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Thanks to an IGMA Guild School Scholarship, I was able to cross "take a Noel & Pat Thomas Class" off my bucket list. "La Fenetre" (The Window) was the building I made in class. The next year was the Thomas' last at Guild School, so I made this piece as a tribute for the annual Guild School auction. It was a cinch, as I already had the information I needed, and a twelfth scale model to work from. The table, by Mark Murphy, seemed the perfect setting. The 1:144 La Fenetre is made from 1/32" birch plywood, with acrylic gesso used on the two side walls in place of the plaster we used on the original. All the details were scratch built to match the original, using both strip styrene and N scale strip basswood. Acrylic paints were used to match the original colors. The shingles are paper. On the table are Noel's drawings and a photo of Noel and Pat in Paris, a bottle of their famous "bug juice", and various parts, tools and supplies (mostly scratch built.) One of my favorite techniques from the class was Noel's use of making tape to create plumbing joints, so that is what's going on in front of the building.

Actually small castles, tower houses were originally built for defensive purposes along border regions in the British Isles. Many are still inhabited. This one would have been built in the 15th Century. Originally, a wooden ladder would have led to the second floor doorway, and could have been removed in times of danger. The staircase, a ground floor doorway (on right side, off camera) and the half-timber solar would have been added in later, more peaceful times. The tower was made from 1/16" birch plywood, with over 3500 stones cut from .015" x .125" strip stryene and applied individually, then textured with acrylic gesso. The slight variations achieved by this approch give the wall surface a slightly uneve - and therefore more realistic - appearance than would be achieved by using sheet materials. The windows are etched brass; the door was scratch built from N scale strip basswood. The half-timber solar was made from 1?32" birch plywood, with acrylic gesso to simulate plaster; the timbers are stained N scale basswood 2x8 strips. Shingles on both parts of the building are textured paper. Landscaping was done with Woodland Scenics and Plastruct materials and natural stones. Height to top of tower roof: 4 7/8"

Decorative plaster work, known as "pargeting" was the fashionable way to update your tired old half-timber house in 16th century England. Inspired by Henry VIII's Nonesuch Palace, designs could range from simple geometric shapes to faboulous fantasy creations, depending on the skill of the craftsman and the taste (and budget) of the homeowner. The craft of pargeting is enjoying something of a revival in England today. This house was build from 1?32" birch plywood, with gesso used to simulate plaster. The floral design is my own, but as it took me over 10 years to come up with a satisfactory technique for achieving small scale pargeting, I'm keeping the process under my hat for the present! The windows,chimney pots and column section near the door are modified N scale castings; the door and plant bench are scratch built from N scale basswood strips; the shingles are heavy textured paper. The landscaping is primarily Woodland Scenics materials and natural stones, with a rosebush made from etched brass in the same way as the Midsomer Cottage example. Height to top of roof: 2 1/4"

A typical half-timber English cottage,made from 1/32" birch plywood. The timbers are stained N scale 2x8 basswood strips; gesso is used to simulate plaster, and the brick infill is printed paper. The doors,windows and chimney pots are modified N scale castings; the roof slates are textured paper. The landscaping was done with Woodland Scenics materials, except for the climbing rose, which is etched brass foliage that has been painted and carefully shaped - literally one leaf at a time. Height to top of roof: 2 1/4"

This house is an example of the "Storybook Style" of architecture, popular in the U.S. after the first World War. Supposedly inspired by the villages of Europe, Storybook houses incorporate picturesque details and a variety of textures and materials. This 1:144 version was made from 1/32" birch plywood and textured with acrylic gesso to give the appearance of stucco. The chimney stones and doorway are individual pieces of .020" and .015" strip styrene, with thick gesso added to simulate stone. The shingles are paper. The landscaping utilizes model railroad materials and natural stones. Height to top of roof: 2 1/8"