Sierra Hill – Vertical Village Display
Mike Melius
It can be set up anywhere in a 3’x3′ square space. I worked from a rough idea and just kept at it, forming this, shaping that til I got the desired look, always keeping in mind the buildings I wanted to use and how their spacial requirements would dictate just how whimsical I could get.
It is the perfect way to display your favorite buildings in a spiral setting. Of course, the sheer wall on the gold mine side dictated I get even more creative and hence, the scratch built gold mine with its horizontal shafts and one building, embedded in the wall with the dramatic trestle. I used Hot Wire Foam Factory tools to carve the foam, specifically the Freehand Router for the cliff detail.
Rounding off the impact were seven waterfalls. I then added a foam backing, offset 1-1/4″ from the layout and mounted 50 blue, pink and orange mini-lights in-between, positioned to give a sunset effect near the center of the horizon. Of course, most people under 6′ tall miss this part because of its overall height.
