Creating the Cefalù Diorama

Placing miniature beach umbrellas on the diorama.

Hey folks!

Sorry for my recent absence. I just had a rough nine days, in every respect. And, just to put an exclamation point on the whole week, my faithful computer decided it was time to move on to the great e-recycling bin in the sky.

After great effort to keep it alive, I came to grips with the fact that it had lived a good life and it was time to move on. Thankfully, I was able to replace my computer with a new machine and, as a result, I hope to catch up a bit here.

With that in mind, here is the final post on the construction of the Cefalù Diorama. I hope you enjoy.

Cefalù Diorama

Feb 03 — Feb 18, 2024

Now that the mountain and village were largely complete, it was time to turn my focus to the most anxious part of the entire build. It was time to create the beach and water feature.

Having already laid down layers of ⅛-inch chipboard to simulate the topography of the beach, I know pressed thin layers of air-dry clay across the surface, creating a beach which gently slopes away from the village.

An overhead view of the beach on the Cefalu diorama.

Immediately after smoothing the clay to the desired depth and surface smoothness, I then proceeded to spread a thin layer of the fine sand that had been created specifically for this purpose. Using a small rubber brayer, I carefully pressed the sand into the surface as much as possible.

Even so, much of the sand would be sitting up on the surface and would need to be sealed. This was accomplished by slowly saturating the sand with a layer of Isopropyl Alcohol, followed immediately by a layer of a glue/water mixture. The alcohol evaporates quickly and pulls the liquid glue down through the sand ensuring that the entire surface is sealed to the base.

A long shot of the water, filled with boats and swimmers.

After letting the beach dry for twenty-four hours, it was time to pour the resin. This was the most anxious part of the build, especially, the “sea foam” effect. You only get one chance to do it right and if a huge mistake is made, the only way to correct it is to start over!

Thankfully, after several test runs, I was able to achieve the look I was hoping for and the water feature ended up looking rather realistic. More than one viewer commented that, at first, they thought they were looking at an image of the actual location.

A long shot of the beach on the Cefalu diorama.

It was a big effort to pull everything to together in time for the designated delivery date. Tiny details were being added every minute over the last two days.

A creative never has enough time to do all of the things they would like to on a piece like this. Having said that, I am very pleased with the end result and it appears, the diorama’s recipient is as well.

The final diorama, showing the beach in the foreground, and the mountain in the back.

Thanks for following this thread on the creation of the Cefalù Diorama. I hope to put together a “making of” video soon. Stay posted.