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John Fox IIIJohn Fox III was born in 1951 on the shores of Lake Michigan, in Sheboygan, WI. He lived and worked in Sheboygan until graduating high school in 1969. He attended his only further schooling at a private technical institute where he got a Certificate of Proficiency in architectural drafting in 1971.

 

Around 1972 John built his first model ship since childhood days. It was a Revelle plastic kit model of the Constitution. In the following years he became heavily involved in drawing pen and ink sketches of sailing ships and built a number of plastic kits as models for sketching. John was encouraged by family and friends to do more of the pen and ink sketching on a professional level and sell his work. He also decided to take the plunge and work with wooden model kits, as the sketching demanded more detailed knowledge of the ships themselves. John became enamored with working with the wood, as opposed to the plastic, and found that it was far more dimensionally stable and not nearly as difficult as he had imagined it would be to work with.

 

In 1981 John started Lothlorien Crafts & Design, which is his modeling and design business. While working with the wooden models of old sailing ships John became so enthralled with the model building that he started building the models to sell. He built a few kits, but found that scratch-building ship models was far more interesting and he learned a lot more.

 

3rd Bounty light bulb 22John's first exposure to ship in bottle models came when his wife brought home a book on the subject from the library. His work with ship in bottle models has continued improving and evolving over the years. He has had many articles published in Model Ship Builder Magazine and The Bottle Shipwright, the Journal of the Ship In Bottles Association of America.

 

He prefers to show the entire hull of the ship being modeled. John feels that the part of the hull below the waterline was an important feature and should be shown. John's ship in bottle models are far more like standard static display models, only in a bottle.

 

Almost all of John's models, both static display and ship-in-bottle, are very detailed, exact scale models of actual vessels. Wherever possible he works from established plans of the ships, usually using his computer and CAD software to redraft the plans into digital form.

 

John has won well over twenty awards for his models at model ship building competitions since 1987. When he isn't working on his model ships he can be found sailing his 16' Rebel sailboat on local lakes, or fishing for walleye on those same lakes. Relaxing at home finds him playing and singing rock and roll music with either his twelve string or six string electric guitars.

 

Building Projects

 

America - Building Log by John Fox III

 

 

Awards

 

  • 2017 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Silver Award – Static Display model of "Gjoa"

  • 2011 Nautical Research Guild Ship Model Competition

Blue Ribbon Award - Ship in light bulb model of BonHomme Richard

  • 2008 Wisconsin Maritime Museuem Model Ships & Boats Competition

Gold Award - Static Display model of BonHomme Richard

  • 2003 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Silver Award – Ship In Light Bulb model of the Armed Transport “Bounty”

Gold Award - Ship In Light Bulb model of the “Endurance”

Gold Award & Dana McCallip Best Miniature Awards – Static Display model of the Brigantine “Newsboy”

  • 2001 Internet Model Shipwright Society Online Competition

First Place Miniature Divison & Best In Competition - Ship in bottle model of Endurance

  • 2001 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Gold Award - Ship in bottle model of James Miller

Silver Award - Ship in light bulb model of the Yawl "Sea Bird", vertically aligned.

  • 2000 Internet Model Shipwright Society Online Competition

First Place Miniature Divison - Ship in light bulb model of the Yawl "Sea Bird", vertically aligned.

  • 1999 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Silver Award - Ship in light bulb model of Schooner Yacht "America", vertically aligned.

Silver Award - Ship in light bulb model of the Sandbagger "Bull", vertically aligned.

  • 1998 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Silver Award - Ship in bottle model of the Great Lakes Schooner "Challenge", vertically aligned.

  • 1997 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Certificate of Merit - Ship in bottle model of the Brig of War "Niagara", vertically aligned.

Certificate of Merit - Ship in bottle model of the "USS Constitution."

Certificate of Merit - Ship in bottle model of the Revenue Cutter "Joe Lane."

Certificate of Merit - Ship in bottle model of the East Coast Coallier "Margaret Haskell."

  • 1994 Wisconsin Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Silver Award - Ship in bottle model of the Continental Navy Sloop of War "Providence."

  • 1993 Manitowoc Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Gold Award - Ship in bottle model of the USCG "Eagle."

Gold Award - Ship in bottle model of the Clipper Ship "Flying Cloud."

Gold Award - Ship in bottle model of private yacht "Stormy Dutchess."

Silver Award & Modeler's Choice Award - Static display model of the Continental Navy Brig of War "Lexington."

  • 1989 Manitowoc Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Silver Award - Ship In Bottle model of the Schooner Yacht "America."

  • 1988 Manitowoc Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Gold Award - Static Display model of the Canadian Fishing Schooner "Bluenose."

Gold Award - Ship In Bottle model of the Canadian Fishing Schooner "Bluenose."

Silver Award - Static Display model of an "18th Century Chinese Junk."

  • 1987 Manitowoc Maritime Museum Model Ships & Boats Competition

Gold Award - Ship In Bottle model of the Schooner Yacht "Atlantic."

Gold Award - Ship In Bottle model of the "Gazela."

 

Published Magazine Articles

 

The following articles were written by John Fox III and published in "Model Ship Builder Magazine", Phoenix Publications, Inc.

 

  • "The Canadian Fishing Schooner Bluenose In A Bottle", in two parts

Issue No. 56 November/December 1988, Issue No. 55 September/October 1988

 

  • "U.S. Schooner America In A Bottle", in two parts

Issue No. 63 January/February 1990, Issue No. 62 November/December 1989

 

  • "Masts And Yards For A Ship In Bottle Model"

Issue No. 73 September/October 1991

  • "Computer Drafting of Ship Model Plans", in two parts 

Issue No. 82 March/April 1993, Issue No. 81 January/February 1993,

  • "Ship In Bottle Model of Flying Cloud", in three parts

Issue No. 85 September/October 1993,

Cover features photograph of Flying Cloud Model

Issue No. 86 November/December 1993, Issue No. 87 January/February 1994,

  • "Sloop of War Providence As A Ship In A Bottle", in six parts

Issue No. 95 May/June 1995, Issue No. 96 July/August 1995,

Issue No. 97 September/October 1995, Issue No. 98 November/December 1995,

Issue No. 99 January/February 1996, Issue No. 100 March/April 1996

  • "Old Ironsides As A Ship In A Bottle", in six parts

Issue No. 110 November/December 1997, Issue No. 111 January/February 1998,

Issue No. 112 March/April 1998, Cover features photograph of Old Ironsides Model

Issue No. 113 May/June 1998, Issue No. 114 July/August 1998,

Issue No. 115 September/October 1998

  • "The Lighter Side of Ship In Bottle Modeling"

Issue No. 121 September/October 1999

 

The following articles were written by John Fox III and published in "The Bottle Shipwright",

the Journal of the Ship In Bottle Association of America

  • "Making Miniature Cannons & Carriages"

Issue No. 1994-4, 4th Quarter 1994

  • "Variations On A Theme", in three parts

Issue No. 1996-3, 3rd Quarter 1996, Issue No. 1996-4, 4th Quarter 1996,

Issue No. 1997-1, 1st Quarter 1997

  • "Inside Bottle/Bulb Measuring Tool"

Issue No. 2006-2, 2nd Quarter 2006

  • "Making A Jig For Miniature Grating", in three parts

Issue No. 2006-3, 3rd Quarter 2006, Issue No. 2006-4, 4th Quarter 2006

Issue No. 2007-2, 2nd Quarter 2007

  • "Small Chisel/Cutting Tool"

Issue No. 2007-1, 1st Quarter 2007

  • "Shearwater - Details"

Issue No. 2008-1, 1st Quarter 2008

  • "Christian Radich - An Early Project"

Issue No. 2009-4, 4th Quarter 2009

  • "Shandygaff"

Issue No. 2011-3, 3rd Quarter 2011

 

The following articles were written by John Fox III and published in "Nautical Research Journal",

the Journal of the Nautical Research Guild

  • "BonHomme Richard as a ship in light bulb model," in two parts

Autumn 2012 Vol. 57 No. 3, 3rd Quarter 2012, Winter 2012 Vol. 57 No. 4, 4th Quarter 2012

 

Examples of this Artist's work - Click on a picture to enlarge