I still have to make name tags for Kowalski and Private, but for the sake of publishing on the Internet, I’m considering this project done. The outdoor pictures don’t do them justice. The individual penguin pages are referenced below for those that want to see them. I also like the additional color that they bring to the patio and I’m looking forward to get more smart color lights. Probably as individual pieces of artwork, as well.
This has been a long project with a lot of challenges. I’m looking forward to some smaller projects in 2026. This one didn’t get old and frustrating before I finished, but I spent more time struggling to figure out new designs as I went along. Private, in particular, went through a couple of months of designs and at least one or two attempts to get to the final version.
I am worried about Arizona storms and general weathering. It will be interesting to see how they hold up. The lanterns, out front, have been holding up better than expected. Private and Kowalski are going to be extra problematic with their wire supports. Both are top heavy and the penguins will flip if the light is hit hard enough. If any of them break free and hit the ground, I’ll probably have to make a decision of whether to rebuild it as it likely won’t be repairable.
Individual Penguin Builds
The original, inspiring artwork from Harry Decker:
For those that don’t recognize the characters or environment, this is a mash up of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and the Penguins of Madagascar.
Note the two drummers in the background center of the photo. I have some ideas on creating a simple animatronic version as a future project. Somebody else has already made the 3D model, so most of the work will be on modifying it for animation.