The week before a holiday is usually pretty quiet, so I guess this week was typical. A time to  catch up and think about new projects and great things that lie ahead. I made masks and filled orders for rocket kits and spock ears. 

Mary has been painting chickens . Not ready for her blog yet but here is a preview:

I had the great honor of being published in the prestigious magazine for the Academy of Model Aeronautics . 

Last Sunday  we were invited by my dear friend Todd Masters to the 100th birthday celebration of the great makeup artist Dick Smith. The movie, Altered States, was screened as a tribute to Dick’s great work. I haven’t seen the film for a long time and its message is one that needs to be heard. It was appropriate. Everyone had a great time. Thank you Todd  for the wonderful evening.

In the mail I received my order for my painting  on a coffee mug from Fine Art America ! How cool is that?

It’s a great way to greet the day with Vance Gilbert who is a wonderful human being. 
Friday I received this wonderful gift from Matt Sanders. Matt is the owner of 

https://ghostbustersautogr.wixsite.com/website And I had a visit from him to my studio recently where I signed over 100 autographs . He sent me this personalized shirt. It’s a great honor to receive such a gift for my work on the original Ghostbusters movie!

What’s coming next? I’m writing a new script for my next film, “A Conversation with My Father” which will feature Steve Altman, David Allan Graf, and Robb Wolford . This is a heartwarming story about the human spirit. I am also writing a script for 

a film about model aviation called “Forever Flight”.
I’m thinkin about sculpting a Laserblast mask of me from the movie. What do you think?

Would you like to see a sculpture of the creature arm that I wore in Ghostbusters?

I am planning to refit my refit. The Enterprise 1701 from the first movie”Star Trek the Motion Picture”. The model is in a state of decay and I want to bring it back with proper lighting and paint. a restoration, if you will.
Luo Dalmaso gifted me a EVA Pod from 2001: a space odyssey, my very favorite film of all time. “Lucy, I have some model building to do”

And that’s just for starters. I had better get busy.

Great times at the studio continue… 

Thank you all and remember to create beautiful things and fill the world with love. 

It’s powerful and it will make a difference. In these crazy times you make a difference by staying positive!

Don’t believe it, know it.

All The Best,

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!

Lou your masks are finished and will ship after the weekend.

Rocket kit complete and will ship after the weekend.

Newsletter will be posted later today.

  I don’t get involved in politics, religion, or rhetoric. But I am an artist and I do express myself through art. 

This film first went online in October of 2021.  The script was written in 2020. Since then much has happened that has been predicted by my script. And what is ahead for the human race is also predicted but does have to happen.

Writers and artists predicted many, many things that have come true. I think it’s time to listen when you are warned. 

This film was the result of a dream I once had. I have had many such dreams but what are dreams? No matter what you are told by well meaning authorities on the subject, no one really knows. But the warnings from dreams in the past have come true.

We need to listen to our inner selves because it is connected to everything past, present and future that exists. 

Post script:

It was recently brought to my attention that there is a similarity to The Dreamtime and The Great Dictator’s closing speech. Charles Chaplain was in Hilter attire and giving a similar speech. I never realized this before. Thank you Lara Trace Hentz. https://laratracehentz.wordpress.com/

Announcement

As of July 5th all our prices will be increased 10% to accommodate the rising costs of materials and shipping to produce our masks and products.

And masks bought before July 5th will remain at our current prices.

Yesterday was more work. I’m getting caught up of sorts. Still to go are two Seemores and a Rocket kit.

I got my supplies for a few more kits so I can start working on that today.

It took awhile to get the Orangutan haired up. He came out well.

I have the two Seemores out of the mold but they need cleanup before I can paint them next week.

This week really has me doing lots of rubber work. I poured more masks, packed, shipped, and more.

The masks are in various stages of completion. The Orangutan needs hair today. The Talosian needs its eyes painted and glazed.

Spock ears get shipped today. Another Seemore got cast in rubber yesterday and another was pulled from the mold to dry.

I got my rocket kits parts supplies in the mail yesterday afternoon so I can finish the X-15 Delta kit.

On top of all of that my latest issue of the Model Aviation Magazine came in the mail. I have been a member of the Academy of Aeronautics since 1986 and in all these years my work was never talked about or published until now. I’m very proud and appreciative to  the AMA and Jay Smith for this honor.

I plan to do more with the AMA to help the magazine, and to attract interest to the hobby with a film about model flight in the near future.

I did get another hour into my DVIII RC plane build. I made a fire wall and worked out how I would mount the motor. I got it to perfectly line up with the prop shaft in the cowling. This was one of the many hurdles of building this model behind me.

It was a great day all around.

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.