Forres dad builds Star Wars droid K-2SO in his back garden
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A CREATIVE father-of-two from Forres has built another model that is out of this world.
Mark Donald (44) of Castle Street took six weeks to build the latest addition to his Star Wars movie-themed back garden: a seven foot tall robot known in the franchise as K-2SO.
"It looks cool but intimidating due to its size," said Mark. "'The Rogue One' movie is popular amongst most Star Wars fans, as is this droid.
"I had parts available that I thought would work for making him. I make props from scraps so it depends what materials I can source as to how a project will unfold. That's the thrill of it - turning one man's rubbish into another man's treasure."
K-2SO is a CGI character, voiced and performed in the film through motion capture. In the plot, K-2SO is a security droid originally created by the Empire but reprogrammed by the Rebel Alliance. He is co-pilot to the rebel pilot Cassian Andor, and lends some comic relief to the story.
Mark made his own K-2SO from barbecue shelves, scrap metal from the junk yard, bits of wood, food containers, and other material in his log cabin and garden at the back of his house.
He added: "Last year my next door neighbours gave me plastic poles from their football goals that they no longer wanted. When I accepted them I'd no idea what they would be used for but I knew they would be handy. They became a large part of the frame for my K-2SO."
Mark has made around a dozen Star Wars props since he first started in 2017 including a speeder bike, two spacecraft, and three other droids.
"I want to hold onto them all and create a Star Wars garden," he said. "Weather and money permitting will decide how long that will take but I hope it will be completed inside the next two years."
The kitchen porter at the Bandstand Hotel, Nairn is currently not working due to the coronavirus lockdown, which is slowing down production.
He said: "You would think that the spare time would be ideal for me to make props but I can't access materials as easily and I've less cash to buy anything!
"I'm planning a new ship as soon as possible but I may be forced to go for something smaller until things clear up."
Daughters Nicole (10) and Caitlyn (7) continue to support their dad's hobby.
"My family - including my 85-year-old gran - are amazed by everything that I make," said Mark. "They never doubt me."
