New Year Reflections

Welcome listeners to this special new year edition of the Model Philosopher. This should have been out over the holiday period, but as we all know, there is never as much time around then as we expect!

I hope all of you got to spend time with family and are refreshed and ready for 2025.

At the end of the year, it is common in many cultures to look back on the last 12 months and reflect, and its something I certainly like to do. In this episode I will look at how we reflect on our own practice as modellers, and I will look at the first season of Model Philosopher, and the last 12 months in modelling.

Let’s start by looking at the year in modelling.

This year has seen some stellar events, including Scale Model Challenge, KMK and Moson Shows, Malcom in Malaysia and much more. Despite changes in the hobby, events seem to be flourishing and getting together to talk and look at models is something that modellers obviously derive a huge amount of value from. I have always said modelling is a solo sport, and it is. When it boils down to it, making a model is a solitary activity, and personally I get a lot out of that in terms of mental health and time to think and reflect. But getting together is also a release for us, in that it allows us to be that part of ourselves that we find at the bench, all day, with others who do the same. In a world where we are required to be many people, at work, in social settings and so on, we can be are nerdy nerdy selves at model shows and relax.

However, I think the type of modelling show is slowly changing. Certainly where I live, the traditional model show, where you turn up, put some models on the table, do a little shopping, maybe have a contest, then go home, does seem to be in slow decline. Shows that seem to be growing, expanding and pushing forward, are those that add some extra dimension, either through the addition of other activities like workshops or seminars, or by fostering a greater social aspect after the show closes for the day with venues that bring visitors together, or cater to wider ideas of modelling such as Gunpla and sci fi shows, or shows that better strike a balance of multiple genres, bringing quite different types of modellers together.

Why this is, is not entirely clear, but personally I think its because the hobby is changing, particularly in the under 40s. The shows that last the next twenty years will be those alive to change, and constantly seeking to improve, not those that hide behind “if it ain’t broke”.

I did not go to many shows this year, so I cannot comment on which were the best, but it should be no surprise to listeners that I thought Scale Model Challenge was just superb, as I’ve been an evangelist for SMC for over ten years now! I think it strikes a fantastic balance between figures and ordnance, and brings in a far more diverse crowd than most shows, which in turn feeds the eyes and inspiration of those that attend. It energises me for months after and gives a huge boost to my work.

As I say I have been saying this for years, so its not because SMC is a sponsor, but I am very grateful to SMC for supporting this show, as I am to our new sponsor, ANYZ, who you heard from at the beginning of this podcast.

A new organisation, Modellers Without Borders launched this year. It is too early to judge, as they have yet to run an event or really do much more than build a website and talk about the organisation a bit on some podcasts and social media, but it will be interesting to see where they go in their second year.

Of course, the primary focus of this podcast and blog is the modelling. I asked listeners what model really caught their eye this year on the new Model Philosopher’s Lounge facebook group. (note, all these models can be found in the album on the Facebook post for this episode and on the Modelphilosopher.com blog)

Christian Bruer cited Marijn van Gils ongoing diorama of HMS Victory and the Redoutable locked in battle at Trafalgar in 1/300 scale. We joked that this has been one of our favourites for a couple of years now, because Marijn is not the fastest modeller, but given he is indisputably one of the best in the world, I’ll let him off. It really is stunning in every detail, and I recommend you look it up on the ModelWarships website, where Marijn posts regular updates. As usual with Marijn the level of detail and the finesse of his execution, is simply unparalleled.

HMS Victory, in progress, by Marijn Van Gils

My good friend and former SCU cohost Tracy Hancock, recommended Chloé Plattners, “the final Mooring”, which depicts a British Steam Drifter beached on a snowy shore, slowly rotting away. Tracy said

“Atmospheric and sparse, yet perfectly composed. Using “negative space” (in this case, the white of the snow field) is so rarely seen in scale modelling and this is perfectly executed.”

I think Chloés trademark attention to detail is there, Its not just that all the details are present and correct, they are, as always, rendered with very high levels of finesse which shows not just that Chloé is a highly skilled modeller, but that she is also an extremely thoughtful and considered modeller. Everything on Chloés models is given the maximum thought and attention and nothing is considered less important than anything else. A masterclass in master modelling.

The Final Mooring by Chloé Plattner

Matt Flegal said

“There’s always a whole bunch that are just as good but didn’t tickle that sweet spot as intensely so I feel bad not including Will’s spitfire, that magnificent burnt out Panther on its side (which was by Sam Dwyer) but I have to go with John Murphy’s Achilles. Hell, the tools alone shook my belief in what you could pull off on a tank and became my North Star for what I want to aim for.”

I think Spud consistently pushes the boundaries of realism on his models and his weathering particularly is at the highest level, but he also has the ability to heighten that realism with the addition of creative touches like personal items that give character to his models. These never stretch the realism of the model, but always add to it significantly

Spud tells me the Achilles is not quite finished, so keep an eye on his FB Modelling page “John “Spud” Murphy’s Model Bench”

Spud’s Achilles

David Parker said

“I’m going to nominate this from yesterday. Stephen (de la Hunt) has been plugging away at this as long as I did with my Panzer IV, possibly a bit longer! He’s done an amazing job that reflects the time and dedication he’s put into it and now he’s bringing it to life with a paint job of commensurate skill. There’s not many who would stick with it or have the skill set to realise this stunning model. Massive respect”

Coming from David that is very high praise indeed, and I recommend you look up Stephens Panzer IV

Stephen de la Hunt’s Panzer IV

Neils Frederiksen Said

Well as it was my first time SMC it was quite overwhelming… and therefore hard to pick one favorite from the displayed models .

So I might try another approach …. Sometimes the things that wow us the most are the things we’d expect the least from This special exhibition at SMC truly wowed me”

The exhibition Neils referred to, was the exhibition of card model buildings by the artist Wijnand Driessen. This was one of three exhibitions, alongside work from Joris van Os, and former Model Philosopher guest Harry Aarling which were on display by the competition at SMC, and blurred the line between modelling and other creative arts. This was a new thing for SMC and one I really appreciated as the division between modelling and other creative arts is somewhat artificial in that we do not only take inspiration from within the hobby, but from without and there are many parallels between these works and the more artistic end of modelling.

by Wijnand Driessen

Matt Tupman picked the Locomotives by another former guest Jean André. “T1994” is a piece he discussed briefly on his episode with us. It depicts parts of the ends of 10 locomotives, stacked up. His totemic young woman stands on the steps of one. Although larger than many of his pieces, this is still classic Jean, with bright colour contrasting sharply with desaturated shadow and an other worldly feel.

T1994 by Jean André

Stuart Halton recommended another piece by Jean. A water piece which shows a piece of shipwreck, with bleached wood deck, torn and punctuated by rusting metal fittings. Discarded porthole surrounds are piled on one side and in the water, an orange swordfish cuts the surface with its nose, while more wreckage dimly shows below.





In a sense, Jean’s shipwreck scenes are relatively simple, but they hint at lost human endeavour and the impermanence of even our biggest creations and ambitions, rusting and rotting in a nature oblivious of our vanities. They also remind me of a great inspiration of Jean’s, Andre Tarkovsky’s 1979 film “Stalker”.

Stalker by Andre Tarkovsky

Robert Lane (another Model Philosopher former guest and friend) said

 “My favourite for this year is Fet Milner and his series of tiny people on tall chairs.”

I have to agree, the series on tall chairs is one of my favourite things in modelling for some time, and we will be having Fet on to talk about the series sometime soon. In the meantime check them out on his facebook page or Instagram. He also has an excellent blog at Fetpaints.com

Tall Chair by Fet Milner

Fet Himself recommended a striking piece by
Mikkel Frederiksen
, saying

“I think we need more non-literal work just to liven things up a bit.”

And I could not agree more with that. The piece in question is “Path of Least Resistance. It shows a thin sliver of base with the nominal top and a steep angle of about 5 degrees from vertical. A young man in contemporary dress, walks down it. He and the base are very dark, almost black, but a luminous spattered pink path leads to the bottom of the base, and he confidently walks it, spattered himself with bright glowing colour. There are so many possible interpretations to this piece but there is obviously something strong there to decode, but I love that it is not made obvious. To be blunt, too many pieces are cliched and trite in their meaning, and while a piece may be executed extremely well, if its story or meaning is too hackneyed, and too obvious, it leaves no room for the viewer to be drawn into the piece, Some ambiguity and originality will invite the viewer to think and will give them a far more interesting and enriching experience, and I believe creating pieces like that does so for the modeller too.

Path of Least Resistance by Mikkel Frederiksen
Path of Least Resistance by Mikkel Frederiksen

Jean Andrés favourite this year was Daikichi by Simon Laveuve

This is how Simon describes it

“I grew up in Ivry-sur-Seine, in the 94th department, at the gates of Paris and the 13th arrondissement, to be precise. 13th is the largest Asian district in the capital.

In the Choisy Triangle, McDonald’s is written in Chinese, the main supermarket is Tang Brothers and on the Olympics slate are, among others, the towers of Tokyo and Sapporo (historically in tribute to the cities that hosted the Olympics, but it makes sense).

My mother often took us to lunch, my brother and I. We had our habits, our favorite restaurants with our favorite dishes. Chinese culture is present here, as much as Vietnamese, Cambodian or Laotian culture. Every time we went out, it felt like a trip, and like every trip, it left with memories. Later with my partner we would go there for Chinese New Year to witness the dragon dance and listen to the fireworks symphony. We could also continue on the subway line 7 and find ourselves in a few minutes in the Japanese quarter to enjoy ramen or some mochi.

With this piece, I wanted to rewrite this legacy. The Asian Quarter of Paris is a monument to the Isle de France that never ceases to inspire me. It was supposed to be in my IDF2068 series (ile de France, year 2068, for those who didn’t follow).

I deliberately mixed genres – cultures, to merge shapes, colors and tell this story.

Daikichi / IDF2068 – 2024

Mixed media, 38x16x18 cm 1/35th scale”

seeing what inspires people we look up to is always interesting and illuminating, and I do look up to Jean as a creator and thinker on modelling, this was a new piece to me and studying it I have discovered a great deal.


Daikichi by Simon Laveuve
Daikichi by Simon Laveuve

Pat McGrath said
“Two modellers who consistently delight me with their work are Jean Diorama and Jeremy Hughes but my favourite diorama and the one that most intrigued me this year is Joan Biediger ‘s “Art as Algorithm””

Art as Algorithm by Joan Biediger, Photo by Penny Meyer
Art as Algorithm by Joan Biediger, Photo by Penny Meyer

I too enjoyed this immensely. Jim DeRogatis wrote a superb piece on it and modelling and art at Box Dioramas.com and I strongly recommend it. Joan was also interviewed by Barry and Jim on episode 47 of small subjects and this too is essential listening, find it on your podcast app of choice (including whichever app you use to listen to this)


My favourite this year was probably also Fet Milner’s tall chairs series. Although figure modelling is more adventurous and broader in its approach, it still has its self imposed limits and we rarely see something in a very small scale, and even rarer, something abstract, just like he has done previously, Fet has sidestepped the popular challenges and approaches of seeking excellence in finishing or blending or technique, and made something truly original and unique, something that invites you to see the world a bit differently, and something that leaves room for the viewer

Fet Milner, Really Tall Chair

The end of the year is often taken as an opportunity to reflect.

Many people post their years models on social media and this is something I looking at, and doing myself. It is a good time to consider your modelling as a whole.

Often we think of our hobby only in terms of the last model, the current model, and maybe the next. However, put in the context of a year, or even year on year, it can be seen as your ‘practice’. Practice is what artists call how they do their art, it means the tools and materials you use, but it also means how you think about and approach your work, and that also means influences, directions, and what you are trying to say with your models.

I like to look back on the year in plastic, resin, putty and paint, and ask myself how my modelling changed. What I did well and what I did not. I often look at what I have done and find ways I could have made more of a model. Often these are not regrets of any kind, they are things that have occurred to me looking at the model, that time and distance have allowed me to see. This might be realising that I could push contrast or weathering more, or using these or colour or light or similar to pull focus to something. It might be a tweak to composition or the components of a piece. Every year I find something I can improve on for the next year.


Sometimes I will notice something about the model that I especially like, and that I want to develop more going forward. It might be something that I only did on one model that year, but that I think I overlooked and deserves more development, or it might be something that happened by accident. Accident and serendipity plays an increasingly valuable role in my modelling.

In a way, the end of the year is also like a clear bench (although if you are like me, you will almost certainly always have a lot of stuff on your bench!). Its an chance to mentally put a full stop on your modelling after the year and reset what you want to achieve from this point on. A fresh start. You can look at what you want to do in the coming year and set all new goals and ambitions.

There was recently a post by Scott Daniel in the Plastic Model Dojo. (the facebook group for our friends a the Plastic Model Mojo podcast) Scott wrote “Who else creates and uses a model build plan for the year; and do you stick to it?

Just realised it shows my progression through the hobby since 2022. Think I’m in the esteemed slow builder club and I like it.”

Scott accompanied the post with a shot of a project plan. I initially reacted with borderline horror. I recoil from modelling as engineering, and thought this was the cold dead hand of project planning entering the hobby. But on reflection, this is no different to what I’m talking about here, its just more formalised. I think it is useful to set goals, or even themes for the year. If you abandon them, or they don’t work out, that doesn’t matter. But giving yourself time to reflect on the previous year, and really think about the coming year can give you a great deal of clarity and perspective on your practice and energise your modelling for the future.


I asked listeners what end of the year reflection means to them:

Andy Palmer spoke about frustrations in 2024 and how he plans to tackle it in 2025

“In my figure painting, I had an “aha” moment when I started watching YouTube vids of warhammer and fantasy painters. I have been tackling things well out of my comfort zone…horses, stupid german camo, busts…fucking it up and going again. I was fearful of failing. This year has been shit or bust..paint a bust. Next year for some stupid reason I’m going to build some tanks and trucks and the world’s stupidest bulldozer kit”

I think Andy is saying he was coming up against problems and butting his head against them, till he tried a new approach. Which is something I recognise in my own modelling.

Christian Bruer’s assessment of his modelling was in keeping with his meticulous and thoroughly thought-out style

“2024 was a productive scale modelling year so far not only in the number of projects finished but mainly to improve my skills in figure painting.

At the beginning of the year I promised myself not to buy any new kit. Unfortunately, I failed completely 😁

For 2025 I want to focus to finish two aircraft carrier projects, but not to miss to find time to paint some figures to further improve my painting skills”

Christian is a polymath modeller, working in many scales and genres, and a very accomplished modeller. A great example of how working in many genres can improve all your modelling.

HMS Venomous by Christian Bruer

Olaf Kievit said:
“I managed some building and painting for gaming (Warhammer Kill Team). I would like to get back to building and painting for display again, as that’s pretty much been on hold. One thing that I have gotten out of all this, is to focus more on enjoying the process, rather than worrying about the goal. Much better that way, for me anyway.”

I’ve been doing some Warhammer myself in the last couple years, for me more as a side thing to my main modelling. It is a different approach to painting, and I think its interesting how it differs from display modelling. One thing I have found is that, for a scale modeller as opposed to a full time figure painter, Warhammer or gaming projects tend to be a lot quicker than a technical bust or large scale miniature and doing a few can be a great way to boost your hand painting experience and confidence quickly.

Sébastien Tartar said:

“Might sound vain and childish but that was my first time taking part to the SMC in the Masters category. Winning silver really made me happy and getting the Model Philosopher award was equally rewarding as I had tried to do something more original than usual with aircrafts.

I have not managed to produce something that I am 100% happy with. Probably never will.

For next year, I would like to improve, put more thoughts into my projects, find at least one good idea and try to combine aircraft, AFV and figures with an even level of quality.”

Hitting the Barrier by Sébastien Tartar


Sébastien produces really good interesting models and his piece from SMC that won a Model Philosopher award was, to my mind, the most original piece in the Aircraft Category, I really look forward to seeing what Sébastien makes in 2025. By the way, I don’t think taking pride in competing in Masters is vain or childish at all. I think pushing yourself to do something like that is a good way to motivate you to look closely at what you do and to grow as a modeller.

Stuart Halton wrote:
“For me it’s not so linear. I simply enjoy the creative act, completed models are almost a biproduct. You could say my achievement is having spent many hours immersed in the moment doing something I love. No goals for next year. I’ll just go with the flow. I don’t have a stash so I choose my next project by looking on the net, watching movies or reading books. Something will hook me, be it an emotional response or a particularly attractive oil stain.”


Of course, setting goals doesn’t work for everyone and Stuart eloquently talks about how for some people, it is more a gentle continuum of improvement, based around the idea of finding your reward in the moment.

As always there are so many ways to do and appreciate this hobby, as many as there are modellers.

I want to thank the sponsors of the Model Philosopher, and the Patreon Patrons of the show for making this possible. Thanks to you, we have had 15 episodes with some incredible guests, bringing listeners some really interesting conversations on the deeper aspects of the hobby, and thanks to you, I’m really looking forward to bringing you all much more in season 2 in 2025.
Thank you to Scale Model Challenge and Anyz, and to paid Patrons:
Scott
Carlos
Chris
Christian
Eddie
Eric
John
Lee
Paul
Flip
Plastic Scholar
Resurrected DM
Robert
Schaef
Stephen
Stuart

And Matt

If you would like to become a patron, head to Patreon.com/themodelphilosopher

Remember you can contact me with your thoughts and feedback by messenger on facebook at the Model Philosopher page, in the Model Philosopher’s lounge Facebook group, or on modelphilosopher.com. And don’t forget you can also read these podcasts in blog form, illustrated, on Modelphilosopher.com

You can also contact me by email at info@insidethearmour.com

Speaking of insidethearmour, I would like to take this opportunity to announce a new collaboration between Inside the Armour ITA3 and Anyz. Anyz is now producing a limited number of ITA3 products, under license, inside the EU. Due to EU labelling and compliance regulation ITA3 can no longer sell into the EU direct so head to Anyz.io and order from Tom with his excellent levels of service and quality printing, you will not be disappointed!

As always, thank you for reading, I really do appreciate you


About Chris

I'm Chris Meddings, Modeller, Author, Publisher of Modelling Books, Podcaster, and armchair wannabe thinker
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One Response to New Year Reflections

  1. Thanks for a wonderfully inspiring roundup, Chris: so much exciting and creative work being done across and beyond the boundaries of traditional modelling. From pieces like Daikichi to The Final Mooring that fully capture and enchant with a “vibe”, to pieces that captivate and get one thinking, such as the tall chairs and “Path of Least Resistance” (I’m still working through my thoughts…).

    Though not addressed directly in your roundup, it is striking how this compares with the turmoil and challenges you were writing about a year ago. Making the hard call to pivot ITA, switching up the podcasting approach, and dealing with many of negative topics swirling in the hobby like politics, internet barnies, and judging scandals. From the outside, it seems the changes have been a great success. It shows in the quality and depth of the podcast discussions, and the creativity of the work you are now doing. I trust it is also starting to show on the business side too!

    Best wishes for yet more creative expression and fulfilment in 2025.

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