nother pic

This thread keeps going and going, getting better and better. I like to review it evertime I fell I am in need of inspiration.

To put it in a few simple words, Your work is amazing.

Thanks Carl! I am glad that you are enjoying it.Cheers! John.

I think that my diorama has outgrown it name."Memories of Flying School "just doesn't cut it anymore.The story has become much bigger than that .The original story of the veterans meeting on Remembrance Day is obvious especially with the sign in the hangar.What is not so obvious is this uniqueness of this era in aviation's history ,the years between 1918 and 1927.
After the war,aviation was basically in a lull.Nobody wanted to be reminded of the war and the great sacrifice made during this period.Airplanes were mostly considered tools of war and dangerous to boot.Very few young people of the time considered it as a profession and those who flew were mostly ex military types scratching out of living as barnstormers or flying the mail.These were a very special breed of men who risked life and limb on a daily basis.The average Joe citizen would laugh at the thought of flying other than as a daredevil kind of thing to do at a county fair.
In a few hearts however there was a vision of the future and by 1927 they knew that if they were to be accepted into the mainstream they would have to accept a few rules and regs.It is to these guys that I have decided to dedicate this diorama as the
"Keepers of the Flame"

"Keepers of the Flame"1918-1927
I know that this new title is even more obscure than the last but I figure that if it raises the curiosity of only one kid in ten about this era ,it will be worth the change.Maybe if I added dates it would be better.

John, wow.

Been reading this thread for a while now. Can hardly believe how much detail can be put into one diorama without overdoing it and obscuring the main story. So many little touches like the various signs, airplane parts and even model models! Love the photography too. All those low angle pictures let me imagine I am there. It is fascinating to see it come together one step at a time. I could easily imagine a similar scene here on the prairies some 80+ years ago.

My hat goes off to you sir.

Matt

Stunning craftmanship. As a new comer, I aspire to that quality one day.

Diecast Dioramas.
I know,I know ,its not WW1 and a dreaded diecast to boot but ...........
it is a diorama manufactured for sale to collectors.Can you imagine this only a few short years ago when dioramas were mostly considered nice bases for your static model? These dioramas are also now available to the diecast car guys too including just about every tool and accessory in 1/18th scale including figures.
For storyteller dioramists such as myself I think we are nearing the golden age.
I know that a lot of plastic guys and scratchbuilders are ,shall we say a little prejudice against diecasts ,but for modelers who want to be creative dioramists
in a storytelling sense ,and just don't have the time or inclination to do a full blown diorama ,this is a great new development in my opinion and a wonderful entry level to modeling.To keep it alive we must evolve with the times! I think it is time to bury the hatchet.It is in the end only the creative idea that really matters.

Thanks Matt! Glad you are enjoying it.Cheers! John.

Hi Mike ,as a newcomer I will pass on something that a modeler told me years ago and that is to treat every piece with the same respect .In other words say you like doing engines but can't stand doing the landing gears, to be a good modeler you must put the same effort into both to be successful.
Cheers! John.

Another pic

Finishing the old fuse!
Before installing the R/H sidewall it will be necessary to finish the basketcase fuselage.I have removed it for this purpose and must now decide how I want to secure it down to the hangar floor.The main thing going on here is the mechanic is removing the instruments from the panel.In reality the panel probably would have been removed in one piece a long time ago ,but I had I have him doing something and I had a lot of nice 1/16th flight instruments that I thought would be an interesting detail.
To secure the tail I decided to attached it to a old plastic wheel I had hanging around from another build.I painted it metal and weathered it and attached it to the tail post with a chain.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)

Another pic

Winter project.
The last major build of this diorama will be the Camel/Ford truck assembly.I am really looking forward to getting back to building airplanes again.The car in the pic is a diecast and used here for reference only.(it eventually will be weathered and parked outside the office).It will be nice to finish this diorama on a high note with a aircraft/truck build.I really want to take my time with this as it will be the best closeup view of any airplane in the composition.I would also like to improve my figure painting to a level that I have seen elsewhere,as my next diorama "The Backyard Flier" will not have the advantage of indoor stage type lighting.The Flier will also require some totally scratchbuilt figures which is an area of this artform that I have yet to explore.I have always much admired the guys who can do small scale figures and actually make them look like some historical figure.It would be a wonderful place to finish up this modeling adventure of mine.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)

I appreciate the wonderful responses that I get from posting my work.While it is great for my ego,it really isn't my primary reason for doing it .I believe that dioramas that tell a story are really "little works of art" and I think someday they will probably be better recognized for what they really are,3D art..Think of Shep Paine or Ken Hamilton's work, are their dioramas not like little one frame movies?The great thing about good dioramas is that they demand a certain level of involvement of the viewers imagination.The image of a well done diorama will stick in the viewers mind, and in the case of other future artists ,may well have some inspirational value.As artists, in the end that is all we can hope for,to be a part of this never ending flow of creativity.I know in my own case Shep Paines work had enormous influence on me long before I started doing dioramas.I bought his book years before and would pick it up and read it from time to time.
I was very involved with decorative bird carving at the time but those images stuck with me.When I was looking around for something new to do,it finally struck me.Why not combine my lifetime passion of being in and around aircraft with my interest in dioramas as art?
I never met Shep Paine but he had enormous influence on me .When I heard that he was tired and wanting others to run with the diorama ball a bit ,I took up the challenge ,as I am sure many others have done.I am in no way comparing my work to his but it is different and I hope it contributes in some small way to what I believe is a growing form of artistic expression.
__________________
It has been said that the difference between a "pilot" and an "aviator" is that a pilot is a technician,and an aviator is an artist in love with flight.
JohnReid (Aviator)

I have a feeling Shep Paine would get a big kick out of seeing this. You are very right. This is 3-D art.

Looking at this picture now,I probably could have got away without using all those aircraft parts on the floor at the bottom R/H corner.Actually they are mostly made up of parts that I never used on the Neiuport aircraft in my 2nd diorama.Gizmology I think it is called!Those rolls of coiled wire hanging down from Jenny's fuselage were originally to be attached to the flying controls but I have since decided they look good as they are besides at this stage of a real aircraft build rigging the controls would be one of the last things to be done.This Jenny depicts an airplane being test fit before breakdown for the final fabric covering.
I see I forgot the little piece of broken rib that should be on the floor next to the wheelbarrow.Believe it or not but a small touch like this will draw a viewers eye every time.Gilding the lily so to speak,much like a painter of portraits will add a small sparkle to the eye.My first experience with this phenomenon was when I accidentally knocked over some nuts and bolts off of a work table that were sitting in the Neiuport diorama .It became the object of so much attention that I just left it like that.
Today I will finally glue down the old Jenny's spare wings to the racks which will pretty much finish off the L/H side wall.