Tag Archives: Andreas Lenander

A Colibri of the highest calibre

I do sometimes wonder where Andreas Lenander gets his inspiration for some of his more fantastical LEGO creations. Part of the fun is taking a guess, and for this one, I’m somehow getting a vibe of mythical Mesoamerican deities. It looks like some form of bird, but equally, it also looks like… Not quite a bird? The strange foliage and dragonfly-esque creature next to it certainly evoke somewhere exotic. Perhaps it’s a cousin of Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent. As a matter of fact, Andreas has named this piece ‘Kolibri’, and Wikipedia tells me that Colibri is a genus of birds with brightly-coloured plumage from Central and South America. Hey, maybe my hunch isn’t that far off after all!

Kolibri

Architectural grandeur infused into a Great Ball Contraption

Another impressive creation from TBB regular Andreas Lenander, this LEGO build of what appears to be an aqueduct offers more depth than its striking foliage and eye-catching architectural design might suggest at first glance. This build marks Andreas’ debut in the realm of Great Ball Contraptions, a term commonly abbreviated “GBC” in LEGO enthusiast circles.

Aqueduct GBC-module

In this GBC module, the LEGO ball follows a pathway mimicking the flow of water from start to finish. Be sure to check out the video below of this GBC module in action, and explore some of the other LEGO Great Ball Contraption models that have been featured here on TBB.

Check out the model in action as well.

Plastic peril: Unveiling greed in LEGO form

Greed can be a divisive topic: what one person sees as greedy can be viewed as merely desire or the pursuit of success by another. In this model, TBB regular Andreas Lenander employs artistic expression, using the ubiquitous light bluish gray LEGO to depict a hand drained of its life essence. Contrasted with red and maroon bricks, it shows the negative result that can arise from gripping the pursuit of wealth too tightly. The builder skillfully incorporates sought-after LEGO parts to emphasize the object of greed: the pearl gold ingot and chrome gold ring, which most LEGO enthusiasts recognize as “The One Ring” from the Lord of the Rings theme. With all that gold, is this perhaps a retort to a treasure chest we covered recently?

Greed...

And we’ve got plenty more of Andreas Lenander’s LEGO creations in our archives.

A LEGO memento mori

The imagery of nature reclaiming things is one that pervades all forms of art. Andreas Lenander has used his talents as a LEGO builder (and, indeed, as an artist) to bring us this latest take on the subject. This is an instance where repeated use of a single part really adds to a build. In this instance, the many olive green leaf parts give the effect of hundreds of little plants growing everywhere, while the vines made from whips drive home the overgrown aspect of the build.

Nature will prevail...

A thick’un of a chicken!

LEGO or not, nothing screams Easter like baby chicks and ovoid objects. Andreas Lenander smashes the two together to create an avian friend that’s an absolute unit! The sculpting of its yellow egg of a body is spot-on, deftly applying all kinds of curved slopes to emulate a tangle of feathers. Two comically small wings stick out to either side, tipped with leaf parts in orange. And I love the pop of feathers sticking out the top of the bird’s head. But most notably, I just can’t get over that derpy face that would feel right at home in the Angry Birds franchise. It’s a great use of one of my favorite parts for character creation: the white technic ball with an eye print. Happy Easter, everyone!

Happy easter...

Harboring good builds

Last month I wrote about Andreas Lenander’s desert port, and now he’s already back with another waterfront LEGO medieval build. This one seems to be more inspired by Venice, but it’s every bit as wonderful, absolutely chock full of great techniques and little details. For instance, don’t miss the black wands, still attached to their sprue, that are used as the bars on the top windows, or the dark tan skates that are used as details throughout, from the roofline to the inside of the main arches.

Cedrica - GoH 10 year celebration

The trade winds blow in this desert port

TBB regular Andreas Lenander takes us to a desert port of commerce, and while it’s a lovely LEGO scene at first glance, the details bear close examination. There are obvious points of excellence like the stonework that just has the right amount of weathering or the gently curving hull of the trading vessel, but I’ve got my eye on those beautiful palm trees, which might be the best LEGO palms I’ve ever seen. And of course, let’s not leave out that beautiful blue domed roof on the tower made with tails.

Port of Mophet

A LEGO headdress from a forgotten time

No stranger to excellent LEGO bricksmanship, Andreas Lenander travels back to southern Mexico in the 1500s for his latest build. For the Aztecs of that time, feathers were of great importance and were frequently used to make intricate headwear such as this. Birds were seen as beasts of great power, were central in the story of the founding of Tenochtitlan, and were a part of their belief in rebirth after death. It’s no wonder that Lenander goes to great lengths to use a variety of feather parts in this headdress. The shaping is astounding, and pairs perfectly with the golden filigree and tri-leaf pieces used throughout.

Aztec skull

A bright idea to help icy explorations

What’s the biggest problem with exploring icy terrain? Ice melts. Thankfully, Andreas Lenander has devised a solution to hot lights shining on the cold terrain. This Nocturnal Ice Rover uses state of the art illumination technology (i.e glow-in-the-dark 1×2 plates) to light the way. Unfortunately, glow-in-the-dark tech only lasts so long, which keeps the exploration missions brief.

Nocturnal Ice Rover

But while you’re waiting for the lights to recharge, you can check out the video below where Andreas walks you through the full vehicle specs.

A tiny rover with some big time wheels

Febrovery is usually a time for LEGO builders to break out their biggest and best tire pieces. But Andreas Lenander has a knack for approaching the theme just a little differently. Last year, Andreas wowed us with an impressive set of bubble wheels, and this year it’s a rover with brick-built wheels, using a technique I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Round 1×2 plates and many curved arc tiles blend beautifully to craft a set of hollow wheels for a rover that’s so cool it barely needs any central vehicle parts at all.

MaccaRover

Look to the skies and you might spy a dragon

Dragons are always cool, especially when they hang out at high altitudes among the clouds. Andreas Lenander delivers a LEGO bust of a bright red dragon with beautiful details and colors. He uses curving slopes to give the dragon the appearance of scales. You can see this to great effect on the dragon’s throat where the slopes serve this purpose most expertly. There’s some good use of gold pieces to give the dragon a regal look, especially on the whiskers! Because of the clever use of curving pieces, the whole build has a nice flow, like the wind is blowing past the dragon. The cloud base itself has some nice curvy lines to it, giving it a fluffy sort of appearance. You can take a closer look at this build by checking out the video Andreas released for it. He gives some of his own insights, while showing the build from different angles.

Sky dragon

Shibl Al’Asad likely won’t be coming back for this temple

While this palatial LEGO waterfront property built by Andreas Lenander boasts fabulous natural light, and a glorious open floor plan, it is listed on Zillow as abandoned. It is also brimming with lion cubs, which could explain how the Abandoned Temple of Shibl Al’Asad may have become abandoned. I mean, seriously, it is now one helluva cat box and I don’t think Shibl Al’Asad will be coming back for it anytime soon. Still, I can’t help loving the impressive build techniques, palm trees, and dense vegetation. It seems to be an oasis amid a barren desert wasteland. Also, among all the feline chicanery and canoodling, there is a bovine calf hidden in plain sight. Can you spot it?

Abandoned temple of Shibl Al'Asad