WHITE & YELLOW LION HEAD ROW HOUSE

Above: Front view of the WHITE & YELLOW LION HEAD ROW HOUSE created by brick artist MITCH HIGHTOWER.

WHITE & YELLOW LION HEAD ROW HOUSE • BRICK TRICK HOLIDAY TOWN

Another in the collection of buildings for the HOLIDAY TOWN project is the WHITE & YELLOW LION HEAD ROW HOUSE. With a regal lion head corbel over the arched front entrance and the large bump-out front window, this home makes a sophisticated architectural statement.

Mitch explains he designed and constructed this building after seeing some properties near his own home while out on a walk. Mitch did not draw the structure ahead of time, rather he worked, building from a pile of mainly white bricks and, as he says, "a picture inside of my head".

Below: A three-quarter view shows the arch motif repeated on the side openings. A skylight on the yellow roof top is also visible in this shot. The entire yellow roof panel can be removed to access the interior, which is furnished. Another access panel shown below serves a different purpose.

Above: In the back of the structure is this access door which pulls down on a special brick "hinge", (a series of rocker plates).

Below: The access door can be opened so you can turn on and off the battery operated LED light inside the structure.

HOLIDAY TOWN • MID-CENTURY ROW HOUSES

Above: More additions to the BRICK TRICK HOLIDAY TOWN.

Greetings!

The HOLIDAY TOWN continues to expand. Recently added structures include the three mid-century row houses shown above. The inspiration came from actual SAN FRANCISCO homes built in the early 1950's, not unlike the one where some of the BRICK TRICK artists reside themselves.

In the photo we see three brick house sculptures. From left, the WHITE and YELLOW home, with arches and a lion head above the front entrance. This sculpture was designed and built by brick artist MITCH HIGHTOWER. The building also has a bump-out front window and high interior ceilings on the second floor. The interior is furnished and has a built-in LED LIGHT so the structure can be "lit" at night.

The center building, a bold lime house was designed and built by brick artist PHILIP BUCHAN. Philip used the digital design software provided by the brick manufacturer to create this building as a computer rendering first. Philip likes to work from photographs of actual buildings, and keeps a reference folder full of pictures of houses to use as inspiration.

The building in the right of the image is also the work of Philip. The bright orange home features a balcony above the front door and operable windows. This bright color is actually painted on the exterior of several big city homes in SAN FRANCISCO.

More HOLIDAY TOWN additions will follow.

SUNNY YELLOW COTTAGE

Image above shows the SUNNY YELLOW COTTAGE, the first in what has become a series of cottages in the BRICK TRICK studio this fall.

SUNNY YELLOW COTTAGE
Designed and built by Mitch Hightower

Over coffee one morning BRICK TRICK contributing artist Mitch constructed a small cottage structure on a 16x16 peg baseplate. We all liked the results and thought cottages would be a nice addition to our Holiday presentation. The challenge: to create as many cottages as we can for our Holiday Town display, while having no two exactly alike. Oh, and we have to stay within the boundaries of a 16x16 peg baseplate. The cottage portion of the Holiday project is a study in exterior architecture, so these small buildings do not have have tricked-out interiors like many of the other BRICK TRICK projects do. Right now we have six finished test cottages, we'll post more images of the others in the next few days.

Below: Another view of the cottage shows the side opposite the front door.



Above: The back of the structure. Not many details were employed here, as the structures may sit up against each other when displayed and the sides and/or back won't be visible.

Below: A close-up shows the details at the front entrance. The arch draws attention to the door, while the inverse slopes serve as korbels to support the second floor overhang. Dark Purple bricks purchased second-hand on Ebay make a striking contrast as the trim to the bright yellow walls. Vintage lattice windows and green shutters were another auction find.


Below: Despite our ever-growing and rather vast brick collection in our shared studio, we still don't have any green ridge pieces to finish off roof lines. So here, Mitch used yellow grills as an alternative.



Above: Another shot of the SUNNY YELLOW COTTAGE. More cottage designs will follow in upcoming posts. Many thanks to PHILIP for taking these shots.

LIME FLOWER STAND

Above: Image shows a "Flower Stand" brick creation using bold lime green accented with black.

LIME FLOWER STAND
Design By Mitch Hightower

This brick sculpture of a small sidewalk flower stand was built on two 8x16 peg baseboards. One is the foundation for the building, and the second supports the sidewalk and other floral displays. The interior features a floral display case, pedestal displays and a small tree. Accoutrements of the exterior include more floral displays, lattice-topped walls and a checkerboard pattern in the pavement. The clerestory windows on the roof are transparent green 1x2 bricks.

Below: Image shows the two baseboards separated. The dark green tinted bay window and other doors are vintage parts from a Police themed set purchased on Ebay.


Below: The flower stand has been staffed with a blue-uniformed minifigure.


Below: The LIME FLOWER STAND was customized with a printed sticker and taken as a gift to an ill friend.