Tag Archives: Peacocks

Earthly Phoenix is a heavenly LEGO creation

In Chinese mythology, the peacock is seen as the earthly manifestation of the legendary phoenix, fènghuáng. Builder Jim Jo combines imagery of heaven and earth for this incredible LEGO tribute to the majestic bird.  The peacock model is striking on its own, especially the cascading tail made from an alternating series of 2×1 plates and 1×1 rounds. The use of color is incredible as blues fade into greens. (We’ve noted before, Jim is a master of color!)

De fènghuáng (The Earthly Phoenix)

“De fènghuáng” is perched across a blossoming branch. In order to support the weight of the bricks,  Jim constructed the branch around a custom metal armature.  The pixel moon is built on a transparent baseplate so that it can be backlit. Sculpture, mosaic, and still life come together for a creation as heavenly as the phoenix.

 

 

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A(nother) peacock’s plume in bloom – this time dressed all in white

You may recall that this time last year, we featured a colourful LEGO peacock courtesy of Joe Lam. Since then, said peacock has gone on to be displayed at the LEGO House in Denmark – leaving poor Joe peacock-less. The solution? Build another! And it’s just as pretty as the first one. It uses a similar technique for the tail, being made up of leaf and foliage parts. But the monochromatic colour choice of white gives it an altogether different feel. This time, the colours are confined to the base, creating a lovely contrast, and drawing the eye towards this bird’s sole bit of colour: its eye. Hopefully we will get to see the two side-by-side before long!

[Art series - The white peacock]

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A peacock’s plume in bloom

LEGO builder Dad’s Bricks (Joe) clearly knows a thing or three about natural beauty. While females aren’t without their charm, in the birding world, it’s often the males that are known for their beauty regimen. And what a beauty this one is! Either this fellah is well integrated into the garden flora or he’s part of the lovely garden with flowers blooming from his plumage. Joe (can I call you Joe?) has demonstrated plenty of artistry and masterful build techniques. I can get lost in the intricate textures and colors on display here. As it turns out, this isn’t Dad’s (can I call you Dad or is that awkward?) first go at the beauty parlor. A leisurely perusal through our Dad’s Bricks (Joe) archives proves repeatedly that he can find stunning beauty in LEGO bricks.

[LEGO MOC - Art Series — The Peacock]

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Large LEGO clockwork peacock is full of filigree

With so much ornate detail, I don’t even care if this LEGO automaton peacock by Obsessionist can’t fly. I particularly love the marriage of LEGO Technic parts with regular blocks, frequently utilizing the connection of “stud into Technic hole”. This technique means that we would normally see a lot anti studs from the top of the ornithological ornithopter, but the adept use of blue boat skids help to solidify the base color here and smooth out any rough edges. These smooth bits contrast all the fringe in pearl gold, including all the wing and tail feathers repurposed from Bionicle and Ninjago weaponry, showcasing the excellent replication of nature via machinery.

Automaton Peacock

I think the face of this bird is particularly stunning on its own. Each piece chosen here feeds into a theme of minimization: all bars and beams attempting to keep the creature light but also functional. It all channels some strong “Erector Set” vibes for the build: a design choice LEGO has strayed from in recent Technic offerings, but that works well when applied here.

Automaton Peacock

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Anything can be a feather

The first thing that caught my eye when I saw this pair of birds was the use of the multiple Technic pin/axle combos. That’s a piece that doesn’t get a lot of use on the outside of a build. But closer inspection reveals that builder Seth Peacock has used all kinds of interesting pieces and techniques for the plumage of these two birds. Those are baby minifigure heads, for crying out loud. Seth says these birds were inspired by the work of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night and Sunflowers series, and he’s definitely captured the swirl and motion of the line work in those pieces. To quote one famous critic, “I don’t know if it’s art, but I like it.”

Stars and Sun

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