Wine Country Model Club - winecountrymodelclub.com

06/04/2026

𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 – 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽

We had another terrific meeting Monday night at Round Table Pizza in Rohnert Park, with 18 enthusiastic members in attendance and plenty of great conversation, laughter, and outstanding modeling throughout the evening.

Members were reminded of our upcoming club build day this Sunday, June 7, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Ray Kummer’s house. These in-person build days are always a fun opportunity to spend time together, share techniques, and get some work done at the bench.

We also heard several reports from recent events around the modeling community. Dev Sodagar shared highlights from the recent KublaCon Gaming Conference, including the many outstanding seminars focused on figure painting and related topics. Dean Wallace reported on the SilverCon show in Sacramento, which was attended by a number of club members and where Randy Baumgardner earned a First Place award for his Gundam model. A report was also given on the Rocky Mountain Hobby Expo held in Utah over Memorial Day weekend, which once again featured incredible models presented in an exhibition format, seminars, connecting and camaraderie among modelers from across the western United States.

Club members were also pleased to receive a variety of hobby supplies and materials recently donated by former member Chris Salick. The donated items quickly found appreciative new homes among members.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 & 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, with members bringing a wide variety of impressive projects to share.

This month’s discussion topic — “What modeling mistake or setback taught you the most?” — generated some of the most entertaining stories we’ve heard in quite a while. Members shared tales of painting disasters, construction mishaps, incorrect assumptions, and other hard-earned lessons from the workbench. The stories produced plenty of laughs while also reminding us that mistakes are often some of our best teachers.

The evening concluded with the culmination of our “Shelf of Opportunity / Shelf of Doom” Group Build. After People’s Choice voting by the membership, the results were:

🥇 First Place: Paul Sousa – Thunderbird
🥈 Second Place: Ted Riehl – Harley-Davidson Motorcycle
🥉 Third Place: Dean Wallace – 1/48 Tamiya Corsair

Congratulations to all of the participants who successfully brought long-delayed projects back to life and completed them for the group build.

📅 Next meeting: Monday, July 6, 2026

05/28/2026

Fantastic work!

05/13/2026

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 — 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡

What makes historical modeling truly convincing?

At the 2026 Wine Country Model Expo, aviation historian and author Carl Molesworth shared insights drawn from decades of research, writing, and involvement in the aircraft modeling community, including particularly about this history of the P-40.

Carl’s presentation focused particularly on the P-40 and explored the relationship between history and modeling—how a deeper understanding of the subject can inform the choices we make at the bench and bring added meaning and authenticity to our work.

Known for his extensive writing on WWII aviation and military history, Carl brings a perspective that bridges historical scholarship and scale modeling in a way that is both informative and highly approachable.

If you weren’t able to attend—or would like to revisit it—the full presentation is now available on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD0af5oNwPc

This concludes the first set of seminar presentations from the 2026 Wine Country Model Expo. We’re grateful to all four presenters for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm with the modeling community.

Carl Molesworth - The History of the Curtiss P‑40 Fighter - Wine Country Model Expo 2026

05/08/2026

𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 – 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗽

We had another great turnout and high-energy meeting Monday night at the Round Table in Rohnert Park, with 23 members in attendance and plenty of lively conversation and excellent modeling throughout the evening.

A recap was provided on the recent Wine Country Model Expo, along with discussion of several upcoming events around the modeling community, including:

📅 SilverCon — Saturday, May 16
📅 IPMS Fresno Show — Saturday, May 23
📅 KublaCon — May 22–25, including seminars presented by our own Dev Sodager

We also announced several upcoming club activities:

• A club field trip to the Nike Missile Site in Marin County on Saturday, August 1 (more details to follow)

• An in-person club group build day at Ray Kummer’s house on Sunday, June 7 at 11:00 AM

• A reminder that our ongoing club group build — “Shelf of Opportunity / Shelf of Doom” — will conclude at the June meeting

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 & 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰, with members bringing a wide variety of impressive and creative projects to share.

This month’s discussion topic — “What do you enjoy about group builds? What kinds of themes motivate you to participate?” — generated a range of interesting perspectives, including the potential for shared enthusiasm around a theme, the opportunity to finally tackle long-delayed projects, ambiguities about what exactly a group build is and the camaraderie that develops when multiple members are building toward a common goal.

📅 Next meeting: Monday, June 1, 2026

05/08/2026

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 — 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐨 (𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠)

Why does scratchbuilding feel intimidating—and how do you get past that?

At the 2026 Wine Country Model Expo, Brett Prusso shared a highly practical session focused on overcoming the hesitation many modelers feel when approaching scratchbuilding and more advanced detailing work.

Known for his thoughtful craftsmanship and clean ex*****on, Brett breaks the process down into approachable steps and focuses on mindset as much as technique—showing that scratchbuilding doesn’t require perfection, just a willingness to start experimenting.

Whether you’re looking to add small custom details or take on more ambitious projects, there’s a great deal here that can be applied immediately at the bench.

If you weren’t able to attend—or would like to revisit it—the full presentation is now available on our YouTube channel:

Brett Prusso (Hammerhead Model Making) presents at the 2026 Wine Country Model Expo, sharing advanced techniques and approaches to finishing, weathering, and...

05/02/2026

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 — 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐲 (𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭)

What brings a figure—or a scene—to life?

At the 2026 Wine Country Model Expo, Grant Mayberry delivered an engaging, wide-ranging presentation on figure modeling and storytelling, sharing both practical insights and the mindset behind his approach.

If you’ve listened to Grant on the Plastic Posse Podcast, you’ll recognize the same energy here—thoughtful, enthusiastic, and focused on helping modelers think differently about what they’re trying to achieve.

This is one of those sessions that’s as much about how you see your work as it is about technique.

If you weren’t able to attend—or want to revisit it—the full presentation is now available on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7kCtT8GaI8

Note: Due to a brief recording issue, this video begins a few minutes into the session, just after the introductory portion.

04/29/2026

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 — 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐨𝐧 (𝐄𝐦𝐝𝐞𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬)

What makes a diorama truly compelling?

At the 2026 Wine Country Model Expo, Martin Drayton shared his approach to building dioramas that bring models to life—focusing on narrative, composition, and the small details that reward a closer look.

Known for his highly detailed, story-driven work, Martin has developed a distinctive voice in the hobby, creating scenes with depth, subtle “Easter eggs,” and a strong sense of visual flow.

In this seminar, he walks through:
• developing a clear narrative
• composition and visual flow
• layering detail without overcrowding
• practical ways to get started with dioramas

If you weren’t able to attend—or would like to revisit it—the full presentation is now available on our YouTube channel:

👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqhR6gtq9oU

We’ll be sharing additional seminar presentations from the Expo over the coming days.

04/24/2026

𝐀 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

One of our goals for the Wine Country Model Expo was to make learning and conversation as central to the day as the models on display.

Our seminar program was a big part of that—and we’re deeply grateful to four remarkable presenters who brought creativity, knowledge, and generosity to the event.

Grant Mayberry shared artistic insight and practical figure painting techniques that reached well beyond a single genre.

Brett Prusso made complex scratchbuilding ideas feel accessible, giving attendees practical techniques they could take straight back to the bench.

Martin Drayton brought imagination and storytelling to the forefront, inspiring others to think about models as scenes with narrative and emotional depth.

Carl Molesworth brought extraordinary historical perspective, connecting research and modelling in a way that added depth and context for builders.

Together, they helped make the Expo feel richer, more generous, and more connected.

Just as important, each of them spent time engaging with attendees throughout the day—answering questions, sharing ideas, and contributing to the spirit of openness and community we hoped to create.

We’ve also been especially encouraged by the enthusiasm our presenters have continued to show even after the event.

Our sincere thanks to Grant, Brett, Martin, and Carl for helping make the day so special.

04/17/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 — 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬?

That was the question behind this year’s Wine Country Model Expo.

Instead of organizing entries into traditional groups of categories, each modeller’s work was displayed together, with a name placard on the table—and name badges worn by attendees—making the person as visible and accessible as the models on display.

What we saw over the course of the day was something special.

Conversations started more easily—and lasted longer.

Modelers stayed with their work and engaged with others.

People connected across genres, sharing techniques, ideas, and inspiration.

The energy in the room felt different—more open, more relaxed, and more focused on learning and community.

This wasn’t entirely new ground for us. Back in 2004, our club was the first in Northern California to introduce Open (Gold/Silver/Bronze) judging—a step toward evaluating models against a standard rather than against each other.

This year’s Expo was another step forward— placing emphasis on the modeller, the process, and the shared experience.

Alongside the exhibition-style format, we also introduced a full educational seminar program, giving attendees a chance to sit down, learn, and engage more deeply throughout the day.

None of this works without the people who show up and bring it to life—and that’s exactly what happened.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, displayed their work, shared their knowledge, and helped create the kind of atmosphere you see in these photos.

This is something we’re excited to keep building.

04/13/2026

Really appreciate scaleffect taking the time to put this video together from the Expo. What stood out most to us was his take on how the exhibition-style format played out on the day:

“I found it much more enjoyable and conducive to meeting people and talking about their work… I talked a lot more.”

That’s exactly what we were hoping to create.

Thanks again to scaleffect for coming out, being part of our juror teams, and capturing the day.

Leave a comment if you see your model! Coverage of entries in the 2026 Wine Country Model Expo scale model show and contest hosted by the Wine Country Modele...