Art Curren. Kitbashing HO Model Structures (1988)

     Art Curren. Kitbashing HO Model Structures (1988) Curren was a master at recognising the possibilities inherent in plastic model kits. This book, consisting of reprints of articles he wrote for Model Railroader, displays his talent wonderfully. It’s enough to look at the drawings and photographs to understand his method and be inspired to emulate it. His painting methods are pretty good, too. An Art Curren building never looks to be made of plastic, but of honest wood, brick, and concrete. Some of his designs, for example the “homes on Maple Street”, are pretty straightforward, but others express more than a little whimsy, which extends to the names (The Perry Shibble Fruit & Produce Co-op, The Hardly Abel Mfg Co.) And of course, unused parts and leftover bits and pieces are thriftily reused for small lean-tos, dormers, loading docks, and so on. Nothing goes to waste. Curren also has an eye for the parts lurking within parts: I especially like his methods for changing the look and size of windows. *** (2003)