Daily Mini Interview: Mighty Oak Brings Miniature Sets to Life for HGTV and Sherwin-Williams

Mighty Oak’s Miniature Sets for HGTV and Sherwin-Williams

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Interview with Emily Collins, Creative Director at Mighty Oak

Tell us a bit about your recent collaboration with HGTV and Sherwin-Williams.

Our team created a series of miniature rooms inspired by the 2018 Sherwin-Williams color collection. Each room was modeled to look like a contemporary living space, with details as tiny as half-inch shampoo bottles crafted by hand.

How many rooms did you create, and how are they distinct from one another?

We created 7 rooms in total. Each unique room showcases a living space, including a bathroom, kitchen, 2 living rooms, a bedroom, and a sun room. They range in style, from minimalist decor, to plant-filled lounges, rustic interiors, and even a seaside-aesthetic.

How many team members helped to bring this project to life?

Our team was made up of 11 creatives, including our producer and director, animators, fabricators, and post-production crew. We worked closely with our clients to ensure that each room represented their new color line in the way they imagined.

 

What was your team’s favorite room to create?

Everyone seems to have their own favorite! My personal favorite was the Minimalist Danish Living Room because it feels the most realistic. It looks life-size to me in camera before you see the hand reveal the scale.

What was the most challenging room to create?

The kitchen cabinetry was probably the most challenging to create because there were so many angles and lines to consider! The artist Sam Shumway had to delicately measure and craft each individual cabinet to make sure everything lined up properly.

The shower in the bathroom was another challenging custom build, but artist Hillary Barton did a great job. The shower door is actually functional, and could slide open and closed which was exciting to see in action.

About how many miniatures did your team create by hand? 

The team created about 70% of the pieces by hand including the couches, bed, shower, wall paintings, contemporary chair, tables, dressers, planters, and… I could go on. We’re lucky to have a skilled team that specializes in crafting miniatures, as stop-motion animation often calls for it.

Where did you source some of the miniature home décor and accessories from? 

The few pieces that we did source came from Amazon, Tiny Doll House on the Upper East Side in NYC and our very own studio. My business partner Michaela Olsen has been collecting miniature vintage dollhouse furniture for a long time that we were able to use.

We also sourced all of the wood flooring from my husband’s company, Tri-Lox, which sources sustainable lumber to create custom designs. A lot of the flooring and some of the furniture is made out of Redwood that previously was part of NYC water towers!

 

Did you have to use a special paintbrush to create the wall art?

We used very thin-tipped brushes!

What did you learn about miniatures along the way?

I learned that it is wise to think in 1:12 scale as much as possible, as that is the easiest size to source! I also learned that I love miniatures very much. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a contemporary scene, room, piece of furniture or plant at a tiny scale.

What did you learn about interior design through this collaboration?

I learned that when I design my future home, I will mock-up my plans first in Photoshop, as we did with these rooms. It’s a great way to plan out a space. Most retailers have photos of their furniture from various angles, so it’s possible to grab an image and resize, and angle it to fit your mock-up.

What other services does Mighty Oak offer? 

We specialize in hand-made design, crafting items out of paper, clay, wood, textiles, and even food. We primarily work in stop-motion animation, but also offer a lot of options for hand-drawn animation, illustration, and motion graphics.

Our full-time team of 7 employees with about 40 specialized subcontractors to offer services that blend art, branding, and design. This hybrid of strengths makes our work unique.

 

What’s next from Mighty Oak?

As we continue to create mini worlds for brands, we’re also starting to work more with TV networks like HBO and Netflix, which is really exciting! We’re also expanding our services to consumers directly, creating hand-crafted video games, .gifs, stickers, and templates that anyone can easily download and use. But you can see how we’re making all of this on our Instagram or brand new YouTube channel, where we’ll be posting behind-the-scenes videos of our process.

If any mini-makers want to collaborate — Instagram is the best place to find us!

The Mighty Oak studio is located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. They’re on the lookout for talented makers, so feel free to get in touch to learn more! Check out their latest projects on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo. And make sure to read more about their extensive project portfolio on the Mighty Oak site.

 

Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Sculptures by Willard Wigan

Micro Sculptures by Famed Artist Willard Wigan MBE

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How did you first get started in micro sculptures? Were you always drawn to miniatures?

camelsAt school I suffered from a learning difference. This resulted in me being criticized for not being as able as the other students. Whilst I played truant, which sadly was quite often, I submersed myself into a world of miniatures. I was fascinated by ants, not knowing where they lived. This was the catalyst to me making houses, furniture and playing objects for ants.

How has your work evolved over the years?

I have been creating micro sculptures for 50 years. My work has evolved from its very rudimentary form when I first started. Over the years, experience coupled with more advanced microscopic equipment has allowed my work to become smaller and more detailed.Hummingbird

For a time, I did carve large objects, life size out of wood, but it has always been the micro sculptures that has been my signature.

What materials do you use to make your miniature sculptures? 

Materials vary depending on the piece I am working on. But common materials are gold, glass, Kevlar, nylon and cable tie.

Describe your process.

Usually I create the sculpture, then place it into the eye of the needle, or onto the head of a pin. I work mainly with one high powered microscope, but the control comes from my hands as I work in between pulse and heart beats.

Advice for beginner artists?

Perseverance and dedication. If at first it goes wrong, which it will, keep trying.

273272_last_supper_eFINALTool you can’t live without?

I make my own tools, which vary depending on the piece I am creating. So, it’s not a matter of living without a particular tool. It’s more a case of creating and fitting each tool to create each piece of work.

Favorite work of art you own by another artist?

I don’t have any other artists’ work at my home. In fact, I do not even display my own work after creating it.

Most treasured micro sculpture you’ve created?Prince-Albert-Copy

The Last Supper, because of the time it took to create, the microscopic intricate detail in the piece, and its symbolism.

What has proven to be the most difficult sculpture to create?

Probably the Prince Albert. The necessity to ensure the horse was perfectly and equally proportioned from its head to its hooves and tail. Then, to ensure that Prince Albert was perfectly placed into the saddle with his boots into the stirrups. Whilst the completed piece might not look as difficult as some of my other creations, it was actually probably the most difficult.Coronation-Crown

Artists you look to for inspiration?

Michelangelo and Leonardo di Vinci are artists who I take inspiration from. I can take several months to create a piece. These masters could take years. Their dedication and perseverance should be an inspiration to any artist.

Why micro-sculptures? What appeals to you most about what you do?

Why, as I said before, it stems from my early childhood years. The appeal—it’s not the creating the work, because this is painstaking. The satisfaction comes when I finish a piece and then watching people’s reactions when they place their eyes for the first time over the microscope to view the work.GF02w_ARTPIECE1_Or_Gris_CloseUp_A4_RGB

Tell us a bit about your collaboration with Greubel Forsey.

Watches by the Swiss company Greubel Forsey are perhaps the most bespoke in the world. After 4 years of research and development, they have created a timepiece housing a built-in microscope to view one of my art pieces. This is all encompassed inside a fully functional Greubel Forsey timepiece. It is quite remarkable how they have achieved this.

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Upcoming exhibitions or projects planned?

A documentary about my work is being shown on Channel 4 on Sunday, July 8, and I have a new exhibition starting July 6 at Broadway Museum and Art Gallery.

Further exhibitions of my work, both in the UK and overseas, are being planned for 2019. In January 2018, I was humbled to receive an honorary doctorate from The University of Warwick and am greatly looking forward to working with this world-class university on a number of exciting projects.

What other hobbies do you enjoy?Golden-Harley

To relax I listen to music, Motown being my preferred choice. As for hobbies, I enjoy combat types of sport such as boxing or UFC.

What do you want miniature fans to know about you?

I am affiliated to 3 principal charities. The Nelson Mandela Children’s charity, the Siegfried and Roy animal charity and the less know but no less important Adenium Foundation, which seeks to give children a positive start in life via personal development and education.

Willard Wigan MBE’s work in micro sculpture continues to astound after 50 years. To see more of his microscopic creations, visit his website today. You may also wish to follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Crayon Carvings by Wax Nostalgic

Wax Nostalgic Crayon Carvings

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poohHow did you first start making miniature crayon carvings?

When I was in dental school, I saw the work of another artist who carved some things out of crayons. This struck me because I was already doing similar work in school where we had to carve teeth out of wax. I wanted to give it a try then, but I was just too busy at the time. It wasn’t until a few years later after I withdrew from dental school that I had an opportunity to try it. My friend was putting on a small art show and invited me to participate. I remembered the crayon carvings I saw earlier so I gave it a try and the rest was history.

Do you remember the very first carving you ever made? Do you still have it?

The first thing I remember carving was in the sixth grade. We were studying ancient Egypt. As a related art activity, we had to carve sphinxes out of a bar of soap. Many students ended making very flat soap bar shaped sphinxes. I realized though to carve an accurate sphinx, I had to cut it in half lengthwise in order to get the right proportion to make the sphinx.starwars The only tools we were allowed to use were paper clips so maybe that’s why others were less aggressive with their carving. However, I was always a perfectionist and apparently good at visualizing things in three dimensions in my head from a young age. The sphinx turned out well and I ended up giving it to another student. Even if I had kept it, I doubt soap is a very long lasting medium.

The first crayon carving I did ended up being a pink horse. I wanted to do a test run before making what I was planning for that first art show. I figured I wasn’t going to use the pink crayon so I chose that color to use. I thought about what I could make that was pink and a unicorn popped in my head. I soon decided that the horn might be challenging so I skipped that part and just made a horse. This carving I still have.

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What themes do you enjoy covering in your work?

I have a heavy interest in pop culture so making anything in that realm is satisfying, especially if I personally like the subjects. This can include sources like movies, television, cartoons and comic books. I tend to mainly create carvings for other people so I don’t always have control of what I make. However, I’m satisfied if I feel like I’ve done a good job.

gameofthronesWhat’s the most challenging aspect of creating a miniature crayon carving?

One challenging aspect is how I add the extra colors on my crayons. Most people assume I paint the crayons. I’m a purist though so I actually melt and apply wax from other colored crayons drop by drop. After it cools, I can smooth it out or carve as needed. A complication with this process though is the fact that the melted wax I’m adding often melts the underlying wax slightly. This can cause the colors to blend which is usually never wanted. Whenever this happens, I have to carve all the wax away and try again until it’s applied cleanly. This can be a tedious process, but it’s manageable.

batmanCan you describe the care process for owners of your work?

I sometimes get asked about issues with crayons melting. Crayola states that the melting temperature is around 120 to 150 degrees (I guess depending on the color). Those are conditions that most people do not live in. I’ve shipped out hundreds of crayons from Australia to Arizona and I’ve never heard from anyone about their crayons melting. They can get dusty though so I also sell glass tubes to keep them in. Of course, crayons are somewhat fragile so dropping them from a height is not advisable.

What advice would you give to new artists? 

This advice is less about creating art and more about marketing yourself. If you want to get your work seen by a large audience, you have to embrace social media. It’ll help you build an audience who will in turn hopefully share your work with others. Making art can be a lonely process but knowing that people out there appreciate your work is great motivation to continue doing so. Find a site or app that works for you (or use them all) and post regularly to keep your fans engaged. Use hashtags.

minionsWhat is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen by another artist?

There are a variety of artists who carve amazing things out of pencil lead. I’ve wanted to try it myself but it’s somewhat intimidating considering the immense skill they exhibit.

Why miniature crayon carvings? 

One reason is that there aren’t a lot of artists who carve crayons so it makes it easier to stand out. There are many artists in the world doing many different types of work so it’s important to try to stand out. You either have to do something unique or do something very well. With my years of working with crayons, I’ve been able to do a little of both. Crayons are also something that almost everyone has some experience with. They know how small they are and how fragile they can be. This gives them a greater appreciation of what I do. There’s also the nostalgia factor of taking something everyone grew up with and using it a whole new way.

pugWhat’s to come from Wax Nostalgic?

I’m always creating new carvings. People request custom orders all the time so I never know what I’ll be making next. That, along with art shows I participate it, makes sure I never get bored with what I do. I get asked a lot to share time lapse videos of myself carving so I think that’ll be something I look into in the future.

Words you live by?

Get busy living or get busy dying.

Other activities and hobbies you enjoy?

I’m a pretty big TV junkie. I enjoy reading fantasy novels. I like video games and board games but don’t often have time to play them.

Wax Nostalgic was created by Hoang Tran of Pittsburgh, PA. Originally from California, Hoang creates incredibly detailed miniature sculptures out of crayons. Follow along today on InstagramFacebook, and Tumblr. Buy your own Wax Nostalgic miniature crayon carving on Etsy!

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Daily Mini Interview: Mini Materials

Mat Hofma and Erik Polumbo, Founders of Mini Materials 

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12734175_1120228057997432_8624437581614846708_nHow did you first get started making miniatures? 

I saw someone selling miniature cinder blocks on Reddit. They looked so amazing for some reason and couldn’t put my finger on it. I tried to buy them but he was sold out. The price was high as well, so I figured since I’ve always wanted to learn 3D design, I could make and pour my own. So I did. Everything just kinda grew from there since the demand blew up when I launched and posted the site to Reddit.

How would you describe Mini Materials?

Miniature construction materials specializing in 1:12 scale miniature cinder blocks made of real concrete. Mini Materials is the leading supplier of miniature cinder blocks and pallets in the world.

Fans of 1:8 scale miniature skateboards (fingerboards) seem to be drawn to your product. Are you a fan of fingerboarding yourself?12806007_1129435820409989_8972518014694157847_n

I like the concept of fingerboarding, I am just so bad at it! I do have a lot of fun making obstacles for fingerboarders who are good at the hobby.

What is your favorite type of miniature to make?

The cinder blocks are still my favorite and probably always will be. Just something about them.

What is the most challenging miniature for your team to create? 

The miniature cinder blocks are by far the trickiest. Just the process of mixing different materials together with concrete and cement to make something strong enough was a daunting task. We’ve got the process down to a science now at this point.

TBF-12-ImageBest selling Mini Materials on your website?

Our 24 pack of cinder blocks is by far our best seller.

What advice would you give to someone just getting started with miniatures? 

If you’re producing miniatures yourself, take your time and perfect the product before you put it up for sale. My first few batches of bricks were not up to snuff and I really regret that.

What inspires you?

I’m a graphic designer by trade, so anything that is well designed I tend to lean towards. That’s the reason I started Mini Materials, to sell a cool niche that is well designed.Farmhouse-Insta

What is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen?

Anything that Drew Leshko does is amazing. The stuff he creates out of paper is mind blowing and very unique.

What is your hope for the field of miniatures? 

I’d like to bring the industry to the younger generations more than it is now.

12814575_1130580393628865_7373016663183130104_nWhat would you like to see replicated in miniature that you have not yet seen?

Anything related to gritty, realistic, construction is always awesome to me.

Why miniatures? What appeals to you most about what you do?

I honestly don’t know why it’s so appealing. Hopefully I find out soon.

What’s to come from Mini Materials?

We’re really interested in coming out with more kits. Hopefully full house building kits with trusses, doors, and windows.

array-instaWords you live by?

Enjoy the small things.

Other activities you enjoy?

We enjoy woodworking, fishing, and just being outdoors.

What do you want miniature fans to know about you?

We love new ideas! If anyone has any ideas for new products, new kits, or wants to even team up to develop more productswe love collaboration! Get a hold of us and we can talk!

Mini Materials are miniature construction materials specializing in miniature cinder blocks made of real concrete. The Orlando-based team of Mat Hofma and Erik Polumbo created this company in 2015 and are now the leading supplier of miniature cinder blocks and pallets in the world. Their goal is to bring the love of building into the comfort and convenience of your own home. You can build for fun or use Mini Materials to generate your next big idea! To learn more and to buy your own Mini Materials, check out the Mini Materials website. Follow along for the latest updates on InstagramFacebook, and Twitter.

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Daily Mini Interview: Miniatures by Little Architecture

Little Architecture 

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10666207_1639509596337540_156081047_nWhat’s your earliest memory with miniatures?

I have always been obsessed with the microcosm. All my play as a child explored this theme; I loved miniatures because they were small and secret… something most people walk right by without noticing. My favorite game from as early as I can remember was to run around and pretend I was a bird flying in the sky, imagining the patterns on the sand at the beach, grass or carpet were vast landscapes. Crouching down close I could see all their tiny and intricate details as a giant. I also loved to create tiny houses and towns in the garden for the fairies. When I was five, I discovered dollhouses existed and from that point on, I collected anything which looked miniature, including all sorts of junk (bottle cap chairs or shell plates). By the time I was 10, I had a significant collection of random objects which were very precious to me!

Can you share a first memory with architectural design?

When I was 10, we moved from the far north of the Queensland to southern Victoria. The architecture in the south of Australia is vastly different to far north Queensland and it blew my mind. There are no decorative or historic houses up north due to the destructive tropical climate. Victoria however is full of whimsical Victorian era houses with decorative ironwork and beautiful eclectic designs. The age of the houses was also amazing to me. Up north most houses are modern, and there is no sense of longevity or history in them. These houses down south captivated me with their antiquity. From that time on, I became obsessive… drawing houses and riding my bike around mapping their locations and looking for more. By the time I was in my later teens, I was familiar with all the historic houses in my city and could tell you their location if I saw them in the real estate pages of the newspaper. My fascination with architecture and building history has never relented.

12301423_833081353467051_1937535383_nHow did you first get started making miniatures?

My interest in miniatures stems from my interest in architecture and my fascination with microcosms. I began to seriously try and make miniatures when I was around 13. I planned a large dollhouse, and got as far as making the shell. However, I didn’t really know how to complete it and it was left unfinished and had to be thrown out (it was also structurally unsound!). However, I tried a few more times and had properly finished my first dollhouse by the time I was 19. The architectural style of my dollhouses is always in accordance with the architectural period I am interested in or studying at that time. I have finished about six more houses in the decade since: three Victorian houses, two mid twentieth century, one Georgian and one Swedish Gustavian Style house.

Do you remember the first miniature you owned? 

The first “proper” miniature I ever had was a tiny plastic cognac bottle which came off the decoration on the front of a full size bottle which my Uncle bought in Switzerland when I was five. He took the real cognac and threw me the tiny one. I treasured that bottle because it looked so realistic to me and I still have it today!

What is the most challenging miniature to make? 

For me, furniture is the most challenging. I move through phases with miniatures. At the moment, I am focused on 1:24 furniture, in particular chairs. Before that, it was 1:24 houses, and before that 1:12 houses. I expect I will get back to the architecture side soon, after I have mastered furniture! Furniture is difficult because you must build it from many constituent parts, all of which must be designed so they fit together properly and are at the right scale too. Sometimes you can create a piece of furniture which looks nothing like what you set out to achieve, and so it is a process of trial and error.

Make your own Victorian hall lantern: DIY tutorial here!

 

12357394_1699847450249283_263771742_nWhat’s your favorite period and type of architecture?

In my architecture studies I have been most interested in pre-industrial revolution architecture. The great thing about miniatures is that you can explore whichever historical period or modern movement you are interested in in a tangible way without having to spend lots of money or travel around the world. I am coming out of a two year phase of serious interest in neo-Gothic architecture. It has been so interesting to study the genesis of the movement in Britain, but then learn how it mutated when it arrived Australia and later the U.S., and how each country has interpreted it through their own sense of climactic conditions and social. I have been exploring this period at the moment while having fun making Gothic style furniture and a 1:24 middle class American style Carpenter Gothic house.

Currently, I am working on a project in which I am trying to create an exact miniature replica of a pre-fabricated colonial cottage producing in 1833 for settlers to Australia from Britain. I found details and plans of the cottage in an historic book published in 1833 (Loudon’s Encyclopedia of Cottage Farm and Villa Architecture, Vol 1). I am halfway through the project and you can follow my progress on Instagram. It has been a great way for me to learn more about colonial architecture in Australia, as well as the framing and structure of the building.

In addition to neo-Gothic architecture, I adore the austere colonial Regency and Georgian Architecture of the early settlement of Tasmania. Tasmania was the first state of Australia to have a significant settlement, and most of the oldest buildings in Australia are there. I have spent many trips traveling to Tasmania to study and photograph these beautiful (and often forgotten) buildings.

Who are some of your favorite miniaturists?

My favorite miniaturists are usually those who have managed to achieve a great degree of realism and quality in their work. These include some obvious names, such as Mulvany & Rogers, Pat and Noel Thomas, as well as Tarbena Miniatures and Small-Time Miniatures. These miniaturists are professionals who only produce miniatures of the highest quality. Another favorite of mine is Patty of MinisX2 on Etsy, who produces wonderful handmade mid century modern furniture.

12328314_881727081943644_1855657230_nFavorite architects you’d like to cite?

I particularly love Sir John Soane. He was a British architect practicing in the late 17th and early 18th century in Britain. His impact was so great that buildings built by some of the great twentieth century architects, such as Venturi and Kahn were influenced by his work. I find it fascinating how architecture is a fluid thing. One movement influences another, sometimes imperceptibly, but it is always possible to trace the kernel of ideas back in time, sometimes even hundreds of years.

What advice would you give to new miniaturists? 

I would advise miniaturists to immerse themselves in experiencing and/or looking at real images of the objects or buildings they want to recreate in miniature. Too often, poor quality work is produced because the maker does not have a good visual understanding of the real object they are trying to recreate in miniature. When I find a new topic of interest (for example, Victorian parlour furniture) I study it obsessively, and immerse myself in images of that type of furniture. I will borrow dozens of books and relentlessly scour the Internet for reference material. I visit antique shops and study the shapes, sizes and materials. This is because I always strive for realism in my miniatures, and this can never be achieved without observing life very closely.

What is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen?

I visited the most amazing dollhouse shop in London while I was there this past June. The shop was run by an elderly lady and was packed from floor to ceiling with incredibly high quality miniature things. The lady who owns the shop is famed for her habit of not selling a tiny thing to a customer whom she does not deem worthy of the object. After about 30 minutes in the shop chatting to the lady and her devoted assistant, she must have decided I was worthy because she called me over to see “her best miniature.” It was a tiny working Swiss army knife created by miniaturist Laurence St. Leger. The object had won him the 2015 Perfection In Miniature Award at the Kensington Dollshouse Festival. Notwithstanding the object’s significant value, she allowed me to hold it and photograph it. She also told me that he had made another one a couple of years before, but it had fallen out of his hands and took him three years to find again…

12142037_899082560162024_151320875_nWhat is your hope for the field of miniatures? 

I would like to see more realism in dollhouses in terms of architectural accuracy. I hate it when companies create mass-produced houses which look awful because they are out of proportion or because the designers haven’t bothered to understood how houses of a particular style actually look. The Jasmine Victorian Dollhouse Kit by Laser Dollhouse Designs Inc. is the perfect example of this. Unfortunately, there is too much mediocrity in the mass-produced, cheap market. It can be difficult to get an authentic and well-designed house kit which does not cost the earth. In the long term, I plan to create a line of dollhouse kits which are architectural accurate but also inexpensive, for collectors and architectural enthusiasts who can tell the difference.

What would you like to see replicated in miniature that you have not yet seen?

I would love to see more architecturally accurate dollhouses from a range of periods beyond the standard Victorian and Tudor. There are so many wonderful movements and styles from throughout architectural history that are never really explored in miniature. I would also like to see more miniatures which are not just focused on English or American architectural styles as well. For example, traditional Japanese and Chinese architecture is incredibly beautiful and would translate wonderfully into miniature houses.

What’s to come from Little Architecture?

In addition to the new website, I have begun research for a range of commercial dollhouse kits which are architecturally accurate. I want to produce a wide range of houses, both from historical time periods as well as different cultures.

Emily Boutard of Melbourne, Australia is the creator behind Little Architecture, formerly known as Architecture of Tiny Distinction. She quit her job as a corporate lawyer to study architecture. You can see her miniature architectural designs and mini creations on the Little Architecture Website, blog and Instagram. Make your own by following her latest tutorials!

Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Sculptures by Jill Orlov

Miniatures and More by Jill Orlov

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KitchenBox2_1920x1280-960x600What’s your earliest memory with miniatures?

I had a Barbie townhouse, does that count? My mother assembled a kit dollhouse when I was in elementary school, I believe. I was very crafty as a kid, so it was more about fitting it out than the dolls. I never really was into the doll part of it. I was more interested in putting the furniture together, getting the miniature patterned wallpaper, making tiny food out of Sculpey, laying a miniature brick floor and grouting it.

Describe your return to miniatures later in life.

About five years ago, I saw a cigar box diorama art piece at a friend’s house and mentioned to another friend that it was the type of work I love. Coincidentally, she had a friend hosting a themed cigar box art show annually. My friend got me in touch and I did those shows for four years in a row. The last one was my most involved. It incorporated about 10 cigar boxes and I made little scenes in them, one was a miniature room using some of my childhood dollhouse furniture.

cigar-box-mirror-tea1_1920x1440-960x600How would you describe your work in a few words?

As a former architect, I would describe my artwork as the built world… in miniature. A description of my work in a couple words is hard to nail down: whimsically modern and industrial. I make functional art and whimsical objects.

What is the most challenging aspect of your work with industrial design?

Most of it is welded steel and due to the (tiny) size of some of the components, it is extremely time consuming and tedious… but I love the minutiae. Some of the artwork incorporates old wooden drawers and crates, such as the Rooms in Boxes series. So welding around the old dry wood is a challenge, trying not to set anything on fire.

Powder1What advice would you give to new artists?

I’m pretty new at it all myself, the part where I consider myself an artist and am now selling my work. I think having a supportive network of artsy friends is worth a lot, whenever I get stuck, I can run an idea by someone and it loosens the gears to have a new set of eyes looking at the work. Stepping away from a piece is also important when I hit a road block. Also, reach out to other artists that you admire. I have gotten great advice from several.

Favorite miniature work you own?

Library-Box-progress2_1920x1440-960x600I have a couple pieces that I’d like to give a shout out. Cathy Evans, the woman who curated the group Cigar Box shows, made a piece that I always coveted and now proudly display in my home. It is an altered doll made into a racecar driver. The racecar is a wooden shoe mold. The second piece is one of the cigar boxes that was displayed in the first group Cigar Box show that I participated in. It is by children’s book illustrator Kevin O’Malley. The piece has these miniature bowling pins colored and painted to look like an orchestra. It is beautiful.

What inspires you?

The delicate juxtaposed with the everlasting. Work that shows a sense of time and thoughtfulness.

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What is the most memorable miniature you have seen?

So many to choose from, here are a few that stand out: apparently several artists are excelling at this – the carved pencil lead while still part of the pencil and the daily miniature calendar work of Tatsuya Tanaka.

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What is your hope for the field of miniatures?

I would love to be “discovered.”I think my work crosses into several areas, the world of miniatures, industrial, modern, fantastical and of course, the whimsical. My hope for the future in general is that the art of craft is not a lost art form. Pride in the workmanship, craftsmanship and quality of materials comes back in the forefront versus the throw away culture that seems to be all too common.

What would you like to see replicated in miniature that you have not yet seen?

As some say, I’m afraid everything has already been done, but I hope not.

Why miniatures?

Somewhat embarrassingly, I’ll admit to what I’ve always called my Thumbelina complex. I have a secret but kept quiet admiration of the fairy world. Didn’t every little girl wish she was able to live in Genie’s bottle?

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NestingChair_1000x758-997x758What’s to come from Jill Orlov?

I have two new Rooms in Boxes: Library in a Box and Powder Room in a Box. Barely started is the Laundry in a Box and Window Seat in a Box.

Motto you live by?

Do what you love for as long as you can so there are no regrets

Other hobbies you enjoy?

Traveling, walking our dogs in the woods, finding and reading a book that I can’t put down (unfortunately, I have a hard time focusing so they aren’t as frequently found as I’d like).

Anything else you would like to add?

I take commissions.

Jill Orlov is an award-winning sculptural furniture designer/fabricator and artist based in Baltimore, Maryland. You can have a look at many more of her mini and mega creations on jillorlov.com as well as on Instagram.

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Daily Mini Interview: Fine Art Miniatures by Natasha Beshenkovsky

Natasha Beshenkovsky Miniatures

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IMG_2892Can you describe your background in the arts?

I have been a professional artist all my life. I started my professional training at the age of 11 when I entered an art school in Moscow under the supervision of Academy of Art, where I continued my training for 7 years. After that, I studied film at the Moscow Film Institute. I graduated as a director and focused on short, 3D-animated films. I designed, wrote and directed the films which were shot on flat tables and used props approximately the size of 1:12 dollhouse scale. Through my work in animation, I got great experience painting and sculpting in small scale.

When I came to this country, I was first trying to work in textile design. It wasn’t interesting or satisfying for me. My friend had read a New York Times article about the Guild Show. It was 1980 and there was tremendous interest in miniatures at the time. Museum-quality collections were kept by lots of collectors. I saw that new artists were welcome at the International Guild of Miniature Artisans’ Guild Show so I attended and saw what artisans were creating at the time. I thought, “I could do that,” and the next year, I was a dealer at the Guild Show and my work was featured on the cover of Miniature Collector. I started selling to collectors from the get go. I couldn’t create enough miniatures! I was always working on orders months ahead and my work sold immediately at shows.

IMG_3028Twenty years ago, I came up with decoupage prints, “Natasha Mini Decoupage.” These were sheets of decoupage for people to decorate inexpensive pieces of furniture. When glued onto furniture, it looks handpainted. It’s a way for people to own work they consider mine, though it’s a reproduction. They were very popular and sold all over the world. Today, you can find them available through a few dealers and vendors.

Through miniatures, I’ve met lots and lots of people. I have traveled all over this country and Europe. I’ve represented American miniatures in France where I was a guest of honor. In 2000, the Nassau County Museum of Art held a retrospective of my work. My current show at D.Thomas Fine Miniatures is a “15 years later” exhibition of my miniatures.

She grew and grew...What is your favorite type of miniature to make?

When I started working in miniature, my specialty was painted furniture of all styles, from the Renaissance to Art Nouveau. I made hundreds of elaborate screens, cabinets, French commodes, and so forth

I had an exhibition at Flora Gill Jacobs’ Washington Dolls’ House and Toy Museum where I showed environments with figures in them. I started making figures and became more interested in sculpture about 15 years ago. I would create small, cartoonish characters in different historical styles. I would make three dimensional images out of flat planes of wood. My most important work in this field was the Central Park panorama that included rollerbladers, families, strollers, trees, the landscape of New York, and more. Featured in Miniature Collector, it’s four feet long and belongs now to Holly June Browne, who commissioned this work.

What is the most challenging miniature to make, and why is it so difficult?

185978_1acbd65fc2874f068c0ca80e4fd6746eMy shadow boxes, which are also often called 3-D paintings are different from most shadow and room boxes because they are designed to create a complete optical illusion. Trompe-l’œil or “Fool the Eye” style painting, distortion of proportions and shapes, forced perspective are used to create a magical space behind the frame, an illusion of much greater depth. Also, these shadow boxes are reproducing not the real world, but images in different artistic styles. These are the most challenging works for me.

Can you tell us a bit about Still Life in Miniature, your work currently on display at D.Thomas Fine Miniatures?

IMG_2672A variety of pieces are on display at D.Thomas Fine Miniatures, not only from different genres but also from different periods of art. One interior featured is the Kitchen in Delft, a Dutch-style shadow box in forced or exaggerated perspective; it is essentially a 3D painting.

And there are two still life works, as well as painted furniture, animal sculptures and miniature paintings.

What’s your favorite period of art history?

My favorite is the work of 17th Century Dutch masters.

IMG_4155_opt (1)_opt (1)What advice would you give to new miniaturists?

You cannot do miniatures unless you enjoy the process. If you pursue miniatures exclusively as a career or living, you must enjoy the process as it is insanely time consuming. It has to be play not work for you. Nowadays, people pay me for what I’d be doing anyway. Unless you have this feeling, it’s very hard, repetitive, and time consuming.

My advice is to challenge yourself, change subject matter, and change styles.

What’s your hope for the field of miniatures in the future?

still-life italian 2I honestly hope that there is a new wave coming. When I was starting, miniatures were booming. There was definitely an old generation of collectors who have since disappeared from the scene. There were no new artisans for awhile. I have a feeling it’s coming now: new collectors and new artisans. There’s a growing interest in the United States for handcrafted and artisanal things, and miniatures happy to be one of them,

Miniatures were mostly historical, but it’s challenging and interesting to reflect our own contemporary life in miniature.

What inspires you?

IMG_3937Art and thousands of years of miniature history inspire me. I enjoy visiting the The Cloisters branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and often spend time looking at the reliquaries there; I find these religious objects to be inspiring.

Why miniatures? What appeals to you most about what you do?

I started doing art when I was a child, so it’s a life function for me: sleeping, eating, and making art. I try to keep challenging myself.

What are you working on these days?

audreyRecently, I started creating assemblages, which include full-size paintings on canvas, very realistic, almost photographic, combined with shadow boxes containing 3D miniatures of the same subjects. I showed some of these at Good Sam this past October. My largest work was sold to a prominent collector; people loved it even though part of the work was a little larger and not in 1:12 scale.

What’s to come from Natasha Beshenkovsky?

I’m showing work in a local art show by the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance taking place in February and March. This organization gave me a grant to create miniatures, specifically the Central Park panorama. I believe I’m the first miniaturist to receive a grant from an arts organization to create miniatures.

My next major show will be at the Good Sam Showcase in October.

What do you want miniature fans to know about you?

IMG_2939I think miniaturists know quite a lot about me, because I’ve been in this field for quite a long time, over 35 years, in fact. I’ve participated in all the major shows and my work is in the Kansas City National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, as well as other miniature museums.

I have this saying which has become a motto of miniature clubs: miniatures are not beautiful because they are small. Miniatures require that we concentrate our attention in this contemporary world where people rush and rush. They cause people to stop and think about how beautiful the world is, and how much time was put into the work. That’s the joy of miniatures. The intention and joy of the artist demands attention by the viewer.

Master artist Natasha Beshenkovsky creates a wide array of miniature art including shadow boxes, paintings, sculptures, decorated period furniture in 1:12 scale. Her miniatures are included in many museum collections in the U.S. and abroad. For more on her process and works of art for sale, visit the Natasha Miniatures website.

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Daily Mini Interview: 19th Day Miniatures

19th Day Miniatures

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Mrs. Lovett’s meat pie counter.

What’s your earliest memory with miniatures?

I had a sort of underprivileged childhood, minis didn’t happen until I was in my thirties.

How did you first get started making miniatures?

I picked up a partially built dollhouse at a tag sale and began looking into how to finish and furnish it. My interest grew from there.

Do you remember the very first miniature you ever made?

My first miniature I ever made was a Professor Van Helsing study room set. There was a cabinet full of books and medical equipment, a desk and chair decorated with things a man would have on his desk, as well as a vampire hunter’s kit with wooden stakes, crosses, and more. There was also a caged bat. I no longer have the set because it sold quickly.

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A Willy Wonka inspired candy cart filled with ice cream cones and candies of all sorts.

What is your favorite type of miniature to make?

Fantasy miniatures are my thing, because my childhood was very rocky, and fantasy books and movies were an escape for me as a child. Things like that hold my interest and make it so I get to use my imagination far more so than regular household miniatures ever could. In a way, it’s me staying childlike inside, holding on to that part of me now that I can enjoy it.

What is the most challenging miniature you make?

For me the most challenging miniature to make is a regular household item, as I said before. For me there is little scope for imagination and it feels very dull and boring to me. If I want to decorate a normal house, I have my own real house to work on instead.

What advice would you give to new artists?

I needed to figure things out for myself. The Internet is a vast place to learn almost anything. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new techniques. Some of the most unique aspects of making miniatures distinctly mine came from trial and error. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. I am especially proud of my own unique water effects. I came up with a layering process that makes water unlike others I have seen anywhere else. People stop in and ask me a few times a year to divulge that secret, but I worked hard for that knowledge and I like to keep it as my own.

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A Harry Potter themed Christmas tree with gifts and an owl and golden snitch tree topper.

Favorite miniature you own?

My absolute favorite has to be a pie counter inspired by the movie Sweeney Todd. I built it from scratch from the ground up, and it was as close as I could possibly get it to the movie version. I made every tile by hand with clay. It was filthy and buggy and had human parts on it. It was gross, quite frankly because the movie version was utterly disgusting and I was following that example. And therefore totally fun because it wasn’t like anyone else’s pristine perfect miniature. That’s not the sort of thing that I enjoy. In my own house yes, but to me, miniatures are a way to step outside the box and create a fantasy world as unlike the real world as I can possibly get. Give me fairy, witch, wizard, haunted house, vampire, mermaid miniatures any day over the normal every day stuff our own lives are comprised of. Give me magic! I see beauty in the unusual even when it’s not considered beautiful at all.

What inspires you?

Movies are a large part of my inspiration. Fantasy movies are wonderful sources of ideas. My love of them makes me want to make the things I see in them to see if I can do it to my own satisfaction. I am my own worst critic.

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Driftwood fairy cove house.

What is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen by another artist?

I greatly admire Ericka VanHorn‘s clean workmanship and unique pieces. Her dragon bottles are top notch and her wizard accessories are the best I’ve seen anywhere. She has no equal that I have seen.

Why miniatures?

The mental stimulation of creating something by hand is what calls to me. Something themed and fantasy inspired. No other medium allows me to create the scenes I have in my head like this does.

What’s to come from 19th Day Miniatures?

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Wizard cabinet.

I have an Alice in Wonderland tea table I made as closely as I could to the one in the Tim Burton film with live actors. I feel intimidated by some of the characters (making people is not my strong suit). I made a decent and convincing Maliumpkin (doormouse) sculpted in clay, and then promptly quit because I felt burnt out. The table was huge and covered in lots of food and tea pots and cups. The majority of it, I handmade. I liked the old feel of it, as though the table had been there for a very long time. There was a shabbiness to it, the chairs were torn and faded. I copied everything as exactly as I could. I really need to work on it and get more of the characters done.

Words you live by?

Never lose your childlike enthusiasm, or be ashamed of what you like. If I want to watch fantasy films like Harry Potter, Labyrinth, or The Dark Crystal until the day I die, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m nothing if not loyal to what I love and I will enjoy it forever more.

What do you want miniature fans to know about you?

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A headless horseman on his horse sculpted by me and my mother-in-law as a fun Halloween project one year.

I really enjoy my relationship with clients, I honestly do. I have kept in contact with many of them through the years and we touch base every so often to catch up. I enjoy friendly conversation and finding out about their projects. As a seller, I feel I am above average, because I give the best gifts I can with orders. There have been many times I have spent an evening or even two making a gift for a client that matches what they ordered. I enjoy it. I tend to charge less for pieces as well because for me, it’s less about the money and more about the craft and enjoyment of it. I want someone to have it, to be able to afford it. I also do payment plans for this very reason. If someone really wants something and will love it, I want them to be able to get it.

Miniatures are not about getting rich, they are about the joy of creation and the enjoyment of making something someone else will cherish and use for purely fun reasons only. They take me a lot of time and work to make. I want them to go to a good home with someone who will enjoy them.

Tara of 19th Day Miniatures is based in Oquawka, IL. Shop her latest creations on Etsy today! Have a look at what she’s been up to by visiting the 19th Day Miniatures blogTwitter or Pinterest.

Daily Mini Interview: Nightfall Miniatures

Nightfall Miniatures

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005What’s your earliest memory with miniatures?

My earliest memory is of a beautiful handcrafted 1:12 scale dollhouse made by my parents, filled with quaint miniatures which they gave me for Christmas when I was 9 years old. I still have some of the miniature porcelain from my first dollhouse.

I also remember being fascinated by a collection of tiny glass animals that my grandmother kept in a display cabinet.

How did you first get started making miniatures? 

003 (3)My passion for dollhouses and miniatures started when I visited an exhibition of antique dollhouses in Longleat House, near Bath as a young girl. I began to collect dollhouse miniatures from lots of different sources until I was able to buy a Georgian style dollhouse in my late teens.

Do you remember the very first miniature you made? 

I made a blue velvet and antique lace four poster bed for my Georgian dollhouse, but unfortunately I no longer have it.

What is your favorite type of miniature to make?

My favorite types of miniatures are vampire related ones, as I have been a fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula for as long as I can remember.

demon hunter table

What is the most challenging miniature to make? 

The most challenging miniatures are the ones where I have to design the prototype so to speak. It can be very time-consuming and frustrating when working on a new and original design until it is perfected.

What advice would you give to new artists? 

My advice is to never give up and keep practicing!

walkingdeadWhat inspires you?

My husband and sons inspire me. I also take inspiration from many different sources, mainly from my interest in all things Gothic, fairy tales, magic, fantasy, horror and science fiction.

What is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen?

The oddest are the tiny sculptures inside the eye of a needle, especially the one of Snow White and the seven dwarfs. I find it amazing that the artist can create the detail in such a tiny space.

What is your hope for the field of miniatures?

I hope that a younger generation can find the beauty in collecting miniatures. As miniaturists, I think we can kindle this interest by producing more up-to-date miniatures to reflect the changing times.

What would you like to see replicated in miniature that you have not yet seen?

Dracula’s Castle.

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Why miniatures?

Miniatures are simply amazing and magical to me. They give us the ability to have and create anything we love in small scale. Having an active imagination and a flair for the unusual, I find crafting miniatures is a perfect outlet for my creativity.

008I consider all my pieces to be little works of art and it is very rewarding when you see the picture in your mind’s eye taking shape as you work on each individual piece. I love that other people from all around the world find as much pleasure in my miniatures as I do.

What’s to come from Nightfall Miniatures?

I am currently working on a Gothic Shop and Nightclub, and I hope to start on a few new miniature displays related to video games and TV shows.

I am also being featured in an exhibition at the Las Vegas Erotic Heritage Museum in 2016 and this may lead to more adult-themed miniatures in future.

Words you live by?

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” -Einstein

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” -Nietzsche

dmOther hobbies you enjoy?

I also enjoy touring, gaming, gardening, and spending time with my pet rats.

What do you want miniature enthusiasts to know about you?

I am a self-taught miniature artist and although I have been making miniatures for my personal use for many years, it was only after much persuasion from family and friends to sell my creations that I opened my Etsy shop in 2013. I have and continue to be surprised at the amount of interest in my miniatures, long may it continue!

Nightfall Miniatures was created by Jenny Cooper who is currently based in London, United Kingdom. Interested in buying your own Nightfall Miniature work? Shop Etsy today! You can also follow along on FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitter, and Pinterest.

Daily Mini Interview: Miniatures by miniThaiss

Miniatures by miniThaiss

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012.JPGWhat’s your earliest memory with miniatures?

My earliest “mini” memory goes back to my childhood when my grandmother gave me a miniature 1:6 scale ceramic tea set. I enjoyed playing with it and I still keep it.

How did you first get started making miniatures?

Well, the first miniatures I ever made were the ones I made for my Barbie dolls when I was a child, such as accessories and clothes. The interest for the ones in 1:12 scale came few years ago, when I discovered the wonderful world of miniatures for real. Ever since that moment, I haven’t been able to stop making them.canvas

What is the most challenging miniature that you make?

The most challenging to make are definitely cherries in 1:12 scale because of their size. But maybe that’s the reason why I enjoy making them the most.

What inspires you?

015.JPGSince I mostly make miniature food, I get the inspiration from real food. Everything around me inspires me, I’m always looking for everyday items that could be transformed into a miniature or a tool for making one.

What is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen by another artist?

Any miniature by Tomo Tanaka.

What is your hope for the field of miniatures?obelix

I hope it develops even more, because there are many people in the world who appreciate miniature art.

Favorite miniaturists you’d like to mention?

I admire Tomo Tanaka (Nunu’s house), Angie Scarr, David Iriarte, Tereza Martinez, Susi Martinez, Sharon Cariola, Maritza Moran and many others.

043.JPGWhy miniatures?

I find miniatures very challenging; they require great attention to details, and therefore they are a great form to express my love for details.

What’s to come from Tajda Tufek?

I would love to take part of a miniature fair in the future, so that I could meet other miniaturists and exchange ideas. In Barcelona, maybe.

Other activities you enjoy?

I enjoy painting, drawing, skiing and playing table tennis.

The miniature brand of miniThaiss was created by Tajda Tufek who is based in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Have a look at more minis on Etsy, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Flickr!

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