LEGO artists from around the world met in North Texas this weekend to show off their creations and introduce the next generation to the craft. Dallas Brick Convention was held at Irving Convention Center.
"The LEGO community has been very welcoming, just a wealth of ideas," says E.J. Bocan III, a professional artist based in Ohio. "I was like, 'That's what I want to do.'"
Bocan says he started playing with LEGOs when he was five years old. In Irving, he was showing off a castle he had built. The castle included a structure he had built along with a moat, drawbridge and a cobblestone path made from different colors of LEGOs. He completed the display with characters include a king and queen, guards and a gardener trimming LEGO hedges.
"I did a lot of research, reading books and watching videos on how castles are designed and built," he says. "I figured out how what the structure and layout of the castle would be. Then I thought about what my influences would be."
Bocan called the castle, "Mustache Manor." Each of the characters, even the queen, has a mustache. Bocan himself has a handlebar mustache.
"They've got a mustache just like me," he says. "It's just over 100,000 pieces. It weighs about 500 pounds."
Mustache Manor included 100,000 LEGOs. Bocan says he spent ten weeks designing the castle and five weeks building.
Bocan also had portraits he's made with LEGOs on display including Taylor Swift, Joker and Sonic the Hedgehog.
Tim Hutchings, who appeared on the show LEGO Masters, was displaying an Old West town with a railroad and mountains.
"That's the best part of LEGO: Your imagination is your only limitation," he says. "Seeing the creativity and what you can do with the sets is what sets it apart."
Hutchings says events like Dallas Brick Convention can show the versatility of LEGOs. He says playing with the bricks can spark creativity in kids. He says businesses have started using LEGOs to prompt team work among employees where they can work together in a fun environment. He says LEGOs have even helped survivors of strokes and other traumatic brain injuries regain motor skills.
"I call that little piece of plastic magic," Hutchings says. "It really is because it just opens so many doors."
Dallas Brick Convention raises money for the Build Smiles Foundation, a nonprofit "dedicated to providing developmental opportunities and financial support to children facing challenging circumstances, particularly those living in homeless shelters and orphanages." The foundation says LEGO sets can help children build motor skills, creative thinking, problem-solving skills and self-confidence. More information is available here.
