October Cruise workshop: Luce

Please join me for a jaunt in the West Indies and Caribbean aboard the MiniCruise '12 in October. I have been invited to teach the comprehensive workshop on the ten-day voyage, sailing from Miami on October 14, 2012, and I'd love to see you there.

The two-day (16 hour) workshop we will build is called Luce/Ombre and is a nice plaza/stairway scene that reflects light and shadows and evokes imagery of central squares or off-the-beaten-path plazas in, perhaps, an Italian, French or Spanish village. The possibilities for design and finishing are endless and I think you will find Luce very appealing, as do I!

You will use stucco, Paperclay, and subtle paint washes to create the look of aged stone and brick. You will create and paint the faded wooden doors, install the stairway railing, and rig the unique lighting that brings this piece to life with subtle hues of warmth.

Luce measures appr. 10” wide, 11” high, and 11” deep. All necessary parts to build the kit are supplied, including electrical. Tools will be provided as necessary but a toolkit is recommended. It will be necessary for you to bring a box to pack the piece off the ship and back home. 

We will not finish the exterior of the box in class, allowing you to create a painted, stained, or covered effect at home. The cost of this project is $165, and includes pre-shipping to you, and all materials to finish, light, and power the unit. I will mail you the essential pieces before October for you to do a small amount of prework at home so you are ready to do the main work on the ship. Full instructions are included, but as you know if you’ve taken one of my workshops, there is plenty of opportunity for spontaneous creation. 

Look forward to seeing you in the Caribbean in October! Please note that early reservation is recommended to ensure availability and for the best pricing on the cruise.

Construction of a Japanese house room box

Here are some construction photos of the construction of a miniature Japanese house room box. This piece was built in 90mm scale, to accommodate a collector's medieval samurai collection. Slightly larger than 1/2 inch scale, the difficulty can often be finding ways to make the realism come through in small size.

Unlike miniature architecture structures, which are models of a finished structure from all sides and angles, room boxes are often the view of a room, looking in through one wall. This is no exception, but what I like to do is feature different angles and hidden lines of sight, rather than the usual "three walls". In this case, there is a view from the front of the back fence and implied vegetation beyond, but there is also a view of the garden angling around the side of the house, which opens up the small structure and makes the whole scene seem larger than it really is.

This is the finished product. Now let's see if I can remember how I built that...

First, creating the box. In this case, because of the small scale, I'm using thin wood. Not the relatively small size of the box.

Using weighted verticals to establish interior dimensions. 

Estimating the sight lines based on future location of rear fence and walls against a backdrop.

Filling in the back vegetation.

Building the fence.

Fence in place. Looks pretty good with the garden in front and vegetation scene in back.

Starting to project finished dimensions.

Infrastructure and wiring

Shoji. Do them right, no easy way about it!

View from the top, with supports/wiring in place.

Done! Kirin time.

Happy May! I am jotting down this reminder that at the Molly Cromwell Miniatures show in Sturbridge, I will be teaching for the second--and final--time, the 1" scale roombox Convent of St Teresa. So if you didn't make it then but wanted to take a workshop to build this piece, now is  your oppurtunity. June 4 from morning till done. 

Please see Molly's website for further details.

Description:

The Convent of St. Teresa in the remote hills of Spain has remained unchanged for nearly three-hundred years. Yet, while the nuns go about their activities below, no one seems to know who maintains the candle in the room at the top of the stairs. This 1" scale inch scale room box is approximately 8" x 8" square & 4" deep, taking minimal space, but having a maximum impact.

 

Details:

You will use Paperclay to create realistic aged plaster walls, build and age the wood floor, trim and stairs, plus use creative lighting techniques to create the sense of realism that gives The Convent its mystical allure. Students will build all interior details as shown in the photo, installing the candle, aging the book, bowl and other details. This is a long one-day workshop, so that we finish all details. Transformer, electrical, frame, and all materials seen in the photo are included in the project, except for the painting. A standard tool kit is sufficient. Wood glue is best. I will supply super glue and any tools outside the standard setup. I will also pre-stain all wood ahead of time and attach the overhead lamp, to save time. We will apply a frame to fit over the box, as shown in the photo.

 

Costs and options:

$225 with plain pine exterior box. If you wish Veneer of mahogany or walnut - I will apply it ahead of time - please request at registration - cost with veneer exterior: $255.

 

Contact me as soon as possible since there is still space in the class. I accept credit cards, checks, Paypal and gold bullion. Email: mail@erikgoddard.com

Completion in class is guaranteed!

 

January 2012 Newsletter

I hope you had a great holiday season and will have a happy new year! I will keep this newsletter brief; I assume like me, you have much to do for 2012. No time like the present to remove a few things from that list.

CARRIBEAN CRUISE Oct 2012:

I will be teaching a workshop in the Carribean/West Indies aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun. The two-day workshop I will be teaching is called (for now) Luce/Ombre...

Please join me for a jaunt in the West Indies and Caribbean aboard the MiniCruise '12 in October. I have been invited to teach the comprehensive workshop on the ten-day voyage, sailing from Miami on October 14, 2012... 

The two-day (16 hour) workshop we will build is called Luce/Ombre and is a nice plaza/stairway scene that reflects light and shadows and evokes imagery of central squares or off-the-beaten-path plazas in, perhaps, an Italian, French or Spanish village.

The two-day (16 hour) workshop we will build is called Luce/Ombre and is a nice plaza/stairway scene that reflects light and shadows and evokes imagery of central squares or off-the-beaten-path plazas in, perhaps, an Italian, French or Spanish village. The possibilities for design and finishing are endless and I think you will find Luce very appealing, as do I!

You will use stucco, Paperclay, and subtle paint washes to create the look of aged stone and brick. You will create and paint the faded wooden doors, install the stairway railing, and rig the unique lighting that brings this piece to life with subtle hues of warmth.

Luce measures appr. 10” wide, 11” high, and 11” deep. All necessary parts to build the kit are supplied, including electrical. Tools will be provided as necessary but a toolkit is recommended. It will be necessary for you to bring a box to pack the piece off the ship and back home.

We will not finish the exterior of the box in class, allowing you to create a painted, stained, or covered effect at home. The cost of this project is $165, and includes pre-shipping to you, and all materials to finish, light, and power the unit. I will mail you the essential pieces before October for you to do a small amount of prework at home so you are ready to do the main work on the ship. Full instructions are included, but as you know if you’ve taken one of my workshops, there is plenty of opportunity for spontaneous creation.

Look forward to seeing you in the Caribbean in October. Here is the flyer for the cruise and where to make reservations:

NEW PIECES:
A 2-story gallery:

Art and benches are not included--point is, you are in charge.

I often make these galleries, in one configuration or another, sometimes one-story, sometimes two, and often with different angles an views. Customization is definitely available. They are a great way to showcase your art, whether miniature in scale, or just small by chance :)


Winter/Christmas themed room box:

Fully custom-made to suit your wants. The front is immaculate. The back is closed, but opens for fuol access to the interior. Flicker fireplaces, exterior sconces, full electricity/sockets included.

Let me know asap if you would like 2012 Christmas scenes.

LAMPS & LIGHTING:

I am designing several new pieces, some of which will be ready for the Orlando Molly Cromwell show in February. I will also have all of my currently available kits there, including the Japanese Moonlit room (see above). 

NEXT WORKSHOP: CHICAGO APRIL:

My next workshop is Rue de la Croix, to be taught in Chicago, April 17-19. Rue is a French 3-story building, rustic as usual, big, beautiful, and elegant. <more pics coming soon, including detailed "serving suggestion" interior shots>

You will walk away with a place to store all of your antique/Euro/mod collection in 1" scale. Please see my website www.erikgoddard.com.  I am happy to email you a detailed brochure covering the construction of Rue de la Croix.

Erik Goddard

October 2011 Newsletter

Another trip to California and another newsletter from erikgoddard.com! My deepest apologies I haven't gotten one out until now--especially to those of you who have signed up for my newsletter and wondered what for? 

The Good Sam Showcase of Miniatures in San Jose was a great time. The show was packed with people, alwasy a good sign, and I met lots of great people--customers, fellow artists, and clients. I also got to meet modern miniature types like minimodern, modern mini houses, and mini modernista. Also at the show were my peers Peter Tucker, PRD, and others. California has always been kind to me, and I look forward to a return trip.

Here are a few items I had for sale, in addition to my usual selection of primarily classic, modern, and Japanese-influenced structures and room boxes. This show, I focused mostly on modern, and in collaboration with Paris of PRD, found a very receptive and interested audience. Thank you everyone!

Speaking of shows, my next show is Philadelphia, the first weekend of November. I will have new items, including a Japanese room box that switches between daylight and moonlight, a room box based on Poe's The Cask of Amantillado, several modern structures, a few of my current kits (more on that below), and shoji lighting. 

I will be teaching a three-day workshop, Montresor, at Philadelphia. This workshop is sold out, however the prototype will be available for sale. I may convert this to a kit, as I often do with workshops, so that people who are not able to attend the workshop can experience the satisfaction of building something with your own hands--and save money in the process.

A wo

I wish you all the best, and hope to see you soon. I look forward to hearing from you. 

You can follow my work on my website, www.erikgoddard.com, on Facebook, at this blog, and by email mail@erikgoddard.com. 

Erik