Tag Archives: Kris Kelvin

No admittance except on party business!

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. So begins The Hobbit, and this LEGO build of Bag End by Kris Kelvin looks just as a cozy as can be, overflowing with verdant foliage and a charmingly weather-beaten look. The flexible rubber elements make a fantastic rustic fence, while a patchwork road and pathway seem very appropriate to Hobbiton.

Bag End

A castle fortified with texture

This beautiful castle build by Margrabia Mokotowski brings all manner of LEGO texturing to bear. The walls of this fortress evoke so much tantalizing topography that I keep reaching into my computer screen to feel the stony stronghold. It gives the stone a worn, cobbled look, while still communicating the craftsmanship that went into the mason work. Moving down to the yard, it’s a slew of pine trees, flowers, and high grass. While properly giving off a proper “wilderness” vibe, the verdant patch still possesses some of the order we would see in nature: blotches of the same plants together, careful application of moss over the occasional crag, and climbing vines ascending the walls of the building. The wooden structure rising up from one of the ramparts has some brilliantly fashioned shingles on its roof, and I love the use of color to signify the slats comprising its walls. And the splash of blue and white striping along the hoarding is an excellent pop of color in a very green and gray scene.

Castle on a hill

Taking a look at the interior, there has been clear attention paid to keeping the wild brush out. The blues and whites continue to shine, especially at the main entrance marked with the classic shield and crossed spears. From this vantage, my favorite detail is visible: the giant chunk of wall missing on one of the tower’s corners. Such a fascinating addition that adds so much character to an already impressive build.

Castle on a hill

I’ve got a brand new combine harvester and I’ll give you the key

Well, it’s not exactly mine but if you ask the vehicle’s creator, Kris Kelvin, he might provide you with the key. This impressive LEGO build of a combine harvester perfectly recreates the details of the real-life farm vehicle. At the front, spikes are used as the forward prongs and red wagon wheels form part of the threshing drum with clip pieces attached to them. Minfigure neck brackets portray the headlights on the roof. The chute, sticking off the side, uses a red bucket to represent the tip of the funnel where the grain would be offloaded onto a trailer. The model appears to be in scale with minifigures and would be an ideal addition to any farm diorama.

Combine harvester

There’s lots to explore in this coral forest

Coral reefs are some of the most interesting and intricate ecosystems on the planet. Kris Kelvin has been able to capture this in Lego form thanks to his creative use of parts. There are a lot of hair pieces placed in the display, such as pink mohawks and bushy hair parts which are used to represent a variety of plant life. Curved elements, including sausages and claw pieces, portray the swaying tendrils of the aquatic vegetation. You might also spot some cheeky critters hiding within this coral forest. All these little details culminate in a beautifully built display. The model is great fun to look at as you can find something new every time.

Coral Reef

Not just your garden greenhouse

If you’ve never been to a botanical garden, you should go. As a kid, the first one I ever visited was the Butchart Gardens in British Columbia, Canada. I recall feeling like I had entered a wonderland. And as I saw the greenhouses, I realized I would never look at them the same way again. Since then, of course, I have been exposed to many large gardens and massive greenhouses, but I’ll never forget the beginning. This LEGO build by Kris Kelvin (Montgomery Burns) reminds me of that experience. It may be mostly veggies as opposed to flowers, but those big greenhouses sure are striking!

Greenhouse

The huge display is filled with nice element usage, especially through the implementation of minifigure parts and accessories. There are also a couple of fun touches for those keen to investigate closely. Although it’s not a new technique, I’m personally fond of the fence design. Apparently, this will be part of an even larger diorama, which we can’t wait to see in its entirety! In the meantime, check out some of this builder’s other excellent work.

What’s happening in the back alley

We’ve featured quite a few LEGO facades, but it’s surprising to see how much life might be behind these buildings. Kris Kelvin (Montgomery Burns) depicts the back lot of two buildings in excellent minifig-scale realism without sacrificing any detail or action. This diorama is bustling with new shipments of lobsters, Scala bottle elements, and pork chops. In addition to the goods, you’ll find dark tan tiles scattered across the sidewalks and air conditioners that really capture that city grime. There’s also a variety of bar and fence parts to create all sorts of railings, gates, and pipes throughout. We’ve spotted the use of some rare brown fence pieces incorporated into the tall gates of the lot entrance. And at the intersection, there’s a pair of stoplights supported by bar handles and lightsaber hilts.

In the backyard...

According to Kris, this build, along with an autumn garden, is part of a larger city diorama in progress. While we’re waiting to see it all come together, visit our archives for a look at some more detailed dioramas.

Small autumn garden, or maybe not so small at all

Kris Kelvin calls this creation a small autumn garden and I have to disagree with him on the small part. However, it is a really nice build, and it makes me realize that I probably should attend to my garden a bit more as it looks nowhere near as maintained as this LEGO garden does. Over the years, LEGO has released lots of fruits and vegetables. We’ve got cherries, apples, carrots, bananas, and pumpkins. But what is more fun than building your own vegetable plants? Kris used lavender studs with 3 leaves to create red cabbage or is it lollo rosso lettuce. He also made cauliflower using the same leaves part in green and a white swirl brick. And then there is the egg used as a white eggplant. Last but not least there are a lot of minifigure hair parts used as lettuce or cabbage, something LEGO has been doing for a while now too. I might have it all wrong, but this is how I identify the vegetables in this garden. What vegetables do you recognize?

In the garden...