I love dioramas. Ever since I was a little kid, there was something magical about an artistic, three-dimensional depiction of some historic event or battle. A diorama has the power to mesmerize.
Imagine my delight when Craig Rullman walked through the doors of The Nugget bearing a Christmas present he had crafted over many hours. He named his creation The River Marauders-1750 — and I love it.
I am absorbed in sussing out the backstory on what I believe to be a French coureur du bois and his Anishinibeg (probably Ottawa) comrade running a stream in a birchbark canoe, somewhere in the pays d’en haut. The trapper/trader has espied a tomahawk on the banks. He’s shipped his paddle and reached for his fusil. Does the ’hawk represent the remains of a fatal encounter? A warning? Or simply a lost piece of gear? In this country, you have to interpret the sign carefully because your life may depend on it.
Where did they come from? Where are they headed? What will they find there — a rich haul of furs or a lonely death, leaving their bones to bleach in the wilderness?
I’ll let you know when I know…
Paul McNamee says
That is amazing!
Matthew says
Cool!
David Wrolson says
Awesome. Fun.
2 books came from UPS today that are your fault.
1) “Indeh”-the Eve Ball/Lynda Sanchez book.
2) “A History of Canada in Ten Maps”
from 2001 to 2009-I did a number of fishing trips into the Canadian bush with 2 iterations of high school friends. 2 deaths of said friends put a stop to that.
But, I had a lot of fun with maps of remote areas of Manitoba/Ontario as we looked at where we were going. it was a very remote area of Manitoba. We portaged in and so forth.
JimC says
Fantastic. I’d love a review of the 10 maps book.
lane+batot says
GREAT diorama! And rather professional looking, for sure! I have dioramas–not so professional-looking(the emphasis on “die” with a lot of them….) throughout my house; on every shelf and in every niche. All manner of plastic critters of all kinds– including lots of dinosaurs, and some mythical beasts; and then there’s some Indians–all involved in all manner of predatory activity. My kitchen bar/counter is taken up ENTIRELY with Pleistocene Mammals–a “Pleistocene Scene”, if you will. I can get away with decorating this way, probably only because I am a hermit bachelor……
Reese Crawford says
Beautiful work!!! What scale is it in?
JimC says
Don’t know re the official scale of the figures — the whole thing is about a foot wide and six inches tall.
Zach says
That’s a lovely diorama. What spectacular work!
JimC says
Yeah, it’s a special thing.