Philadelphia Flower Show - Miniature Settings

 
You may remember that the miniature settings are some of my favorite exhibits at the Philadelphia Flower Show. They are also some of the most difficult to photograph because all are protected across the front with plexiglass which reflects all the lights and people, and there is always a long line to even see these. That means you only have a few moments at each one before the people behind you start to get impatient.

Anyway, these are my 4 favorites of the 12 entries, in two classes. Both classes were "Vacation Destination- Exterior."

Punting on the Thames. This one took a blue ribbon, and a special ribbon for an outstanding miniature setting. The description begins, "There is an iconic feeling of going on vacation seen through Kenneth Grahame's 'The Wind in the Willows.'"

The judges said, "Sophisticated whimsey." The plant list is huge; there are 42 different species of plant included. Sometimes that results in the judges saying things were overdone, but the modelers did such a good job it all looks perfect. For one thing the figures are large. Most of the modeling is done at about a scale of 1:20 or 1:24. This looks more like 1:8. That probably means they had to make the characters from scratch.

You can see that the painted backdrop has serious texture, and the foreground just seems to blend into it.



Here is a closeup of Mole. Look at all the plants in the flower box! I did not get it in a photo, but there were even "weeds" growing under the dock.



This is picking up reflections, but look how much attention was given even to the area where there were no figures. Definitely my favorite.


I also liked Everglades Adventure, which won the other blue ribbon. The description says, "Enter the unique subtropical world of the Everglades... the experience leaves you feeling like an integral part of this swampy world."

The judges said, "Forever - Glades." 23 different species of plant. The first thing that grabs your eye is the structure.



But look left, and you'll find the edge of the swamp.



The manatees really make it special.



Bellisima Tuscana also caught my eye. The setting is more formal, and it only got a 3rd place, but I thought it had a great amount of depth. Sometimes the more formal displays are harder to make the plants look right, but I think they did a good job. It just looks like evening along the Mediterranean. "Oh, beautiful Tuscany! Hillsides descending to the blue sea!" 19 different kinds of plant.



The last one I'll show you is Belize- Land of the Maya. This one is much more wild. "Ancient Maya in Belize is one of the world's most mysterious civilizations." Only 9 different species of plant, but it really works. The exhibit just blends into the background, and the light adds mystery. It also took a third place.



There were several other interiors that were very fussy, and took a huge amount of modeling work. They were quite wonderful, but just not my favorites.

In other news: Well, I didn't do much today. I read a book. It was supposed to rain. Instead, it snowed a little.

See Miniature Settings