Disco58

Newest President of IPMS/Quad Cities, elected by default, so I'm hoping the guys will forgive de 'faults'. Modeling genre choices are varied; I tend to be too picky and ANALytical of myself. I used to build hot rod cars as a kid in the late '60s. I dabbled a bit in the 80's, and then found the Quad Cities chapter in the late '90's. I was still dabbling, hitting meetings here and there, and very much at odds about what I wanted to build. I started with my first love, US Naval aviation. I had a couple of the Revell 1/32 Corsairs, and a couple F-14 kits (the former because I had a Cox .049 Corsair when I was a kid, and the latter because I was in Tomcat squadrons in the Navy). The problems arose when I read how innaccurate the kits were, and how I was supposed to make corrections if I were going to be a serious modeler. Knowing more about these aircraft than was probably safe I tackled the projects, only to feel ever unsatisfied in the results. By this time I had acquired a number of kits that I promised myself I wouldn't touch until I became "talented". I realized I was becoming the proverbial "rivet counter". So I moved on to other subjects like the Sci-fi that I also love so well (StarWars, yea buddy!!), thinking I was safe from the RC syndrome. Alas, it was not to be. I've tried armor, which I know nothing about, so I figured I was safe and could build it with the excuse/reasoning of being the neophyte. Most of the guys in the club are armor guys, and they're good at it, so....<hangs head in shame>. Now I have found a great interest in large figures. The truly weird irony there is some of them actually do have rivets (damn!). The difference is maybe that over the years of trying to figure out my modeling niche I have learned a few things, about modeling, and about myself. As I read various magazine articles, look at hundreds of pictures of others' work, and go to shows (and even do some judging, which is very hard and fun at the same time) I see mistakes, glitches and less than "absolutely perfect" work. I quote that absolutely perfect part because at shows and on magazine covers you would expect to see it. But you know, I'm glad it's not "absolutely perfect". That is a level no one can, or should, try to attain. We are human; we do the best we can with the tools and talents we possess. Whatever our interests may be, we learn what we can from those we admire, but we will never become them. On the display tables at shows and chapter meetings around the country, and around the world, there are thousands of models that aren't "perfect". In bars in every city there are karaoke nights for people to be the star and have their five minutes of fame. People everywhere put their feelings on the line, willing to take their chances and be judged by others. Fearful they may be, but they do it. I am trying hard to get back that feeling I had back in the 60's when I was building model cars and planes with my big brother. I had virtually no talent, brushpainted car bodies and fuselages when I wanted to finish something NOW and didn't have rattle cans (airbrush, what's an airbrush?), put decals over orange peeled metallics with no smooth gloss coat first, and could easily finish a couple kits in a weekend. They would go on the shelf for awhile, then when I got bored with them just sitting there, I would put firecrackers under hoods and into cockpits and watch my work vanish in a bang. That feeling, my friends, was fun. That's what I want back. Sorry this turned into an editorial; one of the other things I truly like to do (and one of my other self-critical points) is write.