SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
This is going to be a very short chapter. That is because it is about a very small subject. It is simply a plea from the heart not to forget little things.
When we see a collection of models on a club or competition table, the natural reaction is to pay attention to the largest and most obviously impressive ones. There is a cynical joke about how best to win an IPMS club contest. Make something big, and paint it orange!
But hidden away in the shadows may be something exquisite and tiny, and this is just as worthy, perhaps more so, because it is not yelling out about itself.
This diorama is only three inches square across the water surface. It is one of the Elco PT boats that served in the Philippines in 1942, and were the inspiration for the John Wayne film They Were Expendable. It is a 1/350 scale resin kit by MS Models of St Petersburg. I have never seen another kit by this company and it may be that it was the only thing they produced. That would be a pity, as the moulding is of the most exquisite quality
There is probably something cultural going on here. I am a Brit. Compared to our American cousins, we live on a small island. It is crowded and we don’t have much space. In common with other Europeans, we drive small cars, and we live in small houses. The newer the house, the more cramped it is likely to be. This may be part of the reason that 1/700 scale ships are more popular this side of the Atlantic. And I am certainly drawn to the tiniest things on the table.
A good small diorama requires a somewhat different approach from a large one. A large diorama can make a bold statement and be viewed from a distance. It is sometimes possible, though not advisable, to be less precise in the work that is on the periphery and away from the main points of interest. Metaphorically speaking, you can paint with a big brush and broad strokes.
But a small diorama is different. It beckons to you and whispers quietly, saying, ‘Come here. Bend down. Look at me. Look at me really closely. Examine me.’ Being short-sighted, I will take my glasses off, put my Optivisor on, and get to within six inches. At this distance, and with the whole diorama still within my field of vision, nothing is hidden.
Despite the small size of the diorama, I have managed to incorporate a lot of activity, without it feeling cramped. There are men doing something, I know not what, in the whaleboat, the pile of stores, officers on the jetty talking to the boat’s commander, and men fixing the Lewis gun onto its mounting, not to mention the guy fishing! The jetty was made from individual plastic strips for the planks, as you can see by the irregularities at the end.
Every part of the diorama is going to be close to the main point of interest, and therefore care must be lavished upon all of them. You will be looking at it sufficiently closely to be aware of every messy brushstroke and every speck of dust. Small dioramas may not be easier than large ones; they may actually be more challenging. But don’t let that put you off. The dress that your wife is wearing may be beautiful; but then so is the tiny ring on her finger.
This photo, and the two following, show the most delightful small diorama that I have ever seen. It is by Mike McCabe again, and shows the Argentinian aviso General Comandante Zapiola visiting a scientific station in Tierra del Fuego. This one too is only three inches square, but it punches above its weight in storytelling and emotion. It really speaks to me of isolation and loneliness, wistful yearning for home, and a constant struggle to survive in a harsh environment. Mike has even managed to include some seagulls and dolphins in the composition. I admire this model every time I see it. (PHOTOS BY MIKE MCCABE)
