Previously, on Bens Model Making Workbench...

 

 

Where was I then?  Well, its been a while since I've updated this blog.  Last year, in May, I became (at somewhat short notice) a foster carer, which involved a rather radical change in my life plans.  As regards this blog and model making, in practical terms its meant a lot less time for projects, no space for building or storing work, but a few more opportunities for practical projects involving the newly arrived youths.  I did manage a few projects and practical bits though throughout the last 18 months.  The last thing I posted about was the Thunderbolt (above), and the build of the "Welsh Pony" model ready for the shoot (which was destined to happen about a week before the Childs moved in).

 

A couple of pics from the shoot are here, there's much more in the actual general photography blog I share with Amy here:  http://ribbonartandphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/project-welsh-pony-day-and-night-shoots.html

 

Then what?

 

 

I started doing some shoots with real trains, experimental long exposure pictures which led to a plan to reshoot the old "Intercity" project, this time with a better camera.

 

 

So in the start of the year, I ended up with a large number of surplus crates from work, some masking tape, some poundland LED torches and Christmas lights, and whatever few bits of railway related models survived from the Britannia Model Village for a slightly chaotic and improvised shoot.

 

 

More here:  http://ribbonartandphotography.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/project-intercity-2015-reshoot.html

 

 

 

To my surprise these pics, which really were only intended to be experimental, have been chosen for exhibition twice so far, which is rather nice.  The above is on show at the Bradford Open 2015 at Cartwright Hall, linkery here:  http://www.bradfordmuseums.org/venues/cartwright-hall-art-gallery

 

 

And then?

 

 

Well, an invite to exhibit some work from an old friend from Uni days now residing over in the Lakes led to the building of a mechanical spider, more on which will be in a blog post later in the week, but a shot above gives some idea of it.  That led to...

 

 

The above, an unfinished concept model, and a lot more on this project which promises to take up the majority of my efforts for the next 12 months. I'm not in a position to blog much about this yet, but there's a hell of a lot of concept miniatures in production.

 

Anything else?

 

How about a model railway, a Steampunk city in 2mm scale narrow gauge (NN3) with trains and a mini version of the monorail from the Century Survey project.  At the moment very much in the planning stages, but after the summer hols should be in a position to crack on with it.

 

Good to be back, anyway.  More soon.