One of my favourite types of LEGO creation is those that you can stare at for hours and never look at the same bit twice. Take this lively Chinatown square by the Escalona brothers David and Diego, which is to become part of a larger collaborative project. To me it is reminiscent of the Ninjago City modular sets – so much going on, and yet there is a perfect balance of eye candy and space to keep it from feeling overcrowded.
Let’s explore some more of this colourful district…
The early noughties were a weird time for LEGO. The now ever-present Star Wars line had only just got going, the company had started making action figures with varying degrees of success, and the cheese slope hadn’t been invented yet. The Xalax sub-theme of the Racers line was just another oddity to come out of Denmark during this period, and has been pretty universally derided ever since. Enter Djokson, who has been using his mastery of inventive parts use to redeem the theme over the last year or so. This time, he’s turned his attention to 4569 Warrior.
The use of a Duplo arch brick as a huge air intake makes it look suitably aggressive while the stickers add a futuristic flair. The colour scheme is perfectly executed, and faithful to the original set as well. Red and purple? How retro is that! (All the more impressive when you realize how few parts are available in that now-retired hue simply called “purple”.)
It can be argued that the best art is that which invokes an emotional response. This otherworldly LEGO “Arbitrator” by Aidan (AjRed17) certainly does make me feel… Something, but I can’t put my finger on what. Is it the creeps from those spindly arms holding up a balance scale? Is it awe inspired by the clever use of an old gray tyre for the face? Or am I simply hypnotised by the Gungan shield which resembles a solitary eye? I’ll let you be the judge…
The spring equinox has just been and gone, so the days are getting longer and summer is on its way. To get us in the mood, Grant Davis has crafted an idyllic-looking bit of LEGO coastline. The still pictures on their own are already making me long for a bit more sunshine (especially having just been through the Finnish winter!), but these only tell half the story…
See what secret lies in the water…
According to Joe (jnj_bricks), this delightful mediaeval house is a “forgotten forest dwelling.” But with such bright colours, I certainly won’t be forgetting it any time soon! The reddish brown and tan walls aren’t exactly unusual in castle-themed builds, but the purple roof, lime green terrain and yellow foliage really make the whole thing pop. It’s more than just a colour experiment (as Joe himself describes it), as there’s some great parts usage and techniques in there. The walls and ceiling are haphazard enough to enhance the fantastical feel, but the highlight has to be the use of book covers as detailing on the eaves!
As much as I like LEGO’s current crop of Creator 3-in-1 sets, I have fond memories as a child of building Creator and Designer sets that sometimes had instructions for 8 or 9 different builds. I wonder if Firas Abu-Jaber has the same longing… Not content with re-shaping 10295 Creator Expert Porsche 911 into a Corvette Stingray, Lamborghini Countach and a Porsche 911 Turbo S, his latest iteration of the set has turned out a gorgeous Ford GT40 MkI.
The GT40 is famous for winning the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race four times on the bounce, and the model depicted here is the Mark I which achieved the feat in ’68 and ’69. Confusingly, those came after the MkII and MkIV victories, while the poor MkIII never got a look in as a road car! The MkI wins were closely fought with Porsche, who would go on to dominate endurance racing, so there’s a hint of irony that this Ford is repurposed from the German marque. Not that you would know it from looking at it – I did a double-take when I read the description. I mean, it’s even got a fully-fledged interior and engine!
So counting the 911 Targa, I make that a 6-in-1 set so far… Here’s hoping we get to see more re-imaginings from Firas soon!
As the owner of a classic Mini, any LEGO model of the world’s favourite small car (shush, VW Beetle fans!) is likely to pique my interest. So how do you top that? Well, as pixeljunkie demonstrates, you build the Mini’s revolutionary interior as well!
This exploded view actually reminds me of a cutaway Mini that currently resides in the London Science Museum, originally made for the Mini’s launch in 1959. Much of the promotional material for the Mini focussed on the tiny size that its innovative packaging allowed, and that pixeljunkie shows off so well here. The construction is faithful to the real car: front and rear subframes, seating with floor pan, and the bodyshell. And of course, a superbly detailed A-series engine in the front! 
Much like the real thing, it’s amazing how much you can squeeze into such a small space!
Starry Night is arguably one of Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous works (so much so that it’s going to be getting a LEGO set soon). lego_nuts, however, has chosen the painter’s Bedroom in Arles work as the setting for their latest masterpiece. Not content with simply recreating the artwork, front and center is a super facsimile of Van Gogh himself, hard at work on his easel. The sculpting of the whole scene is terrific, but the most striking aspect is the fascinating textures that are everywhere you look. The builder says this was a deliberate decision to replicate the signature post-impressionism look, and the result is a true work of art!
Here’s a theory: animals and sci-fi make for a perfect mix. Don’t believe me? Check out this trio of LEGO vehicles courtesy of Devid VII! They are all named after animals, all feature relatively limited colour palettes, and all look amazing. First up is the Froggy, whose ball-jointed feet remind of the Tachikoma that have inspired so many brilliant LEGO creations:
Were it not for the sirens and lights on the roof, I would have assumed this LEGO Ford Econoline van by Isaac Wilder was just a regular van with a cool stripe on it (you know, for speed). In fact, this is a model of a conversion from van to ambulance (Vanbulance?), dubbed the Collins Crusader or, more affectionately, the ‘Boo Boo Bus’ – which is a name I will start using more often now I’ve heard it!
Isaac is no stranger when it comes to the superb shaping of vehicles, and while one would think a van’s boxy shape would lend itself easily to a rendition in LEGO bricks, the various pieces pointing in different directions here show it can be deceptively complex. So much so that a few cut decals have been used to pull off some of the more minute details such as the red stripe and A-pillars. There’s no doubt that the effect is well worth the effort though!
This is not the first 1972 Econoline he’s built, either – the first one having been modified from a LEGO Avengers set. It’s always nice to see builders revisit their previous models, especially when the result is this good!