I had an opportunity to design and construct a miniature Christmas village with 34 lighted buildings. It was to be visible from both sides. How to design it? I took ten pounds of clay I'd set aside for sculpting, made a big lump out of it and started working out the landscape.
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The finished landscape is carved from Styrofoam, covered in spackling compound (used for filling small holes in walls) and painted with acrylic paints. I'll re-use the clay for the next design project.