Bleriot XI 1/10 Scale.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This will be the bird part of the sculpture,something I was working on 15 years ago or so and I had lost interest in.
I knew someday I would finish him but I never knew till now what would be his final destination.I am glad now that I never finished ,what were to be, his burned and realistically painted feathers.I think he has just enough detail as is.

[JohnReid]

Bits and pieces! Looks like good quality.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This is the closest thing that I can find to a model sculpture like I am planning.Cast in silver, it is the Gordon Bennett trophy, won by Glenn Curtiss at the world's first air meet held at Rheims France in 1909.
My model sculpture will be multi-media piece made with a wood bird and airplane,stone base,and brass hoop. I will be doing my sculpture in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first air meet in Canada at Lakeside Quebec near Montreal .It was a Bleriot that flew over the city for the first time in June 1910 during that same meet.
I will leave out any sign of human presence as I want this piece to be about the bird/airplane relationship from the bird's point of view.

[JohnReid]

This is the closest thing that I can find to a model sculpture like I am planning.Cast in silver, it is the Gordon Bennett trophy, won by Glenn Curtiss at the world's first air meet held at Rheims France in 1909.
My model sculpture will be multi-media piece made with a wood bird and airplane,stone base,and brass hoop. I will be doing my sculpture in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first air meet in Canada at Lakeside Quebec near Montreal .It was a Bleriot that flew over the city for the first time in June 1910 during that same meet.
I will leave out any sign of human presence as I want this piece to be about the bird/airplane relationship from the bird's point of view.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This base was originally to be made of wood but a black stone would be better I think, with some sort of cantilever arrangement to support the weight of the airplane.The black base represents a Peregrines claw and creates a nice "S" curve between base and bird.There is also a wood part to the base that will follow the same curve.
The ring could even go through the base at some point.The cantilever support could be a pair of carved bird wings or in the same metal as the hoop.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This is somewhat like the airplane will look like in the sculpture,a steep turn but not descending.I know that this would be a very risky maneuver for a Bleriot but call it artistic license.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

This is a clay and aluminum mockup of what was going be my next bird sculpture.I never got around to doing it in wood but all is not lost.I love this position a bird takes when on the wing,it has a real sense of motion.
Steep turn,wings straining under G forces,tail twisted beyond the vertical etc...
(Note how the head of the bird always stays level no matter what position it takes in the air,this is natures artificial horizon!)
Well when it came time to put the Bleriot in the air.......can you see the similarities? Although this bird may never fly,the Bleriot will !
Of course the Bleriot in real life would never assume this flight attitude on purpose, but hey this is art so you do what pleases you.

[JohnReid]

[JohnReid]

Please note:
I know that I have been pushing the envelope a bit recently in subject matter, especially for the car guys.I ask that you remain open minded on this as I really do believe that modeling is an art form and if we remain open to new ideas no telling where it can take us in the future.What I am doing here is not better but just different.I know that putting the model sculpture idea in a traditional type model forum is a little rad but I think that it is fun to explore others possibilities for model building in the future.
I want to thank the administrators and moderators of the forum for their allowing me this opportunity and my forum buds for their patience .Thank you all !
Cheers. John.

[3.Star]

Dear John,

it's not a matter of patience of the forum buds. Speaking for myself, I'm just admiring your pieces of Art. Everyone of them is telling a story....stories about the human dream to fly the skies and sail the seas.So, I love your philosophy, expressed by your work. Keep on walking this way. Tell us, please, more stories about flying and sailing through your dioramas and mount wings to our phantasy.



cheers

Michael