Not long ago we had a blast interviewing LEGO fan John Klapheke, and today we’re back with another interview, this time with InnovaLUG member Gareth Gidman. You can see more of Gareth’s work on his Flickr photostream. That said, let’s jump right into Gareth’s fresh perspective on the LEGO hobby!



When did you start building?
There's always been LEGO in my life, so I kind of grew up with it. Building a little here, a little there. But I built more regularly three to four years ago. I started because my brother and I did these building competitions together. They helped me grow in building knowledge, and it was something I love doing.

What was it that introduced you to LEGO and what was it that introduced it as more than just a toy?
I was born into a LEGO-loving family. But it was my brother, Graham, that really made me want to own LEGO. I really thought of it as more than just a toy about a year ago when I got a Flickr account and had a place to post MOCs.

What is the best part of the building process to you?
I would say the best part of the building process for me is just the raw building. Not really much planning or stress, just sitting at my desk, talking with my brother, and building what I love to build.

Do you have a favorite theme or subject to build from?
I would say castle, although I haven't really tried all the themes, that would be my favorite so far. A couple reasons why I like castle is because you can make the buildings more broken down and worn. And you can make the builds in so many different ways and layouts. For example, I can put a house on a wooden platform as in the picture below.


Is there a LEGO color that you particularly love to include in your creations? Maybe more than one?
I love to use Dark Tan. One, because that's a color I have a lot of, and two, because it's a color that can fade in the background and add texture. It can also be a color that stands out, the main point of focus.


What's the greatest challenge when it comes to building for you?
The greatest challenge is usually finishing and staging a build. The final stretch always takes a long time and, for some reason, I have mental block when it comes to staging builds.

Which is your favorite of your own creations? Can you tell us a little about why you built it? How long did it take you? What was special about it?
It's hard to choose which of my builds is my favorite, because I like them in different ways. My favorite is probably "Life In a Village". It is a special build because of the tree in the background. It's my favorite tree that I've made, so far. It just added so much to that build. Another thing I loved about it is the building's design. I love the duel house thing, which is why this building is my favorite. It took me less than a week because it was my last entry to Classic-Castle competition. I rushed through this build and, ironically, it became the best one I entered.


I really like your "A toast, to the King’s good health!" The cracks in the walls look so good! How long did it take? Did you draw inspiration from other sources or did you just come up with the idea?

Thanks! This was one of my entries to the Classic -Castle competition, and it took about a week. I originally was trying to come up with an idea for my brother's next build, because we were both entering the Classic-Castle competition. Then, I came up with this idea and it worked out that he had another build idea. So I built this build.

What's it like having another LEGO fan close to you? Any fighting over bricks?
It's pretty cool, 'cause he's the reason I started LEGO and the reason I've done anything on Flickr. We don't really fight over LEGO, we have our separate collections and borrow pieces when needed.

What do your family and friends think of your hobby?
My family loves LEGO in the sense that it can nourish your mind and give an outlet for your creativity. My friends like LEGO also, so I've had a lot of encouragement toward LEGO.

Competitions can be a good thing, helping builders to sharpen skills and be more productive, but they can also be grueling and limiting. Do you participate frequently in the many LEGO contests that are always going on, or do you prefer the freedom of building your own thing?
Competitions are grueling sometimes, but my best builds have come from them. I wouldn't say that I participate frequently, if I have time and think I'll enjoy it, I do participate. The freedom of building can be nice, but I also take longer than when I'm in a competition.

You participated in an InnovaLUG collab not too long ago a series of vignettes from the life of Moses. Have you been involved in any other collabs? What’s special about working with other builders that makes it worthwhile?

I haven't done many other collabs, just a few with my brother when I was little. Hopefully, I'll be able to join more collabs in the future. It's special working with other builders because you can give and get advice, there are more ideas, and the size of multiple people's creations together can be awe-inspiring.

Thanks Gareth! Enjoyed hearing from you, and looking forward to more builds!