About Patrick

Patrick (aka MassEditor) has called a few places home, but now settles amidst the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. A fan of LEGO as a kid, Patrick left his dark ages behind in 2013 when his wife purchased him a Pirates set for Christmas. She's regretted the purchase ever since. Patrick builds mostly in the castle genre as a member of the Guilds of Historica on Eurobricks. He is an active member of ArkLUG. When he's not building a castle or swamp out of LEGO, Patrick enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two dogs. You can see his work on Flickr here.

Posts by Patrick

Paris is always a good idea, especially in LEGO bricks

First time travelers to Paris cannot be blamed for spending the majority of their visit strolling the bistro-lined Champs Elysees or marveling at the wonders of the Eiffel Tower and Louvre. While these sites are staples in Parisian tourism, some of the city’s most beautiful spots can be found up the hill in Montmartre. This village within a city is best known for its rich history, bohemian vibe, and engaging nightlife. Legendary artists such as Renoir, Monet, and Picasso once resided here. Focusing on more recent times, Toltomeja has recreated the steep hills and iconic Parisian architecture in this LEGO diorama of a typical Montmartre scene. It’s a colorful and charming build, seemingly brought to life with plenty of little details (the clock is a personal favorite). This scene is sure to stir the heart of anyone who’s ever visited.

Montmartre

Legend of Zelda’s Poe is hauntingly cool

Legend of Zelda fans are sure to enjoy this Poe Soul by Julius von Brunk. With its customary lantern and mischievous gaze, Hyrule’s favorite apparition looks no less troublesome recreated in LEGO-form. The outstretched hands and flowing, smoke-like base of this hooded wraith conveys a sense of movement, as if this Poe has been plucked straight from the TV screen. Poe’s torn hood is even represented here, and it features just the right amount of detail. While they might be one of the game’s more annoying enemies, this LEGO version of Poe is a delight to see.

Legend of Zelda Poe Spirit

When butterflies flutter without care, spring must be in the air

It’s been a long and bitter winter for those of us in the northern hemisphere. But the official start of spring is just a month away and signs of this most rejuvenating of seasonal changes are already in the air. Dario Minisini has an idea of what awaits us with a colorful scene featuring two of spring’s dramatis personae, the butterfly and seeding dandelion. The windborne seedlings add a sense of movement to the creation, almost photo-like in its composition. For the spring people out there, there’s no doubt this bright image will have them hankering for more.

Horizon Zero Dawn’s Watcher is no less fearsome recreated in LEGO

When Sony released Guerrilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn for Playstation 4 back in 2017, I knew right away it was going to inspire some awesome LEGO creations based on the terrifying dinosaur-like robots which serve as the game’s main focus. Accomplished German builder Marius Herrmann was quick to take the challenge with his spectacular Shell-Walker, Corruptor and Thunderjaw. Once again Marius does not disappoint with his latest addition to the Zero Dawn line up, the Watcher recon unit.

Watcher (from "Horizon Zero Dawn")

It may be puny compared to other machines in the game, but don’t be fooled. The Watcher can be a ferocious opponent, especially in numbers. Marius brings the Watcher to life with some great techniques and clever parts usage (such as the roller skates used to add a little extra texture to the tail). Those glowing eyes are perfectly creepy, too. Considering Marius’ successful endeavor to build every Titanfall 2 mech, I’m keeping my fingers crossed he’ll bring us even more from the Zero Dawn universe.

A month of deals at Honest Joe’s Used Rovers

For the past several years LEGO space enthusiasts have been getting together on Flickr each February to showcase planetary exploration rovers of all shapes and sizes. While it’s not a contest, as the month draws down one builder, in particular, is standing out as the unmistakable leader of this year’s Febrovery event. US-based builder Frost has certainly been no slouch with one new eye-catching rover after another each day so far. We’ve already featured his glamorous P6R, but now is a great time to highlight some of the other fantastic rovers he’s added to the current lineup. Here’s one which looks as if it was made specifically for a space-faring Clark Griswold:

FebRovery 2019 Day 14

This thing is ugly, but in a really good way. The lime-green body, wood paneling and gold trim grants a rather funky, 70’s vibe. I wouldn’t be surprised to find an eight-track player and shag carpet inside this futuristic station wagon. Further down the line, Frost’s two-wheeled rover is ready to cover some ground with its single axle, Segway-esque design: Continue reading →

A full service station for all your LEGO automotive needs

Growing up in and around automotive repair shops, I feel some nostalgia anytime I catch the scent of fresh engine oil or hear the whirring of an impact gun. So naturally, Chris Rozek’s charming vintage car garage caught my attention. It’s an atmospheric scene thanks to the lighting and little details scattered around the shop.

MOC LEGO Vintage Car Garage

You know, actually working on old cars isn’t too much different than building with LEGO. Sometimes you follow the instructions. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you just give up entirely and never return. Also, opportunities for creativity can be as unlimited as the most vulgar of vocabularies. There is one rather important difference, however, of which my wife constantly reminds me — compared to fixing up old cars, LEGO has the rare honor of being the cheaper hobby.

We began as wanderers, and we are wanderers still

Fifteen years of unprecedented discovery came to an official end last week when NASA bid a final and touching farewell to its Opportunity rover. The announcement was marked by profound, even personal, loss for those who followed the rover’s journey across the Martian landscape. Outpourings of sorrow for the fallen explorer prevailed as at any funeral. I’ve seen few remembrances, however, as expressive or poignant as one shared in LEGO form by Stefan Schindler.

Farewell, Opportunity

With her mission over, Opportunity appears to be guided by Curiosity, who alone remains to carry on the mission. Awaiting Opportunity is her departed twin, Spirit, and Sojourner, the first to land and travel on the red planet. There is a subtle, almost heartbreaking glance between Opportunity and Spirit. As if a few more discoveries would have made her inevitable end a little easier. It’s a small but incredibly eloquent scene, both honoring the history of the Mars program while conveying its current hope.

Move over Blacktron; Pinktron P6R is the new rover in town

For LEGO space enthusiasts, February means one thing – no, not flowers or romantic getaways, but space exploration rovers! It’s Febrovery once again, which means we’re seeing a ton of space-themed vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Although we’ve featured a few already, I’ve found a new personal favorite with this stylish and adorable rover by Frost.

Febrovery 2019 Day 8

The heavy-duty axles, all-terrain tires and bulky frame give this rover a seriously rugged and capable look. The coloration is unique and looks surprisingly good. But don’t let the pink trim fool you – this six-wheeled rig is ready to rock and roll!

AR-31 Swordfish cuts though air and enemies alike

No stranger to building wonderful and totally imaginative aircraft, Jon Hall brings us a gull-wing fighter plane that looks like a cross between a Corsair from World War II and a Star Wars TIE fighter. Like so many of his other aerial creations, Jon’s latest flyer – dubbed the AR-31 “Swordfish” – is exquisitely designed and presented. From the inverted gull wings and functional-looking pontoons to the bright color scheme and exposed engine components, this torpedo-armed seaplane has so much to love.

AR-31 Swordfish

The wings and twin boom give the aircraft an undeniably sleek look, despite the bulbous fuselage. This plane and others by the builder are reminiscent of the Second World War and even interwar periods. Back then, aircraft designers went wild with all types of unique and downright crazy prototypes (see the French Breguet 410 or the USSR’s weird but intrepid Zveno Project). Jon’s planes, however, are completely and 100 percent original. In fact, one of his nicest touches is also developing the world in which they exist. It’s a fun addition that always leaves me wanting more.

AR-31 Swordfish

These backstories and cinematic photos help bring these awesome creations to life. When it comes to this style of building – called “Sky-Fi” in the LEGO community – Jon is no doubt an ace. Check out many other great creations on his Flickr.

Color and light blend beautifully in this Medieval city

Fantasy castle building often leans towards the creation of dark, gloomy and foreboding places in which one would not lightly tread. Master castle builder Jonas Wide usually takes a different route, however, using cheerful splashes of color to create incredibly warm and welcoming scenes. This style is definitely evident in his latest creation, the Houses of Barqa:

Houses in Barqa

The buildings are elegantly designed and laid out, but the real star of this show is the use of color. If there’s been a better use of sand red, I haven’t seen it. The pastel palette blends so well with the more subtle tan/dark tan foundations and street. Taken together, it’s a gorgeous and eye-catching scene. Clever use of lighting also makes for some atmospheric and quite realistic looking images.

Houses in Barqa

If Jonas’ city leaves you wishing for more, definitely check out his amazing Streets of Barqa from several years ago or last year’s Aslanic Temple in Barqa.

Tropical paradise is a plea for warmer weather

Those of us in the northwestern hemisphere have had a tough time lately, what with the polar vortex, record-shattering temperatures (as low as -63 degrees Celsius at my mom’s house in Winnipeg, Canada) and unrelenting snow and ice. Even here in southwestern Arkansas, where winter generally just means anything below 10 degrees Celsius, we were racing to buy wintry garments normally only seen in movies about Alaska. On the flip side, the nasty weather meant more time shamelessly spent in the LEGO room. I built this tropical scene while daydreaming about places where I don’t have to leave faucets running for fear of water pipes bursting inside my home.

DSC_0162-6

This was a simple but fun build to throw together. There are no crazy techniques or excessively nice parts usages (NPU) to highlight here. But a dash of color, proper composition and a bit of photography know-how can just about always turn a bland build into something that really catches the eye. If you like the trees, they are easily recreated using the 4mm pneumatic hose and cylinder bricks. They can be twisted around each other and held in that position with the leaf elements. Simple and easy jungle tree!

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, unless it’s a Trojan horse

The story of the Trojan horse is one of the most well known in ancient Hellenic lore. In the classical version, following a fruitless and decade-long siege of the city of Troy, the Greeks constructed a gigantic wooden horse in which they had hidden their finest warriors. The Greeks feigned defeat, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night, the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, ending the war. It was a brilliant coup, though historians have argued its veracity ever since. Regardless of whether or not the Trojan horse actually existed, Martin Harris wonderfully brings the story to life in LEGO form with his depiction of that fateful gift-giving moment.

WOW, look what they left us

One has to admire the simple but imposing Trojan walls and gate, which stood up to 10 years of determined Greek attacks (the angled walls are a great touch, though a bit more landscaping around the bottom edge would help break up the abrupt edges). The Trojans lined up along the battlements and the Greeks laboriously pushing the horse depict the sheer scale of this creation. Continue reading →