In a time where technology is infiltrating so many aspects of our lives, hands-on creativity has become more important than ever – and no one understands that better than NewfoundLUG, the Newfoundland and Labrador LEGO Users Group.
Blocks on the Rock, an annual LEGO convention in St. John’s, was held at the Ramada Inn from September 6-7, where many members of the community showcased their collections of vintage and rare sets, as well as many custom creations for all to see.
These custom builds exemplified the immense creativity of the local LEGO community, showing how someone can make something amazing with just a couple of inventive ideas.
Naturally, some of the builders drew inspiration from their own communities and surroundings. One such builder is James Spencer, who built a complete replica of his workplace, St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Clarenville, as well as the one in Burgoyne’s Cove.
“These were inspired to be a token of appreciation to the people I serve,” said Spencer. Both models were fully accurate to the real buildings, with a scale matching the size of a LEGO minifigure, where one stud equals one square foot. “They were mostly designed just because I wanted to display them inside their churches, and have them for the people there. I like it when I’m able to combine my work as a clergy with my passion for LEGO.”
Replicas such as this are just one example of the infinite number of possible builds with LEGO bricks, yet they all share one common element: they take time, and often a considerable amount of it.
Another local builder, Chris Mitchell, was displaying photographic mosaics he created entirely out of LEGO pieces, depicting a range of images from a picture of the Celtic Hearth in downtown St. John’s, to portraits of musicians, such as Ozzy Osbourne and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith.
Mitchell said that “a typical two or three colour mosaic might only take a week or so. Something more detailed with more colours might take around three months.” That much time spent on a single mosaic is considerable, especially when multiple mosaics are being created and displayed at once.
You may have one simple question: why spend so much time creating these massive projects, like mosaics, churches, flower walls, and miniature-scale cities? Everyone has their own reasons. Some just like the creative process and find building therapeutic. But for others, displaying their creations to the world is the most satisfying part.
“The kids are tugging at their parents’ arms like ‘[the LEGO builds] are as big as me’,” said Christopher Butler, a local builder who makes large creatures out of LEGO Technic parts, some over a metre tall. “The coolest part is the looks on their faces, knowing that I made someone’s day.”
The convention emphasized the importance of play – regardless of age – stressing how creativity is needed now more than ever. No matter how rare traditional forms of creativity and play may seem nowadays, NewfoundLUG shows that it will always be around, even in unconventional forms some may not consider at first glance.