A year of model making (and parenting)

So, the weather is getting cooler, the leaves are just a little less green, Bake Off is soon to be back on the telly, and the schools are back. Autumn is just about here. As my partner is a teacher, the start of term is significant in our household, and this week marks a year that our wee boy has been in nursery. So I’ve had a year of dropping him at nursery in the morning, heading on to work, and running my business around a (usually) 4 day week. It feels pretty nice to reflect at this point how much I’ve achieved over the last year, so I thought I’d do a quick recap…!

Modelling Paisley

Mick at Scottish War Blinded working on the Janitor’s House dolls house.

September saw Modelling Paisley, the project I’d been running at Scottish War Blinded, come to a conclusion, with an exhibition at Paisley Museum. Over the course of four months, once a week, I worked with a group of visually impaired veterans creating four 1:12 dolls houses, based on listed buildings in Paisley. It was a really enjoyable project, and the outcomes exceeded everyone’s expectations!

The finished dolls houses on display at Paisley Museum, September 2018

Scotch Whisky Experience distillery model

Around this time, I started work on one of the largest project I’ve ever undertaken. This was the design, build and installation of an interactive model for the Scotch Whisky Experience. It was a complex project, with wires and LEDs running through the model, as well as a high level of detail throughout. I really loved doing it, though it did at times feel like a never ending project! It was installed at the start of April 2019. I particularly enjoyed using materials and techniques that I’d not normally use - for example, using a plaster mix to create a textured render, and the pipework throughout the model.

The finished model for Scotch Whisky Experience.

ADS Timber Awards models

Models at the ADS Timber Awards, the Lighthouse.

In contrast to the SWE model, I spent a week during December to complete a set of 5 models of the shortlisted buildings for the ADS Use of Timber Awards, for exhibition at the Lighthouse. These simple models were in plywood and lime, on cork bases. It is really unusual for me to do something so pared back, but I really enjoyed making these models, and love the finished appearance. And by strange coincidence, one of the buildings was the Scottish War Blinded centre, where I’d been working to produce the doll’s houses!

Edinburgh Academy model

Edinburgh Academy extension, by LDN Architects

At the start of 2019, having completed the distillery, I got to work on this 1:50 model of an extension to the library at Edinburgh Academy, by LDN Architects. While the model has a relatively simple appearance, there was lots to consider in the construction. The existing parts of the building were modelled in grey (constructed in plastics and painted), with the new parts in plywood and white. The model was sectioned across the length of the new build, though not even in a straight line, and there was a void to be modelled beneath the new build. Phew!

St Andrew’s Halls and Mitchell Library

Model of St Andrew’s Halls and the Mitchell Library

I have been working on an unusual project over the course of a number of months. I’ll write more on it at a future date, but in summary, it was a historical project, researching St Andrew’s Halls, a building that stood behind the Mitchell Library, until it was destroyed by fire in the 60s. The work has (thus far) culminated in a small 1:375 model of both buildings, using some of the original drawings of both buildings to represent the facades, as well as the buildings lifting up to reveal the floor plans.

It’s really fascinating doing this type of work. It has involved me spending time in the Mitchell Archives, as well as getting a behind the scenes tour at the Mitchell, and scrutinising photos and drawings to piece together the arrangement of the buildings.

Bespoke MONUmini

Ambleside Avenue bespoke model kit. Photo credit: Patricia McHugh at https://www.depthandfieldphotography.com

It’s been some time now since I last worked on the MONUmini series with Another Studio. However, I was contacted by a MONUmini fan asking me to create a bespoke model of their house. It was a lovely wee job, and the customers were absolutely delighted with the finished model!

Renfrewshire ELCC model

Renfrewshire Council nursery

And finally, for now, the most recent completed model. Renfrewshire Council will be building four new Early Learning and Childcare Centres over the next year, and they wanted a model to communicate the new designs to parents and kids. The model has a clear roof showing the internal arrangement, but a large part of the focus is on the outdoor space, as playing and learning outside are considered so key. I think the outdoor provision looks amazing! The client asked that the model be populated with images of children in a nursery environment (and provided a selection of images to do so). But with a nursery age kid of my own, I just had to sneak him in too!

A model maker visits Osaka Museum of History...

I am lucky enough to have just returned from an amazing 2 week trip to Japan with my family, visiting friends who have recently moved to Osaka. What a trip! You know when you come back from a big adventure, it can take a while to process it?! That’s me just now. But it is nice to be back.

One of the places we visited was Osaka Museum of History. To be honest, this was pretty much by accident, as we happened to find ourselves in the area, but I am so glad we did! And I will preface this post by saying there’s a lot more to this museum than the models, and you could easily spend hours and hours there. But my favourite bit, inevitably, was the scale models.

The museum is spread over 4 floors, and the floor depicting life in the 19th century houses the most impressive models, which are included here. There are 8 or 10 massive models, each around 2 or 3 metres across, and at a scale of 1:20. For reference, my recent model of the distillery for the Scotch Whisky Experience was 1 x 2m at 1:22.5, and took me about 3 months to make! I can’t imagine the man-hours that would’ve gone into these. The detail in these models is incredible. They really do give an amazing impression of life at that time, both domestic and public, and all have such character and soul, which I often find to be lacking in this type of model.

The texture and detail in the models

On models of this size, you often see vast expanses of flat colour or no texture, and repetition of detail. Or occasionally, it goes too far the other way - overly textured and it begins to look twee and dolls-housy. These models, in my opinion, struck the balance perfectly, if you look at the roofs and walls, there’s variation in the colours, but in a fairly subtle and very realistic way.

The model figures

I was blown away by the detail and variation in the model figures. They are beautifully done - their clothes, poses, and even facial expressions. There’s real character in them, you get a feel for a story being told. There was even characters having an argument, and semi naked ones having a wash! Check out the images below of the Kabuki actor - these figures are only about 90mm high. Amazing.

The display of the models

The Osaka Museum of History is obviously a big showpiece museum which was extremely well funded and purpose built in 2003. This allowed each of these models to have enough space to view it properly. The short video below shows one of the models which constantly rotated slowly, allowing a full 360 degree view of the incredible piece of work.

The models show both internal and external detail, giving a very accurate impression of the buildings and lives of the time.

Looking at these pictures again I wish I could just go back and have another look! The detail just goes on and on. They were absolutely the best collection of models like this I’ve ever seen, and incredibly inspiring. I was equally envious of the model makers, and in awe! So, fingers crossed that next time Osaka Museum of History is thinking of getting a model, they call Finch & Fouracre!