Some more to browse. The initial painting of the exterior
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I miss this cutter now, I sold it along with almost everything else I had when I moved here to Rocky Mountain House in the spring of ‘22. I could’ve used it with the new build lol, but I needed a damage deposit so…
The tanks are important too Dave!!! Don’t forget about the tanks man! Ok.. you may notice I attempted to put some interior detail in the Dragon brand Panther G. Not historically accurate lol, but no one was or is ever going to see it after the hull was glued together.
And a pic of one of the stained glass windows. I used a very tiny half round piece of Evergreen stock to define the panels. That was a tedious and potentially handicapping process, as I was using CA glue for the instant holding factor. But it was quite difficult to glue and hold the quarter round in place with only 2 hands and fat fingers.
The color was added with some transparent paint from the Createx line of acrylics. I use them in my secondary hobby of airbrush artistry.
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I’m personally of the opinion that there should be music of some kind during any service at a church, even during an engine service… that was the plan anyways. I have yet to fully finish the violinist even to this day. Maybe I’ll find a way to get him and the pianist into the new diorama.
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Another attempt at some interior lighting. This variant also did not make it into the end version, but may still find its way into illuminating the new version church. Only time will tell.
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I remember that there had been a spirited discussion as to whether my version of the church belfry would have been structurally sound enough the way it was originally constructed; and that many hours were devoted to undertaking to solve the dilemma.
Unbeknownst to everyone on the old forum, and quite frankly to myself as well; my marriage was coming to a sudden end during this period of time. I soon moved into a 1 bedroom apartment about ten minutes from where I had lived, and all model building came to an abrupt end for the next several years. That is why my presence on the old forum ceased and I adjusted to my new normal. Almost four years later I moved down to my current abode here in Rocky and about I think two winters ago I started to build again.
The pics at the top of this particular segment basically show the diorama in its present state. It has been relegated to I suppose the honour of an unfinished shelf queen?? I think that’s the applicable term. They were taken at a friend’s place where I stayed for a couple weeks before moving to Rocky.
Perhaps if all goes well, when I complete my current build I will return to this canceled project and resurrect it from the grave as it were. Thanks to all of you who have come along on my journey down memory lane, I have enjoyed being your tour guide and I wish you all happy builds and peaceful days of modelling bliss.
If I find anymore decent photos of this build log I will jump back into it but for now I will turn my attention to solving my workplace lighting issues so I can continue working on my current Sunday Service project.
Au revoir pour l’instant mes amis!
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No doubt in my mind, one of THE best dios on this site and/or the old one & it absolutely deserves to be finished. Brilliant work 
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Well that’s pretty high praise for my little scenario, thank you very much Tim. I appreciate the compliment. Perhaps I will get back to it again one day. I try never to say never.
Absolute extreme level of diorama building….
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Thanks Bert, just a guy who tries to make what’s in his head come out into the world of plastic and foam and stuff. Proof that patience and perseverance can sometimes get the desired results; and if they don’t one needs only to learn from that too and adapt or change direction. Most things are possibilities for most people if they do what Rocky told his son one time:
“It’s not how hard you get knocked down, or how how many times… it’s that you get up and keep moving forward. “
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I want to express my sense of wow over that piano, but how can I possibly single out any one item? The title, Master Craftsman, comes to mind. Magnificent work.
Thanks Evan. I honestly think that anyone with patience and a relatively steady hand can, with some planning and basic tools achieve this type of level. The piano was an exercise in research and recollection. I’ve been a drummer and worship leader over most of my adulthood, so I’ve seen plenty of pianos. Can even play chopsticks… sorta. 
so I just tried to build what I knew. I took my time and printed off some scale “blueprints “ per se, and went about trying to recreate one. It’s a few keys short of 88, and probably not to scale exactly; but at 35th scale who’s gonna know? I had to count keys five or six times before I realized I didn’t have enough. And there’s definitely not enough strings lol. Or the hammers and dampening pads either. But again it’s about how the mind sees it.
I’ve always been taught that perfection is not attainable in this lifetime, but rather I should strive for a spirit of excellence. It has suited me well in scale models and diorama building. I’ve been known all my life as a handy kinda guy… it’s been my email address since I’ve had an email address. It’s more about the Red Green syndrome. If the women don’t find me handsome, they should at least find me handy. The ability to be handy at doing things goes a very long way in all aspects of life. Jack of all trades, master of some.
Perseverance and practice and patience. That’s the 3 points minus the poem. That’s the ticket for creating dioramas that get others to notice and comment on. Nothing masterful about it. Time and effort. And sometimes a lot of luck lol.
Thanks again. I’m going to move my current project downstairs now and put in some work on it before I go to make dinner. Take it easy sir.
Fair enough. 
I do miss that show.
The pursuit of Perfection is an endless road. But it’s a rewarding trip nontheless.
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Yeah, I stopped pursuing perfection decades ago now, but I do try hard to do things to the best of my abilities and I enjoy the process for sure. However the older I get, I’ll be 63 this fall, I’m beginning to understand another important principle that makes a huge difference especially in scale building is that good enough is often good enough. We’re not trying to, or at least I’m not trying to get everything perfect.. I’m only trying to fool the brain of those of us looking enough to think you see what you should be seeing. I’m not wasting time anymore getting everything just right per se, but concentrating on the concept that the result is greater than the sum of its parts. You know what I mean?
My personality has always been more perfectionism in nature and that has often led me to linger too long.. this diorama is a grand example of that. I started it in 2008 and never stopped lol until life bit me in the butt. I would most likely have rebuilt it a few more times than I did if I’d have had the opportunity. And consequently it was never finished in my mind. Still isn’t lol.
Now I think more about how do I get the best results with the least amount of time and effort. Where can I skip the massive amount of minutiae and still suspend the belief of the viewer to see what they want to see. She’s Paine was a master of that I think, and some of the guys here are following in his footsteps and carving out their own paths.
The guys who are highly talented here and on other platforms are the guys who understand their own personalities and work within them. Some guys are super strong in certain areas, but they don’t get bogged down with their areas of weaker abilities. They just move ahead and persist. And as time goes on they naturally find a rhythm and a pocket they can sit in and produce beautiful pieces of art in.
There are plenty of guys here that I look up to, Stickframe, Cheyenne, Dioramartin, JRutman, and a few others who I hope will forgive me that I didn’t mention them too lol. These guys are the guys I think of when I hear the term master builders. I think one thing that sets them all apart and makes them masters is that they understand who they are and what they are capable of, but never stop learning and expanding their skills. They don’t hit all areas every time, but they keep going until they hit a mark they’ve set; and then they move on to the next thing. This is something I am hoping to do better. Knowing when to call a project done and go to the next thing. That’s the key to mastering this art form. IMHO at least.
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Well said.
I had a teacher who taught us that you can spend your whole life on one painting. There comes a point when you put the finishing glaze on, call it done and move on to the next one.
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Also well said.
I plan on finishing this current artwork in the not too distant future. That or I’ll die trying..