diorama-drama-dreamin'

the exquisite detailing and effort of love put into these model train dioramas (above image) by Peter Feigenbaum, is both an inspiration and a sight to behold. i first saw these photos @ Vestal Design and am reminded again of them today; via WMMNA.

i've always had an interest and soft-spot for "dioramas" ... the earliest memory being piling/lining up the dining chairs and bamboo-poles (for hanging laundry) as the "castle foundation", in the middle of the living room. (i think i was 8-10 ys/o?) and then draping over my blanket all over the stacked-chairs, while providing enough space for a "main door" - for which my "customized" Playmobils and Star Wars-figures would galantly enter from. if my memory serves me correctly, t'was either a recreation of the Return Of The Jedi opening scene (when Luke entered Jabba's Palace/Dungeon), or of a vampire castle that my toys were storming (damsel in distress inclusive) ... or maybe t'was both? :p ... well, not "quite" your professional "diorama", i concede ... :p

the next brush with "model-making" was years later, while studying Interior Design. we had to constantly produce block-models, ie: blank with no paint nor colour; an "architectural-model", so to speak ... i remembered not doing very well (ah, the impatience of adolescence :p), but seemingly enjoyed doing it, rather more than illustrating perspectives! *heh*

anyways, years flash-forward later and i was reminded of such pleasures of recreating a miniaturized locale and environment, when i did my first teevee-commercial, for McD's Hello Kitty!

and subsequently when i started "collecting" toys again (this time it was 1/6th scaled action figures) - the floodgates opened! constant imagery and dreams of building dioramas for "my boys" ("toys" lah fool) ate at me! and due to work and space constraints, all i could muster were table-top-dios; like this one (heck, i've got loadsa "props", innit? *heh*) ... and now? the passion stills burns from within, especially when i have a project in mind for it ... but alas, mayhap the time is not ripe yet and i haveta "work for a living" first (how i wish i could build dios for a living too! *hahahahaha*)

and while all i can do is but reminisce and whinge, i leave y'all with a link to one of my older dio-heroes; Diorama Dreams.

*enjoy* :)