About Lino

Lino is an artist, humorist, and occasional responsible adult. He is the co-founder of a challenge-based LEGO car club called LUGNuts which boasts over 1100 members worldwide. He proposed automotive building challenges every month for ten years (120 challenges!) which he and the other members built accordingly. LUGNuts has retired its challenges on its 10th anniversary but still remains a cornerstone for LEGO automotive builders. Between his artistic work and LEGO builds, Lino has been published in several books, including Beautiful LEGO, Beautiful LEGO: Dark, and Beautiful LEGO: Wild. He lives in Washington with his girlfriend and dogs.

Posts by Lino

The enchanting Devil’s Bridge

Ralf Langer tells us that he has built a LEGO version of the Rakotzbrücke in Germany and I was like; yep, you totally pulled that off nicely, dude. It looks just like it! Pretending I knew what I was talking about lasted nearly five seconds before I turned to Google to figure out; what the heck is a Rakotzbrücke? It turns out it’s a man-made bridge that was built over a lake in Kromalu Park. The arched bridge is designed to create a perfect circle when it reflects in the still waters below. It’s also known as the Devil’s Bridge due to the belief that the magical circle must be the hands of the devil. Oh, cool! Now we all know something. I’m loving the dark still water and the overall dreadful mood of this eerie creation.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

This flower mantis wants you to put up your dukes

This LEGO flower mantis built by Takamichi Irie is so pretty. It’s also deadly if you happen to be its prey…or a male flower mantis. I’m not sure whether I want to fight it or kiss it. Either way, it’s probably best I keep a safe distance from anything that would bite my head off after mating, not that I’d be into that sort of thing. (Well, that got awkward fast!) While you’re mulling over how that would work out, take a look at why we are so smitten by anything Takamichi does. On second thought, maybe I can give this pretty flower mantis just a tiny smooch. What can go wrong?

2021 was the year Nannan made Contact

2021 brought us problems we would have never fathomed a few years ago. It was a year of civil unrest and a slew of COVID variants that’ll probably have us covering our mask-holes in public indefinately. But 2021 had brought us some great things as well. Right at the tail end of that year, The Brothers Brick alumni Nannan Zhang built this piece he calls Contact. It was inspired by something Jan Woznica built a couple months ago that ended up becoming The Brothers Brick’s 2021 Creation of the Year. It’s a fine thing to be inspired by and Nannan recreates the style nicely with his verion. I’m loving the minty green elements and the simple yet striking composition. I find it exciting when one great builder pays homage to another.

A LEGO Sopwith Camel fit for any museum display

Sometimes a LEGO creation comes along that is both well detailed and informative. Such as the case with this amazing 1/9.2 scale Sopwith Camel built by James Cherry. This mostly uncovered model is suitable enough to draw a crowd in any museum. The wingspan is 94cm (over 3 feet!). Even the greenery is interesting in the sense that we’ve never seen this used for grass before. It’s easy to assume from this photo that this model is merely a replica based on the 10266 Sopwith Camel set from 2012. However…

…click this link to see a comparison

Still good, even if the gingerbread is a little stale

Christmas has passed but that doesn’t stop us from still drinking egg nog and nibbling on gingerbread cookies. Calories be damned! Am I right? With that in mind, we couldn’t resist featuring this festive LEGO gingerbread stagecoach built by Kristel Whitaker. It has everything you could love in a Christmas-y creation; candy canes, pastries, cute ponies, and a lovely frosted stagecoach and gingerbread driver. There are even some carrots for those who couldn’t be bothered with holiday sweets. I don’t know about you, but I’m smitten. While I sip a spiked egg nog, you can check out all the other times we were smitten by the stuff Kristel has built.

Happiness is a puppy under the Christmas tree

Dog owners know how much joy a new doggie brings to the household. They can be a lot of work at times, they get into things you wouldn’t even imagine, but when your new pup finally settles in that’s when the magic happens. LEGO builder Timofey Tkachev likely knows what I mean as evidenced by this darling little fur baby under the tree. That playful expression, the squeaky ball, even the DOTS watchband used as a collar are all brilliant details.

You can see this precious little scamp from all angles with this short video.

Just a slice of medieval life

To say that I’m intrigued by this LEGO layout built by td_brix is an understatement. The path comes from a destination unknown. It traverses through this outpost in the middle of the water, then leads out of the composition again to another unknown destination. Why is it here? Where does the path lead? Who lives here? This little slice of medieval life proposes more questions than answers. But still, it is a pretty stellar thing. I’m enamored by the highly textured three-tiered roof. I want to live here, even for just a weekend or so. If this were an Airbnb, I’d book this place in a minute!

Ian Ying is the Cool-One now

Any fans of Hotwheels will recognize the stubby, radically customized twin-engined ice truck cast called Cool-One. It’s one of my fave molds. In fact, I built my own LEGO version of it way back in the day. My research says it didn’t get featured here. Maybe it just wasn’t cool enough. Anyway, Ian Ying is here to remedy that and give this Cool-One his own LEGO treatment. I’m digging the stance, the colors, and the chromed-out rims are an excellent touch. A confident builder will supply his source material in the photo just as Ian did here. I’m smitten! It wasn’t the first time, either. Check out why Ian Ying is so darn cool.

The office building that looks like an office copier

LEGO builder Milan Sekiz tells us that this is their first attempt at Brutalist architecture. I’ve seen plenty of Brutalist architecture in person, plus I’ve taken a few architecture courses in college so I know a bit about the subject but let’s consult Google as to what they say about it. Brutalism is generally characterized by its rough, unfinished surfaces (check!), unusual shapes,(check!) heavy-looking materials,(check!) straight lines,(check!) and small windows (yes!). It seems by all accounts, Milan has achieved Brutalism. I like the very orderly gardens flanking the building and the vines creeping up the middle of it are a nice touch. It adds a bit of warm nature to this otherwise cold and imposing structure. I can’t help thinking that it looks a bit like an office copier, or better yet, someone’s inbox that is chock full of…Brutalism. OK, I’ll admit that I probably should have thought that analogy through. But do you have a better one?

While you’re thinking that over, go ahead and check out the other stuff Milan Sekiz has built and while you’re at it take a look at our Architecture archives including some very neat Brutalist designs.

The Temple of Technology demands your time

This kinetic LEGO structure by Sheo has presented a rare instance in which I’d rather not flap my piehole about it and allow the creation to speak for itself. It’s called the Temple of Technology and is part of a series of modular buildings Sheo has constructed.

I can assure you the magic of this creation is best seen in motion so be sure to watch the video. That use of the clock hands is just brilliant!

Keep on logging, Mr. Spijkhoven

Some legends just keep on trucking. This LEGO creation by LegoMathijs is a model of a KrAZ-255, a rough and tumble off-road truck that was in production from 1967 to 1994. That real-life inspiration alone is enough to call this build legendary and with excellent detailing and suitably rugged terrain, that would be an apt moniker for it. But this model is also inspired by Ingmar Spijkhoven. More than a year after his passing, other builders are still finding inspiration from the pivotal truck builder. It just goes to show that some legends never die, really. I’m smitten and I think Ingmar would be too.

A rough quickie with the Maverick RS

Martin Vala tells us he was looking for “some quick joy”. I think he found it in the Can-Am Maverick RS buggy. I would love to drive this thing hard while hopping along sand dunes! Martin tells us he whipped this up in only two nights and thankfully just in time for the Dakar Rally races coming up January 2nd through the 14th. It would seem this particular LEGO builder has been off our radar until now. However, a quick perusal through his Flickr photostream proves he’s going to be a builder we’ll surely keep a close eye on from now on.

See it in glorious detail from nearly every angle with this short video.