Yes, I am still working on the ECW 54mm Historex/Airfix figure. . . But because
I am old, and do not have the patience I once had, I work on other projects
during down times and that helps to keep my discipline on the more difficult
figures, i.e. the 54mm ECW Parliamentarian Cavalryman.

I saw The Creature From the Black Lagoon figure on Squadron Mail Order for
a reasonable price . . . and ah sprung fer it. I was so surprised that there is
so much an artist can do to make this critter really appeal to a viewer of
same. There is a rod that goes up into the back of one of his webbed feet.
And this rod holds the figure up into the swimming position. As if he is
swimming towards the top because he sees Richard Carlson's main squeeze
taking a dip in the Lagoon. . . Ah I guess you'd have to see the movie to
really understand. And I did when I was a teenager. . . But dat's a nudder
story. The Miami Jayhawk

Underwater plant life added. . .

I wanted this to be colourful. I think colour really attracts the eye of the
viewer. And so I'm thinking technicolour. That meant that I needed to add
other fantasy plant life to the floor of the lagoon. Now remember that this
creature never really has existed. So the Lagoon that he is a up standing
member of, and on the board of directors, ah . . . wall. . . it never really
existed either. So I feel I can pick underwater plants of any colour and
variety I want to. So that is the caveat I use to display these following
photos. Everything will combined together in the final assembly. I'm still
painting the figure with Dark Greens, Dark Blues, Turquoise, Violet, Light
Mellon Red, and soft and light Naples Yellow. . . the final colour.

As per usual, comments from the ladies and gentlemen here at PF are
encouraged,

rick

Rick, this is turning out very well indeed, great painting and I like what you've done with the base.

Cheers Ken

Thanks Ken for your kind remarks. . .

Hello Ken:

Thank you for taking a look see at this rather outrageous project. . . that is
yet so much fun. I have just kind of let my creative side go as far "out there"
as it wanted to do. . . and that is so much fun for me. No worries about
getting the stirrups just right or the lance to fit into the 54mm fingers, et
cetera, et cetera, Yul Brenner. (a puzzle of a sentence ending
for those who remember the film The King and I. . . ) Either the Rex
Harrison version or the Ms. Kerr and Yul Brenner version. . . Shall we dance,
tra la la. . . what ever,

Thanks again, my friend for your remarks. Most appreciated,

rick

Another new Avatar???? . . .

Howdy Doody, Carl:

Oh ma'gosh matey. . . everytime I turn around you are using a nudder
avatar. I wonder what James Cameron would say. . . How long is jour tail,
amigo????

But all kidding aside, I do appreciate your kind remarks, Carl. And I wish
you a good week, coming up. Good bye January, and hello February.

Can Spring be far behind?????


K Kid

This looks good. I like the creature a lot, but it is the display that makes or breaks the piece and your base looks great. I even like the weathered wood feel of the wood base itself. This is a great figure all around.

Aha the creature has appeared on the forums at last, was wondering when you was going to post him up Rick and glad you have.

A figure I was not aware of until you mentioned it and I have to admit although I have heard of the film I have not seen it but I now know enough about it to be able to recognise the figure for the future.

I think it is just as important with this figure to get the base work just as right as the figure itself to set the figure in his environment, the use of the coloured rocks and plant life do that just nicely, the tall plants reaching up follow the flow of the figure and draw the eye of the viewer up to the figure.

Nice range of colours you have chosen for this figure and he definitely has a fishy look to him which is needed, stripes work really well and give him a predatory look to him.

Also like to add the colour choice for the base works very well for this subject, I do not think polished wood would work so well.

All the best Ricardo,

Stevo

Hello Jeff in Long Beach . . .

Hi Jeff:

Wow, mate, I wish I was out there on the west coast of the USA in Long
Beach right now. . . We are having very cold temps here in the American
Heartland. . . and that snow of three weeks ago, . . . still has not completely
melted. At least I'm retired and don't have to drive to work in it.

Jeff, I really do appreciate your very kind remarks about my Creature from
the Etc. project. And I agree, I felt the kit base was just too corny and to
"rudimentary" to work for what I was planning in the way of underwater
plant life to hide that rod that holds the Creature up in the air.

Of course, I am still working on it and painting on it. It will hopefully be
colourful, like the fish varieties in the Tropics along the coral reefs. That is
my intent. And since it is strictly fantasy, no one can say you're wrong, or
there wasn't any fishy dudes that ever had that kind of colour scheme, humm

Thanks again, Jeff for your kind words,

rick

Dear Rick, what surprise. What weird figure, but extremly well painted and with a fantastic deep lagoon groundwork.
Where is the water?
I saw the movie back in the 80´s when I was a litlle kid (time flies), very scary at the time.

Hello Steve my friend. . .

Hello Maestro Readdie:

Thank you Steve for your very kind remarks about the old villain from the
B/W B grade movie from the 1950s (well, at least I think it was the 1950s).

As I said earlier working on this has been a pure joy. Since the figure is
rather large I don't have the problem of my fingers being too large; as with
the case of the 54mm ECW Parliamentarian Cavalryman. And BTW, I do hope
to post later pictures of that project, Part V in the near future.

I agree with you Steve, the base to me was one of the crucial parts of the
composition to create that illusion of reality, even though there is no plex-
iglass box that helps to create the illusion of water. . . and him swimming
up to the surface.

I thought it would be more fun to use oils and stain the bass wood box in
colours of a tropical lagoon, and like you didn't think the stained wood box
would be the ticket. Thanks again for your kind remarks, my friend.

Ricardo Kansas Kid

Hey there Pedro, my friend . . .

Hi Pedro:

So good to hear from you, my friend. Yes, I didn't want to go to the trouble
of creating a plexiglass box, with the inside coated with transparent tropical
waters type of colours. I've seen that done a number of times, as I am sure
you have too. And that is what I am thinking you are referring to.

To me it would just have been too much work, for a project I just wanted to
have fun with, and get more experience doing underwater plant life using
white bond paper.

So you just kind of have to suspend reality and imagine the water that he is
stroking thru to get to the surface of the lagoon and find Richard Carlson's
girl friend.

I do so appreciate your kind words,

Jaybird

Very cool sir. The base work is very well done, I like the colors you used. I see you still have plenty of tricks up your sleeve.

Hi Mike. . .

Hello Mike:

Thanks for taking a look Mike, I'll admit this is quite a bit different from
Imperial Rome or ECW Cavalrymen.

Appreciate your encouragement, mate,

rick

You are welcome I think the pieces is very nice. If you watch the move he Creature gets in to long flowing plants all the time. So it works really well to hide the rod. One of my favorite scenes is the one were the creature is swimming right under the girl. Really one of the better monster moves of the past.

It has been rainy and cold (For Us) here today, but I am not bitching about it. It has been about 55 degrees and windy which makes feel colder. Yes I know we are hot house flowers out here in California. It has been cool enough in the mornings. That is nice to do metal casting.

Hi Rick,
Nice work so far and you are giving the creature a great atmospheric feel with the base. A coule of little fish hiding in the plant life would look good hint,hint!!!
Looking forward to seeing your progress.
Ben

A few leeetle fishies . . .

Hi Ben:

Thanks for your note. In fact I am thinking about adding a few
little fish, and making them from clear styrene, and
painting them with transparent colours.

So we think a like on this part.

Good to hear from you Ben,

rick

Inspirational presentation!

Jeff Cupernell: Hello again. . .

Jeff: Sorry mate, it took me a nudder day to reply to your second post. Well,
obviously, your memory is much better than mine. I am very cloudy about
just what I recall about the movie, Creature From the Black Lagoon. I can
not remember the female lead, or "the object of the Fishy Face's
affection!" who she was. Do you recall?

I lived and worked in Miami, Florida for 15 years. And we did lots of graphic
projects about the fragile coral reefs and so I saw lots of images of under-
water plant life with the willowy lace like long green foliage.

55 degrees. I guess it is all relative to what you're use to. It is in the 20s here
and we are expecting our second major snow storm this evening. But I have
plenty of work to do on both the Fishy Face figure and base and the ECW
Parliamentarian Cavalryman.

Regards,

The Miami Jayhawk

Hello to Michael Tse. . .

Hi Michael:

Thanks for taking a look at this major sized fish I call "Mickey Finn". Your
words are very kind and I appreciate it.

Kind regards,

K Kid