It is no secret that I both love and loathe LEGO’s. They are fun, fascinating and as simple or complex as you choose to make them. I tend to lean toward the “make it really freaking complex” side, and that mentality coupled with the fact that I have no innate talent for the art form, makes me one cranky Gingi.
You want to see me burst out into a mock-Russian just-lost-a-chess-game fit? Challenge me to a LEGO building contest. Yet while LEGO’s are my creativity kryptonite, in my love of the multi-colored blocks they are still one of the first toys I’ve ever bought my daughter. (The toddler LEGO’s are a bazillion times easier to play with. Just sayin’.)
Anyhoo, LEGO’s have carved themselves a wonderful niche in the nerd community, and they are indisputably every moms classic playroom staple. I would be negligent in my domestic geek blogging duties if I didn’t touch on these awesome nuggets of nerdity. So I’m excited to turn this blog post over to LEGO artist and freelance writer, Carlo Pandian.
5 Female LEGO Builders to Follow
Commonly the LEGO building system is often thought of as a toy for boys. However, this was never the intention of the LEGO Group. Ever since the beginning the focus for the toy was to appeal to boys and girls equally.
Recently there has been an effort to re-acquaint the world with the fact that this building toy is for everyone. This has been done with the wildly successful Friends line. This series comes after over four years of research to see what girls want.
Despite this disconnect, there have been women who continued to play with their favorite building toy. They never lost sight of the fact that it was meant for them to play with. As an added bonus, these builders are not only popular because they are female. They are known because they are some of the best builders no matter what gender.
Mariann Asanuma
Mariann’s love of building started at age six when she received her very first set. Her dream was to become a master builder but at the time every position was in Europe. Then in 1999, LEGOLAND California opened its amusement park. Her dream was becoming a possibility.
After five attempts she was finally hired on as a Master Model Builder for the park. During her four years of work, she helped create many impressive models. After that job she continued her passion as the first female freelance brick artist. She has been hired to create some pretty impressive pieces like this LEGO Batman mosaic to celebrate the videogame release. Warner Bros. displayed this piece in NYC.
(Click here to check out Mariann Asanuma!)
LegoMyMamma
This lady goes by the moniker LegoMyMama. She has been a major presence on various LEGO fan sites. Through her work she hopes to inspire other females of all ages to embrace their building skills.
As a female, she has personally dealt with struggles in the community because of her gender. Through her online efforts she has worked to support the ever-growing female community. Check out her modified Summer Riding Camp into a Spring Riding Camp circa 1901.
(Click here to check out LegoMyMamma!)
Topsy Creatori
Within the LEGO brand there are certain types of parts that are harder to build with than others. Fans refer to these pieces as Bionicle. This system has more to do with moving joints than connecting studs into holes.
Few even venture into this realm of advance building much less work almost exclusively in this style. However, Topsy Creatori is known the world over as one of the authorities in this area. Her models are nothing short of breath-taking. Not only do they look fantastic but they’re made in such a way that very few can match. Here is her Gandalf the Gray model. It is probably the most realistic version of Gandalf thanks to its phenomenal range of movement.
(Click here to check out Topsy Creatori!)
Alice Finch
Fans have been blown away by Alice’s work. She is currently credited with having the largest LEGO Hogwarts Castle ever built. Her attention to detail and creative part usage is second to none for large models.
After winning the LEGO castle contest in 2013 she needed a new challenge. So she teamed up with a fellow SeaLUG member David Frank to bring to life Rivendell from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.
The end model sits on a 10 ft by 5 ft space and features the elven city. As part of the design the time of year is reflected in the foliage. It starts in spring on one side of the model and stretches to autumn at the other end. Alice is the crowned queen of LEGO castle building.
(Click here to check out Alice Finch!)
Thank you for the awesome article!
That video at the end was adorable! That girl is so cute!
Right?! I just wanna squeeze her!!