b'Given such skilled specialisation, the companys bread andHe chanced into model-making through hisrst job here butter has become architectural and engineering modelsfor a graphics and photography company, when a graphic for developments as far a eld as Fiji and Dubai. However,designer asked him to help out on a couple of architectural fun projects include making tombstones for thenancemodels. Steves childhood skills with kitset cars and trains industry: A set of baby gumboots or a tiny tree trunk tore-surfaced. Some months in a props studio gave him the mark out a major corporate transaction.grounding he needed to open his own business and, like Steve reckons that he spends about a quarter of themany local artisans, he bene ted from the glory time of projectguring out the approach, exploring the miniatureHercules and the big movieslmed Downunder. materials, and problem solving. Thetoolsofhistradearedeceptivelysimple:Fine Thats the fascination of this type of work; the mentalarchitectural plastics replace the cardboard of old, china activity and lateral thinking. Then you just do it.clay isred and hand painted for houses, wallboard plaster used to smooth contours and create rolling landscapes. HemodestlyreckonstheartistsjustgetlostintheEverydayResenesealerisusedovertheplaster,then handwork,likepaintingahousewhileyourmindlawns, beaches and landscapes are created using Resene wanders elsewhere. However, the level of detail suggeststestpots and enamelsSteve even reckons the ladies at more focus than that. And he wryly admits that a sense ofhis local Resene ColorShop know exactly which shades humour is essentialthree hours of painstaking work canhe needs for his projects, right down to the right tint of be undone in one false move.blue for a swimming pool or marina! An enticing palette While some of Steves team are the products of professionalof special modelling sandsin all shades of greens and architectural modelling training in the UK, most of hisbrownsis sprinkled on the still-wet enamel to create freelancershavecomefromvariedbackgroundsortexture, built up in increasingly coarse layers for planter hobbies such as Dungeons and Dragons gaming or modelbeds, bushes and more. railways. Steve himself trained inlm and TV productionA model is so much more engaging for people than some and still photography in his native Southern California. Hecomputery-through or simulation, says Steve. I think then wended his way to New Zealand with his family viawe respond models on a much more human level.a 15-year stop in Australia and a stint as a general handy- Resene Billy Tat-everything guy on Kangaroo Island (population 3500). Resene Yachting friends persuaded him to join them in buyingBreakwaterland on Great Barrier Island, but it took him 10 years toReseneHalf Sea Fog nally make it to New Zealand.| 103'