What about a Laserblast mask of me from the movie? Is that something that interests you? A chance to own a piece of B movie history made by the guy that did the makeup and played the alien in the opening of the film.

Slowly I’m getting caught up with the orders. I tend to get behind when I get a lot of orders just being the only guy in the studio to pour, paint, lay hair, and ship. No complaints. I am glad to be kept busy like this.

Even though I’m getting older and most of my friends and colleagues have stopped doing this wonderful work (or have passed away) I find it so refreshing to still do. It’s like nothing has changed for me and I thank all of you for that. It keeps me young.

Yesterday I plugged along pouring another Seemore order. Cleaning up masks to paint today. And Spock ears.

I also poured up X-15 Delta rocket parts.

I finished the day out with a bit of basket weaving time on my WW1 DVIII RC plane. It’s a great way to wind down. 

An lastly I got my “Vance” painting mug yesterday. It’s amazing always to see your art published. It’s a good cup to use to start the morning. They didn’t do a bad job although it has a bit more contrast than the original art.

Today I’ll be shipping the two talosians and the Salt Vampire.

I got the hair laid up on Nancy yesterday and her teeth are in. There’s a tear under one eye that happened with the epoxy glaze I didn’t catch until it cured. I left it as an easter egg because I thought it was appropriate considering the sadness of her character. Only people who know their Star Trek well will know what I’m talking about and that’s the fun of it. We owe Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek a great deal. 

These all ship today. 2 talosians and a Saltvampire. Let’s see. Two Talosians and a Saltvampire go into a bar…I’ll stop there.

Also today I’ll make up a rocket kit, paint Spock Ears, and get an Orangutan and a Talosian ready to paint tomorrow. Oh and pour another Talosian order I just got!

I can’t say it enough! thank you all for the orders and keeping SNG Studio alive and well!!!

Much love!

Yesterday Mary and I took a drive to Hollywood for a private party and screening given by my dear friend Todd Masters. If you aren’t familiar with Todd and his company Masters FX look him up on google. 

https://www.mastersfx.com/

And if you don’t know who Dick Smith is, he was literally the best makeup artist that ever lived. A wonderful man that inspired my generation of makeup artists. As one example of his work, if you’ve seen the “Exorcist” then you have seen his work.

He is still inspiring the latest generations of makeup artists. I had the pleasure to know him and he was my gateway of inspiration to my long career.

We did get home from the long drive until 12 midnight so we are getting a late start at the studio today but it was important to pay our respects to this great man we all owe so much.

The film by Ken Russel “Altered States” was screened in a beautiful theatre at Harmony Gold theatre on Sunset. There were many giants of the visual effects community there to honor him.

Here’s a couple of pictures from the event.

It was a long week of interviews, podcasts, visits to our studio and it all ended with Dick Smith’s birthday event last night. We get back to business today.

Thanks for all the orders and your patience.

No matter what happens in the world it seems that our little bubble at SNG Studio remains a happy, positive, safe haven for joy. As Adam Savage says, “I reject your reality and substitute my own”. Wise words from a fellow crazy man I know. Making and  creating art saves lives and promotes good mental health. Because having a purpose is supreme. As Gary Hughes says, “Life just makes sense again”. The makers and artists that are my friends keep us inspired and we keep them inspired. It’s an endless cycle of joy, imagination and magic.

This entire week  has been a series of daily interviews by book writers, podcasts, and live video-stream shows all focusing on my career. It would seem my past and present are catching up with me. What I learned from these interviews was the difference I have made in people’s lives as a result of my work in films. I have been so busy that I never gave it a thought before.

It was heartwarming and down right emotional. All these movies, TV shows, and commercials have changed people’s life paths and set many of them on careers of their own as well as  giving them joy and enriching their lives. Never discount the fans, be open to them and listen because they are an important part of who we are.

Yesterday was the last interview for this week. Alan Holzman came to interview me at the studio. Allan and I hadn’t seen each other since the wrap day of the movie “Forbidden World” 40 years ago. He was the director of the film and he had kept a journal on making the film which is now a book. It finishes with interviews with all the people that worked on his crew.  It was a wonderful meeting. And the questions he asked and the memories they brought back were amazing. He is still that calm and wonderfully kind man he was 40 years ago.

I was in charge of making all the stages of the alien creature. What an experience it was making this film.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083959/reference/

 Also this week I got a call from the Academy of Model Aeronautics https://www.modelaircraft.org/ . They are the largest and oldest organization for model aviation in the world.  They had interviewed me for both their magazine and live stream. I spoke of a much needed film about the importance of model aviation. And how it needs to be made. A film that expresses how model aviation changed the world we live in. Everything from the air buses we fly in to our landing on the moon all started with the gateway of model aviation. They asked me how I might envision such a film and I told them a talking heads point A to B documentary is not the way to go. It’s been done and it never engages an audience that isn’t already into aviation. I also talked about the lack of interest by our young people. We need new pilots, astronauts, engineers, rocket scientists and more. We need to engage the public with the hopes they will involve their children in this wonderful hobby that will lead to great careers of great opportunity. Their children can change the world. At the end of the interview they said they would get back to me about this and they did. They are very serious about making such a film. So this is all very exciting for me as this is a film I really want to make. Something that might continue to inspire people to change the world and set it on a correct path of discovery, exploration, and enlightenment as we touch the stars.

I didn’t paint this but I wish I had. This is where it all begins. That first moment when you’re young and you see this airplane fly over that fills you with wonder and captures your imagination. This is what I want to bring to the screen and peoples’ hearts.
I didn’t get much hands-on work done this week but we will return to our regular schedule next week of painting and finishing masks that await their new homes.

These masks all await hair and some paint.
In between the lines, I found time to work on this beautiful structure of a Heinkel HE. 112 free flight WW2 fighter being built for a contest in October. It has to be super light to fly well enough to be the last plane to land in the mass launch. The last one down wins. 

It needs final sanding, covering, paint and bits but it’s well on its way. It was one of the more difficult builds I have ever made.

Mary is working on a new bird series of chickens. No blog post from her this week but here is sneak peek of a chick she is working on:

As always, never stop looking up 

(and no, the sky is not falling) and having love and joy in your hearts. This is the strongest force in the universe and it cures all.

Lost of love,

Steve and Mary

The Art of Steve Neill

SNG Studio on Patreon

Fine Art America – Steve Neill 

Collectors’ Mask Store

SNG Aero – Rockets by Steve Neill
…and Mary on the web
As always, feel free let us know if you want to be removed from our newsletter by emailing us.  Share with friends if you think they would be interested in what we do. Comments and suggestions are encouraged. We love hearing from you!

The last couple of days have been all interviews I’ve given with podcasts and writers making a book about special effects in movies. 

Mary and I were also helping Liz Beall to make a special video for the Star Trek command Training Program. Read up about it here. 

https://www.emmys.com/foundation/programs/internship/startrek/apply

She is a finalist and needed help to make this video answering 7 important questions on camera and the deadline is next Monday.

We donated our time, equipment, and the studio in the hope that this will make her dream come true of being part of the Star Trek family and working on a series. I know how important this is to someone that loves Star Trek as much as we do. I was very fortunate myself to be part of the family and work with the original cast, and Gene Rodenberry.

I pulled Lou’s mask out of the mold yesterday and both his planet of the apes mask and Talosian get finished next week. I will also be finishing the Salt vampire and Spock ears Monday. The first two Talosians ship Tuesday.

I have another interview today with Allan Holzman the director of the Roger Corman film, “Forbidden World”

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083959/reference/?ref_=tt_mv_close

I headed up  the alien creature shop on the film and did a lot of puppeteering on the film. I haven’t seen Allan since 1982 and he’s coming to our studio to interview me and see the studio.

The last couple of weeks have been busy with many interviews and visits to the studio. There has been a surge of interest in my career and work as of recently.

I also got a call yesterday from a prestigious organization about producing and directing a documentary on a subject near and dear to my heart. As this develops more I’ll write about it here. It’s very exciting.

And yes I did get some more work done on my free flight Heinkel 112 for the upcoming event in Arizona this October. It’s amazing to see this jem come together. Next I’m building the vertical stabilizer. 

It’s been an amazing week so far.

I spent the entire day painting masks. With the exception of glazing the eyes the two Talosians are done. The Salt Vampire needs teeth and hair. Spock ears are out of the mold and so is Lou Dalmaso’s Orangutan.

Very busy day!

We have another mask week. I spent most of the day yesterday pouring rubber and prepping masks for painting today. When masks come out of the molds there’s always bubbles and seams to remove. Sometimes patching of bubbles with cabopatch filler. Or Bondo as we call it. All this takes time and it’s important to make the best possible mask.

I poured an Orangutan for my dear friend Lou Dalmaso(look him up on the net he does fabulous modeling making!) who’s quite the collector. I’ll be pouring him a Talosian today as well. 

I poured up a set of Spock ears to fill an order.

Busy times at SNG. But I suppose it always is. I have a number of interviews this week for books, shows, and podcasts. 

We are having a rocket launch this week for the kids. We are also helping a young lady to achieve their dream of working on a Star Trek series by shooting and cutting a video for her. We aren’t charging her but rather paying it forward. Mary and I look forward to it.

And we have a special event in Hollywood we have been invited to to attend Sunday.

All this keeps one going and staying sharp at any age. I am so grateful.

I put the painting Vance on Fine Art America and to my surprise people have been buying prints, coffee mugs, iPhone covers, and more. You can see it here.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/vance-steve-neill.html

And the coffee mugs are here. I got one myself.

https://fineartamerica.com/featured/vance-steve-neill.html?product=coffee-mug

I am planning another painting I hope to start this week. This one will be on the art of flight. I plan a series of airplane and free flight model paintings.

Speaking of which bit by bit I’m getting this free flight plane built up. Last night I started on the wing. With no instructions and only plans you have to solve a mystery. And I did. She will go up quickly now. I have 3 more planes to build before the big event in October at WestFACS.

A bit more progress between the lines this weekend. For those of you just tuning in this build is from an old Golden Age Reproduction kit. It’s a printed wood kit so you do have to cut your own parts out. Thus the golden age. But it’s fun to do and I rather enjoy it.

The fuselage is almost there and I’ve just started building the wing panels. I’m drafting up in Photoshop today the correct scale horizontal stab. Nice build so far.

My next build for the mass WW1 launch will be a GAR Fokker DVII which I also have.

I’m building these days not at the studio but at home in my hobby room adorned with hanging model airplanes, my flight sim setup PC, and slot car track. It’s a tiny area but the ambience is wonderful compared to work at my large studio where I’m often distracted by my work there. Nice thing about free flight models is that they don’t take up the room my larger RC builds do.

I also went flying RC Sunday. I flew the Rebel jet 2 more times. This jet really hauls the mail and is a joy to fly. I also Flew my 100 inch span AWS 28. The Sun was shining, it was comfortably warm and it was a bit windy. It was a glorious day of flying for all there.

This never gets old. What a wonderful thing it is to build and fly.