Tag Archives: Birgitte Jonsgard

A smorgas-burg of medieval life

This LEGO castle, Burg Birgstein, from builder Birgitte Jonsgard gives us a peek at what life may have been like in the Middle Ages! The castle flows upward with lovely focus points along the way, starting with the washer cleaning their clothes in the stream. Guards keep watch around the entrances, walls, and towers in the off-chance someone attacks. An owl perches atop some chimneys–even wildlife had things to do in a castle! The color blocking of this ancient fortress gives depth to each section. I love all the design choices of the build, but I’ve got to draw your attention to the twin peaks in the middle! These feature a clever use of a drill piece where the spikes give texture to the spires.

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Norwegian Swiss-style chalet, built in Danish bricks

“Sveitserhus” is the Norwegian name for the Swiss Chalet style of architecture popular across Northern Europe during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Nowadays in Norway, surviving houses of this style are usually painted in white, and that’s the colour scheme Birgitt Jonsgard has chosen for her beautiful LEGO version. This stark all-white model might initially look simple, but the level of texture in the house’s “woodwork” is particularly impressive — with the style’s signature detailing and fretwork given due attention.

LEGO Norwegian Architecture House

Birgitte has lavished as much care on the little details as on the house’s structure itself. Don’t miss the flowers in the garden, and the interior curtains and blinds, and the various furnishings visible through the windows…

LEGO Norwegian House details

Danish materials make a painterly masterpiece

There’s little doubt that LEGO building is an art form all of its own. But sometimes it’s nice to see a LEGO builder produce a composition which echoes the subjects and styles of the classic arts. That’s exactly what Birgitte Jonsgard has done with this stunning still life of a vase of flowers — the subject could not be more traditional, and the style and colour scheme evokes a painterly feel. However, those brick-built flowers are beautiful LEGO creations, challenging assumptions around what can be realistically modelled in our favourite bricks. The sheer variety of shapes on display here is impressive, and the fallen pink petal is a final delicious touch of detail on a beautiful creation.

LEGO Still Life Flowers

His thoughts are his companions

In Norse mythology, the god Oden is accompanied by two ravens; one named Hugin and the other named Munin. Respectively, their names mean “thought” and “memory,” and as legend goes, they fly the world by day and return to Oden at night to tell what they learn. This beautiful LEGO representation of Hugin is the work of builder Birgitte Jonsgard. It is one of the best brick-built birds I have ever seen. She did a truly lovely job on the body-shaping, and yes, his wings do unfold!

Hugin the RavenAlso check out Birgitte’s still life art in LEGO form!