Large Scale Central

Picnic scene

I have several small “hills” on my layout mostly covered with creeping thyme and elfin time. They help break up the otherwise flat-as-Kansas monotony of my rectangular, raised-bed layout. But they’re not very interesting.

Today while waiting for a coat of paint on my castle to dry, I decided that what I really need is a picnic scene–a couple on a blanket with lunch–to create some interest.

Here’s what I wound up with

The blanket is a brass sheet, the picnic basket and modifications to cheap Chinese figures in Magic Sculpt. The rod you see in the second picture will be pushed into the ground to keep the Kansas wind from blowing the blanket and picnickers away in the scale hurricanes we regularly get :slight_smile:

It needs a bit more paint/finishing/cleanup.Since it will be in an area that’s at least 10 feet from the nearest observation point, I probably won’t go too crazy. I hope to get a photo of it outside tomorrow. It’s supposed to be 74 degrees here–I took the day off from work to do a little spring MOW work, and placing this will fit right in.

Where’s the ant hill?

I hope she packed a nice lunch!

Looks like fun.

John

that’s a cool idea made well.

from what did you make the glasses?

I’ve been experimenting using acrylic rod for bottles. You can see one near the picnic basket in the foreground. I heat the center of the rod until it’s reached a taffy-like consistency and then stretch. The stretched section thins (obviously) and once the rod cools, I cut it at the narrowest point, getting two “bottles.”

The glasses were actually a pair of “bottles” where I didn’t do such a great job holding them stretched as they cooled, so the neck didn’t stay thin enough–I just flipped them upside down and called them glasses :slight_smile: I thought about cutting off some thin acrylic disks to make them into stemware, but decided to leave them as is, since the details won’t be very apparent at the 10" viewing distance.

Excuse the leaves :slight_smile:

Could use some sheep!

And some scale ants! Cool idea!

Dan Hall said:

… the Kansas wind from blowing the blanket and picnickers away in the scale hurricanes we regularly get :slight_smile:

They need some friends, or kids, flying kites!

And, yes looks good. I’d have not thought about metal for the blanket. But here in the next state east we haven’t got quite the same winds, close, but not quite :slight_smile: Kites could likewise be metal on wire.

Very nice!

If it rains they can use one of those leaves as a tarp. :slight_smile:

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Could use some sheep!

Sheep would be good but a BEAR would be better… a Yogi Bear sniffing out that picinik basket !

Nice job on that scene by the way.

Todd Haskins said:

Sheep would be good but a BEAR would be better… a Yogi Bear sniffing out that picinik basket !

I was only a toddler so can’t verify but there is a tale long told that on a camping trip somewhere in some California mountains Mom looked up from lunch at a picnic table, said, “There’s a bear.” and went back to eating. It was said that yes, there indeed was a bear, well within NFL pass reception range.

What I do remember is that on a hiking trail during my grade school years she looked down at one side of the trail, “There’s a snake.” and kept going.

When Dad and I reached that point, yes, there indeed was a copperhead there.

Oh well, what else would one expect from a 5ft4 Ozark Mountains farm girl turned Navy wife.

And she shot skeet with a .410.

And usually won.

Forrest Scott Wood said:

Dan Hall said:

… the Kansas wind from blowing the blanket and picnickers away in the scale hurricanes we regularly get :slight_smile:

They need some friends, or kids, flying kites!

And, yes looks good. I’d have not thought about metal for the blanket. But here in the next state east we haven’t got quite the same winds, close, but not quite :slight_smile: Kites could likewise be metal on wire.

Great idea!