"Being a female modelist I can share with you my experience and my motivations. I’ve always thought that male and female were equals and that there wasn’t any ground reserved only to men, so since my early years I’ve done mechanic, woodwork … long before the actual fashion. At that time male shopkeeper were very surprised when I bought my tools and materials or when discussing the possibility of a particular machine with them. Happily that segregation has changed since then in France, I don’t know for the other countries...
"Using Google Earth to travel virtually through the world, I enjoyed seeing SketchUp buildings, which gave a very realistic idea of countries I’ll probably never visit. Then I thought why could I take this and not give in return ? So I’ve downloaded SketchUp.
"When I began modeling, it was a personal challenge. I’ve never thought about the social aspect of it and I was very surprised that other modelists made comments about my models and to receive emails through the 3D Warehouse. I’ve made a few pen friends now and I must say that I enjoy it very much, but it isn’t my motivation. My goal is only to give models to see freely to all of GE users. I try to make models better and better as I learn how to do with SketchUp and I’m very grateful when a modeler send me a technical tip. In brief, all is about sharing freely.
"Living on the Brittany coastline, naturally I began modeling lighthouses, first of all because they are very helpful to navigate safely along our difficult coast where there is a lot of rocks and islands, and secondary because they are complicated buildings and I wanted to pay my tribute to the men who gave sometimes their lives to build these monuments (most of all situated on isolated rocks) despite of wind, bad weather, stormy sea… to save other men’s lives. It’s still about altruism. We owe them recognition as well as other builders who left us a cultural heritage.
"To come back to the topic of why there isn’t a lot of female to get involved in geo modeling, maybe it’s the lack of time : having a job at daytime, cooking, washing, ironing, rising children after work take most of the day. Now that I have no more child at home only a husband, I have more time. May be sirs could you help us a little more ???? (I think I’ve no friend anymore !!!!). More seriously, my opinion is that it’s a matter of temperament : some little girls prefer to play with Lego than a doll. It was my case, I was very curious and I wanted to know how things worked. Modeling for 3D Warehouse allows to understand in detail the methods of construction over the centuries. At first I try to find the building plans and all the historic documentations, then I use them to make the more exact models and understand how and why they were built. I’ve told you I’m curious ! Now a lot of women make DIY, so hopefully in a near future there will be female modelists.
(Sorry for the language mistakes, I hope you’ll understand my point of view and that I still have a few friends…?)"
I think Cathy will still have many SketchUp Islander friends after sharing her candid opinions. Thanks, Cathy, and stop by often
