JohnReid

This is where I am right now with this diorama,getting ready to shingle the roof.As you can see it is a fairly large area to cover .It is very important to get this right as to texture and color and to add a few things of interest for the eye. I have ruled out having a separate roof over the doors as the eves extend quite far beyond the facade and provide some shelter over the backdoor.In Canada on old steep pitched roofs like this we often put a snow gate along the edge of the roof for safety sake.

Ya know sometimes I wonder if I am going to way too much trouble with this diorama to tell a basically very simple story,an airman's return from the war and his continued relationship with his backyard Flyer.At times I wonder if there is enough of a storyline to justify such a huge space. Rockwell's painting is tight with lots going on ,mine is spacious with little going on.His painting is of a joyous occasion ,my diorama is somewhat the opposite,just a GI and his thoughts for the future. It is an old story told in many ways before.The split in the road and the road not taken tells of fateful decisions made that change everything forever. I remember as a child being around men such as these,how important family and just being alive was to them.A lot were great fathers while others were just lost in their memories. I remember how important things like growing a community garden was to them,how they tended those gardens and how everybody respected those tiny spaces .I have included a garden in this diorama for that very reason. Roads,gardens,airplane it just grew over time I guess.

On the top R/H side of the pic you can see the dispatch office door that opens onto the hangar floor.The boss looks like he is discussing the next booze run .As you can see the carpenter's shop is a closed unit separate from the main shop floor.The door on the left leads to the WC/coal storage room which then leads to the backdoor. As you can see part of the tail of the Canuck has been replaced with a JN4 wooden one.Interchanging of parts is a common practice around here depending upon what is available at the time.Pilots will often ask us to change the flying characteristics of their airplanes to suit themselves.Often the C of G will be modified to carry heavy loads or make the airplane a little more unstable for some of their aerobatic maneuvers.

Meet Harley the company mascot.His bark is worse than his bite ! All the employees love him ,in fact if you look closely through the engine shop window you will see a picture of him hanging on the wall.One of the pilots took it of him sitting in a mail plane cockpit usually however he sits here on the chair just inside the dispatch office door and keeps it warm for the pilots.

Canada Aviation Museum names new Director General April 29, 2010, Ottawa - Denise Amyot, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen Quick as Director General of the Canada Aviation Museum. “Mr. Quick brings a heartfelt passion for aviation to his new position at the helm of Canada’s national aeronautical museum,” says Ms. Amyot. “With his extensive experience within the public and private sectors, and more than thirty years as a professional artist, Mr. Quick is uniquely qualified to guide the Museum in showcasing Canadian achievement and innovation.” “As museums,” says Mr. Quick, “we should not only function as stewards and guardians of our collective past, but be proactive in introducing future generations to the tools that will help forge their future. We should act as extensions of established learning institutions, helping to shape the future and engender pride in Canadian endeavours by telling the stories of those who have dared follow their dreams, and by showcasing the next wave of exploration and innovation.” Deeply involved in Canada’s arts and culture sector, Mr. Quick has been painting professionally since 1978, and has been a professional aircraft and military illustrator since 1984. He spent 27 years in the Canadian publishing industry, including senior positions with both McClelland & Stewart and Stoddart Publishing. He has also worked within the public sector, including positions at the Department of Canadian Heritage and the National Gallery of Canada, prior to becoming Associate Director General of the Canada Aviation Museum in 2008. The Canada Aviation Museum is Canada’s finest aviation museum, with an internationally renowned aeronautical collection. The Museum, a component of the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation, is located at the intersection of the Aviation and Rockcliffe Parkways, just ten minutes from Parliament Hill. It is really nice to know that a fellow artist is finally running the show!

With the New Year fast approaching and Winter here to stay for awhile ,I think that it is time to return to the "Backyard Flyer" and finish it off before Spring ,now that I have lots of space available again.It is another big one but this time it is done in removable modules so that it will not be such a problem to move.I can then do the final assembly at the museum in just a couple of hours.

These little creamers from the coffee shop make excellent tin garbage pails or forms for building wooden ones.I first cut out the bottom disc and then glue on the side pieces,trim the top level and add a band around the top.I painted it burnt umber and then sanded most of it off. I spent way too much time making this but because a lot of the storyline revolves around the symbolism of water I felt it was worth it.However it looks a little large in this scale.I will live with it for a few days and see if I have to make another one and keep this one as a wood bucket.

Well now I will finally have some space to move around again.I will set up the next diorama right away and get busy finishing it too! This time I have learned my lesson and it will be modular and a lot easier to move ,as it will be constructed in sections with the final assembly done on site.It probably will be the last of my really big dioramas.The RR diorama that I am doing now is basically a round piece of about 48 inches in overall diameter at 1/24 scale.

'Tis the night before the big move to Ottawa and I am nervous as hell ! I hope that the next time that I see these guys that they are in their new permanent home at the museum. After almost ten years now, I hope the kids (and the kids at heart) have as much fun looking at them as I had building them.

The finished door was weathered with pastels.The door handle is just a simple arrangement of a ring and eyebolt design.The hinges are on the inside with just a hint of rust to indicate their position.The glass of course has long been broken and removed but I left the space open for viewing.It too would normally be covered to keep the elements out.

This pic gives you guys an idea of the size of these crates.I will put some bubble wrap along the underside of the top to make sure nothing moves and to stabilize things.The roofs are removable on my dioramas and are the key piece to remove first when you want to take it apart.I plan to put foam rubber on the bed of the truck to help absorb any vibration.The crates will have to be tipped almost 90deg to get them up the stairs.Estimated weight 150 to 200 pounds.

Cratin' em up!

Veneering a door. Here is a fun project,veneering a plastic door in 1/24 scale.This was done mostly with coffee stir sticks and a few odds and ends of wood I had lying around the shop.It is an old RR car door that still requires painting and weathering.The little bit of gray plastic still showing will easily be lost in the shadows.I used something a little different to glue on the boards to the plastic,it is called "goo" and is made by Walthers.Unfortunately it is hard to find in Canada,so I also use something called "sho goo" as a substitute. Prepare the plastic by sanding the surfaces to give the glue a little tooth to hold on to.It can be messy stuff but just use it sparingly as it is very strong. It is toxic in confined areas like super glues etc... but so far I have had no allergic reaction to it.A mask and good ventilation is recommended. Sand the wood carefully and remove any left over glue especially in the corners. I will make a simple pull type door handle and some fake hinges to finish it off.