I don't think anyone had them for very long. Those were the days before galvanized body panels and penetrating rust proofing. If the finish paint was so bad, you could just imagine how the beast would rust out in 3 or 4 years. I have a coffee table book with the "Worst Cars in the World" and the Pacer and Gremlin are in it.
Today I started planning in earnest for the little park triangle. I scaled a M2A3 Sherman in 1:48 to see how it would fit as a "park relic". It does fit. So I drew and will print some fence monument posts…simple print job…and purchased some nice ornate laser-cut fencing from Rail Scale Models. Some minimal landscaping would finish it off. Tamiya makes a nice line of 1:48 military models including old and new Sherman designs. It will be fun to do this. I will weather it just to fade the heck out of it. The tracks would be completely rusted. Road wheel tires would be a faded gray. I could put some tiny birds sitting on the gun barrel and some guano to emphasize the effect.
In addition to the columns I can draw and print (or purchase) some park benches. I need to get some more people, lots of people.
I had to measure the total perimeter before buying the fencing. It takes three packs. The notch in the lower right corner is relief for the watchman's tower that's in that spot. So even when I'm not in the basement I'm still creating.
And my number one grandson thinks I should put a mural on the big white wall of the Woodbourne Gallery. I woke up this morning thinking about how to approach that. I have some ideas, but not sure what way to go. I also have a friend who is an exceptional (professional) illustrated novel artist. I would love to have him do it, but am afraid of how much $$$ he should be paid to do it. I'll give it a shot myself and see if I can do something respectable. If I can't then I'll ask Willie for some help.
I would draw it all by hand, first with sketches, then a color study and then a full color rendering. I'm not comfortable with attempting to draw it digitally. Even though CorelDraw has the power to do "hand-drawn" styles, it's not where my skills lie. I'm a decent illustrator and DID originally go to Michigan State to be a automobile stylist. It could be fun. Now the question is, "once I have a finished drawing, what's the best way to transfer it to the building?" I can scan it and turn it into a decal(s) depending on how big it is. I could print it on paper and paste it to the wall. If you thin the paper from the back (Bar Mills style) if could conform to the wall and look like it was painted there. Or I could actually paint it directly on the wall… by far the riskiest approach. Let's see what happens.
