News / cardboard models
A paper model kit of the GPO
Often, it is these huge, imposing buildings which impress us most when we view a city like Dublin. A few weeks ago, I stood in front of the GPO, wondering how I could make a model kit out of this beautiful monster! So far, I've only made an A5 kit of it - the A4 kit will be available soon!
My tiny Gpo A5 kit, takes about 10 - 15 minutes to build. The completed model is 55mm tall. The most difficult bit is to cut out the little figures on top of the facade gable. I use a craft knife for this - usually before I cut out the rest, so that I have more grip.
An archeological diorama: Gallarus Oratory
Up to now, most of my kits have been colourful streets of shops and pubs, so this new kit of Gallarus Oratory is quite different. I visited the oratory last April and was fascinated by its beautiful shape, like an upturned boat, so smooth and regular, and yet so rugged.
I followed the pattern of the stonework very closely while painting the model. I love the way it sags in places, and how the colours vary.
The kit itself includes interior stonework as well as the grave beside the oratory and the beautiful stonewall forming a crescent shape 
around it. I painted a base onto which the various parts of the kit can be placed in a very realistic arrangement.I really wanted the diorama to be authentic and educational from an archeological point of view.
As with all TinyIreland kits, very clear, easy to follow instructions are included, making it the ideal gift for archeologists young and old! Click on the images to buy it now....
The impressions and ideas which went into the designing of Tiny Glengarriff
The gables and rear walls of buildings are often not visible or even ugly - for me they form a tiny canvas to paint my impressions of the town upon them. What is it I love most about Glengarriff? Well, walking through the forest down to the Blue Pool is a must at every visit. Taking a ferry out to Garinish island is also a memorable outing. I also love the outcrops of rocks here and there - particularly at the north end of the Blue Loo - the pub seems to be built right into the rock face.
There is a feeling that Glengarriff is the gateway to a world of adventure: the mountains, the rugged Beara peninsula, the tunnels to Kenmare, the lakes of Killarney. We leave the civilised part of West Cork behind us and head out into the wild... this is why I drew that signpost on the gable of The Maple Leaf...
Each page in my "Build your own Tiny Glengarriff" kit reveals exciting details and impressions - the essence of what inspired me.
A closer look at Bunratty Castle
When I first saw Bunratty Castle up close I was completely overwhelmed by it. How could I even begin to make a paper model out of this?
I normally don't bother with architectural drawings - I just photograph and draw whatever details strike me, and then create my model. But with an heritage icon like this, I felt intimidated and longed for something concrete to go by. I finally did get my hands on some basic technical drawings - but the rest all came out of my observations. Here are some of the detail drawings I made in preparation of the actual model in the Tiny Bunratty pack.
This is a very intuitive way of going about making a paper model. I'm reluctant to allow myself to get bogged down with the technicalities. I just want to capture the quirky beauty of some of the buildings I see...
