Sunday, August 15, 2010

Uncle's legocy

I've started making a book of images of things we've been doing with my nephews - rendered in our 30-year-old Lego and inspired by the Brick Testament and Christoph Niemann. Just so you know, the story is narrated by Tim the Panda. His special friends are Duck and Stop the Dog - you'll know him when you see him. Also in evidence are the animal familiars of my nephews: Sleek - a panther who wears a striped body suit - and Manatee (a manatee). All but Stop and Duck are modeled from life. Some highlights:

We didn't actually go to Duck's farm, but we did go to the Del Mar Farmer's Market, where we got yummy oranges, strawberries, raspberries, almonds, kyoho grapes and flowers - and some delicious fresh corn.






We really did go to the amazingly extensive San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park, which was a big hit all around. I was really taken with the idea of making a model of a model...





Speaking of imitating imitations, the whole crew also went to Disneyland - here they are in the Astro Orbiter rockets. I was also possessed (doubtless by one of the cute domesticated gods of the swingin' "Hawaiian War Chant") to attempt a recreation of the Enchanted Tiki Room (available on request).





And this one's largely true. Monopoly - actually a spin-off called San Diegopoly - was played (if not officially by animals) and the boys did take their bath together.


Oh, and the scene at the top? Tim didn't really take my nephew T's plane for a spin, despite not knowing how to fly, but we did admire a red sun going down over the Pacific...