He might be better known as a Star Wars builder, but I’ve really been enjoying Amado Canlas Pinlac‘s floral builds of late. The quality is super consistent and super high – they’ve even been exhibited at the LEGO House in Billund! The latest addition to the garden is this Amazon Exotic Flora. I’ve no idea if this is an accurate representation of the real thing, or if it is even a real plant at all! All I know is, it’s beautiful, and I would love one on my mantelpiece…
Even the most experienced squirrel would struggle to break into these pine cones! Skillfully created by Amado Canlas Pinlac, the three pine cones have realistic shapes with a sprinkling of snow upon them. Claw pieces are heavily featured in the builds and portray the segmented sections of the pine cones. Surprisingly, ice-cream parts have been used to represent the pointed tips, which provides the models with an organic look to them. These pine cones could easily be used as Christmas ornaments and would fit in comfortably with other decorations hanging from a tree.
Flowers are a frequent subject of artists and photographers, capturing the many brilliant colors of nature. LEGO artists are no exception, as the many bright colors available can be combined with stunning results. Amado Canlas Pinlac has chosen a more monochrome palette for this model of baby blues. The curved bricks provide wonderfully textured petals and the white planter box is simple, yet effective in giving the model a sense of scale.
We all know that shopping for that perfect gift can be a real nightmare. Sure, shopping online has made things a lot nicer. But sometimes you still have to go out into the crowds and fight hand-to-hand for those discounted LEGO sets that you a loved one really wants. It can be hazardous, particularly if someone else tries to shove you out of the way. So why not take some precautions? For example, you could don the wearable Roman Centurion armor that Amado Canlas Pinlac created.
Built from an interlocking mesh of ball-jointed plates, it’s the rich colors and decoration that really make this a stand-out piece of art. Dark red 2×2 tiles resonate well with a myriad of gold elements. There are plant stems, rounded tiles, and even carriage wheels.
Repeated blocks of curved slopes feature heavily on the shoulders and back. Golden window lattices and minifigure weapons help define geometric patterns on the rear as well.
Okay, maybe this isn’t something that would be super-practical to wear while fighting for bargains. But I bet if you did, it would be a huge distraction to the other shoppers. And while they’re asking “how long did it take you to make that?” you can make off with all the best sets. Victory is assured!
You can read our interview with Amado here.
Inevitably there are some nights when, just as we’re finally drifting off to sleep, we are jostled awake by startling and unpleasant thoughts. Did I pay that gas bill? Did the dog go potty before bed? Is that Eric Porterfield behind the hamper? You may as well just write off sleep for the rest of the night once you get going with that. Amado Canlas Pinlac has built one such unsettling thing to give you the heebie-jeebies right before falling asleep.
The giant red centipede (Scolopendra Heros) can reach up to 8 inches (200mm) in length and lives in the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Amado’s version is three times that size and lives wherever it damn well pleases, like in your sock drawer! Sleep tight.
Our continuing adventures led us to track down and interrogate Amado Canlas Pinlac (aka AC Pin). Amado was born in Angeles City in the Philippines, and works in the Information Technology field with previous employment with overseas airlines. He has called East Brunswick, New Jersey home for the last fifteen years, where he lives with his wife Marleth and their three sons, Milton, Marlowe and Myreon. Amado credits the support of his wife for being where he is today!
TBB: Can you tell us how you got into LEGO?
AC: First and foremost I’ve been a Star Wars fan/geek way before LEGO introduced the SW line, as I collected the Star Wars action figures, vehicles, and sets. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise for those who’ve known me over the years that I love to build Star Wars dioramas. In fact I’ve done Action Figure dioramas and was affiliated with various SW fan sites which featured them before I even started with LEGO. One of the problems/drawbacks that I’ve had to contend with the Action Figure dioramas was there was very little or none of the re-usability factor. Around that time, when I was growing disinterested with Action Figures, LEGO started producing the first SW sets.