FOR ANY AND ALL MODEL CAR NUTS...

[jingle_jangle]

Years ago, I was "into" model cars in a big way. It was a terrific way to pass my childhood and teen years, and the skills I learned served me well all my life.

I remember my Mom telling me (I was 13 at the time) to put the model cars away and study my Latin--I would never make a living building model cars. She was wrong. I made a good living building model cars and now I teach designers to do the same.

Anyway, here is a Flickr album from a guy who took his love of models (cars and scenics) and combined it with some good photography skills, to trigger nostalgia in a big way.

Sure, you can critique the stuff--the streets are too clean, not enough weathering, some of the models have clunky details--but squint a bit and you're taken back to 1960 or before. Fun stuff!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24796741@N ... 346008881/

[beatlefreak]

Cool. But kinda spooky without people - Like a ghost town.

[libratune]

Wow, I slipped through a time warp. How do I get back to 2010? Wait, I think I like it here. . .

That El Camino pickup is to die for! I did the Testor's by-the-numbers version back in the '60s, but this brings model-making to a new level!

Great stuff, Paul Thanks for sharing.

BTW, I noticed that if you click on a photo while it is displayed, a narrative overlay appears upper right to let you know what's going on with the scene.

[ozover50]

Yeah.... a little sterile and spooky but extremely well done!

Thanks, Paul!!

[Scastles]

You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into... the Twilight Zone.

[jingle_jangle]

Extra weird--

I've owned two Chevy Sedan Deliveries, a red '60 and a green '59. The green '59 turns up in model form in a few of the later scenes...spooky, as the only kit ever released was a custom version. I think the model used promotional model wheels and tires and a modded kit body. It was strange seeing this model, though, as my real car was EXACTLY the color of the model...

[doctorwho]

Cool. But kinda spooky without people - Like a ghost town.

+1

That's the only real difference between those and some old family photos ...

[winston]

He did a really great job IMO. Imagine the hours he put into each model and each scene? Then there's his eye for detail and photography skills, which are both superb. He must have a ton of patience.

[wittyair]

Man......that is GREAT stuff......absolutely amazing.
Love the Airflow coupe......and we use to have a persimmon and white turnpike cruiser!!!
That is simply fantastic.

[brycycle]

AMAZING craftmanship.

another example of fine scaled craftsmanship (yep most of those are construction paper):

http://www.thomasdemand.de/

Demand's work is exhibited at the world's most prestigious contemporary/modern galleries.

is it the conceptual basis of the production that seperates Paul the hobbyist from Thomas the artist?

[kiramdear]

LOL! I love the ones with his hand and head in the pic.

[collin]

I remember my Mom telling me (I was 13 at the time) to put the model cars away and study my Latin--I would never make a living building model cars.

It's pretty ironic that she was insuating that by studying a nearly defunct language that you would earn a living.....

(Not that Latin doesn't have it's place in academia and Vatican City, but c'mon.....you'd make a better living speaking Spanish, Arabic, or Mandarin Chinese).

[jingle_jangle]

Mom had nothing to do with assigning me to Latin class--it was the placement classes at my Catholic HS that did that.

Latin is incredibly useful. Not to speak, but to open doors to spelling and usage, not to mention word origins, in English and most romance languages. Latin lives on in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French...

Oddly, I make my living doing something that nobody could bet on.

[beatlefreak]

"A guitar's all right, John, but you'll never make your living at it."

John Lennon's Aunt Mimi, who raised him from age five - Said to him when he was in his early teens, after becoming obsessed with guitar playing.

[johnallg]

This is really great. What a snapshot (pun not intended) of how it was, how I remember these things. Quite a talent.