the outside world, clutching his dog-eared Shep Paine's book and surrounded by Humbrol tins, is like saying that Eric Clapton invented the blues.

 

[Lou Masses]

I didn't realize you two were such great friends and you knew him that well.

When he first started out, he was alone-hence why he chose humbrols, he didn't know any better.

And he doesn't live in the sticks. He has a beautiful home in Orange County, California.

He may not have invented the hobby, but he did develop a very unique style of sculpting and painting on his own and I think his work speaks more than if Clapton had invented the blues.

 

[Robin]

I don't get that, I understood it to be as Lou said, is what Quang is saying that the old masters get credit for Bill. The operative word is inspiration he say liked wanted it and did it. Like lou says he never gave in, when I saw his work at Euro for the first time I couldn't go past for ages. All Quang said about observation etc is right but hes still got to do the sculpting, stage managing, painting etc

I don't know of many other painters who use enamels for finish effects and get the same results as him.

I know this sounds about hero worship but I think he can be credited for taking the hobby up a notch or two.

Maybe the man should just get the credit he deserves rather than trying to find the reson, like what brand of coffee he drinks. Basically

hardwork + perseverance + talent= good painter

Robin

 

[quang]

Robin,

I think you got me wrong. I'm not discrediting Bill Horan's works. Quite the contrary.

Bill Horan achieved what he did through perseveration, hard work and a unique talent. There's no doubt about it. But he also had a solid knowledge of the Fine Arts (either received or self-taught) and knew how to transpose this knowledge into the mini-world, BOTH in his sculpting and his painting.

BH introduced the Great Masters techniques into the modelling world. This is what makes his work so revolutionary.

The revealing fact is that many BH admirers who became sculptors also turned to studying academic arts and the Great Masters for their inspiration. Raoul Lattore is the best-known (and most successful) example.

I don't know about you guys, but when I find that something's great (either a sculpture, painting, or piece of music), I always try to find out where it came from, what's the inspiration behind it and go back to the source. It's a way of discovering new horizons. May be it's just my method of learning.

To make a parallel with music, starting with Eric Clapton, I discovered B.B. King, then King's influences (Lonnie Johnson, Bukka White,...) and retracing back to the source of the Delta Blues in the 1920's, I became a complete blues nut .

Of course, there are those who'd stick to 'Wonderful Tonight'. Who am I to blame them?

Q.

 

[RobH]

Quang

I understood what you meant. You hit the nail on the head by saying Mr Horan is a unique talent. And lets face it, the man has put in some hours over the years (ever try to work out the number of figures he's done? and the hours in each? it gets scary.....)

This gets back a question I made a while back in a different thread, about art education (and therefore knowledge). Like you say, to produce work of this calibre he definately has some firm knowledge in fine art (whether formal or self-taught). Looking at some of Bill's early work they certainly lacked the fluidity of his later pieces. He's learnt, thro hard graft and education.

I'm just gald that Bill has shared so much of his knowledge over the years.

Rob

 

[quang]

Bill Horan will be remembered for having definitively shrugged off the toy-soldier, pop-eyed side of the hobby and injecting emotion and realism into the mini-world.

But to me and some others, his greatest achievement would be to introduce us to a world we always knew it was there all along but never thought it could apply to our hobby: the world of Fine Arts and the Great Masters.

Q.

 

[Robin]

Quang

I did misunderstand you, perhaps not as allseeing as Rob, I agree with you in that he opened up the hobby, though maybe not of other people but of ourselves not to be limited in what we do and to always push the boundaries and the sky's the limit.

Altough I admire the masters and the world of fine art(funny how painting little figures makes you appreciate all crafts) I do think people like latorre break away and produce alot of unique work.

Robin

 

[quang]

What I'm trying to say is that before the chicken there's an egg and that before the egg, there was ANOTHER chicken. :lol:

What makes sculptors like BH or Latorre a breed apart is that instead of dwelling on the Masters' works, they used them as a springboard to 'break away' as you put it.

While others would sheepishly try to reproduce a 2D painting in 3D, they'd use a pose or some other details that would suit their purpose and create something 'original'.

 

[Robin]

Quang

I am sorry I suddenly realised we are saying the same thing in two ways.

Robin

 

[quang]

 

[Lou Masses]

Quang,

I also misunderstood you. I agree he probably does/did study the great masters. More likely did, because at this point from what I understand he can sculpt with one arm tied to his back and both eyes closed.

Although we've never gotten into detail, I know he's had a pretty interesting life and has travelled quite a bit. He's a stickler for research and detail.

Hell of anice guy too.

Apologies for misunderstanding your response.

 

[quang]

 

[Johan]

A few words on Bill Horan's knowledge of old 2-D masters here:

He doesn't only know the works of WB Wollen, but obviously also those of Caton-Woodville (remember the 2-figure vignette of the Scot threatening an Egyptian with a revolver at point blank?), and many others ... as a matter of fact, he and David Grieve are the only miniaturists I know of, who ever produced miniatures based on the work of the less well known (but interesting) painter Dubois-Drahonet.... you might remember that 3-figure Bill Horan vignette with these rather strangely elongated British guardsmen cheering the queen with their bearskin bonnets on their rifles?

Take it from me, Bill Horan knows A LOT about the old 19th century military painters, often looks to them for inspiration, and has studied them well. He understands the composition of those paintings, and also understands how, where and why a highlight or a shadow is placed. Many have tried to imitate Bill Horan, but the imitations lack something - ... that "je ne sais quoi", that impression that Bill is a man who indeed spends more time researching than he actually does sculpting and painting, while the others are merely copying him...That "magic touch"....

Bill Horan is, if you want, in some ways an "apprentice" of the 19th century painters... he can be truly a three-dimensional Edouard Detaille, if he wants. I hope he will do another dio like Gandamak one day.

One last note: there have been on this forum comments that Don Troiani gets into a fit when someone does a figure inspired by his work. I was at Folkestone when Bill Horan won Best in Show with that little figure of a Berdan's sharpshooter, remember that figure? Well, that figure made the then unknown "obscure" painter Don Troiani famous and popular in figure painter's circles....

 

[quang]

Don who?

 

[Johan]

Guess you look at the old Belgian TV series on sundays and trying to look like "De Kat" with that mask? :lol: :lol:

 

[Johan]

"Miaaaaw...."

 

[megroot]

Originally posted by quang@Mar 2 2004, 11:45 AM

To make a parallel with music, starting with Eric Clapton, I discovered B.B. King, then King's influences (Lonnie Johnson, Bukka White,...) and retracing back to the source of the Delta Blues in the 1920's, I became a complete blues nut .

That's the same way Quang why i try to learn to play the electric guitar. My inspiration is Stevie Ray Vaughan.
But i think you have a point in this discussion.

 

[pkess]

Bill actually had more of a background in theater than fine arts. He explained to me that he paints a face similar to putting on theatrical make-up. I think that is why he has such a good feel for staging his figures.
I was lucky because I was able to watch him sculpt and paint the majority of his "Chickamauga" (sp) diorama at my house. He was working in Richmond for several months and spent almost every weekend with us.
He has an uncanny sense for drama and positioning. When he works on a diorama he completes each figure individually, including completely painted, before he even starts sculpting the next one. I asked him if he used sketches or mock-ups. He said he didn't have to because it is all up here, pointing to his head. He can visualize his finished work before he ever starts it.

 

[Lou Masses]

So what you're saying Phil is that Bill is a little different than all of the assumptions made here about how he thinks, sculpts, paints?

So there could be points of view and thought patterns different than our own. Hmmm