I first got interested in miniatures when I started buying some of the Re-ment items at the local Japanese supermarket. My Etsy shop at the time carried refrigerator magnets and jewelry, and I was finding out that sushi-related items were the most popular. I was buying the Re-ment items to get inspiration and ideas for my projects.
It was fascinating to see how realistic things could look done on a miniature scale. I decided to focus on miniature food after having made some for my nephew after seeing him play with pots and pans and making cooking noises. It was fun figuring out how to make certain things using clay sculpting techniques I’ve learned. Anything that I could not figure out, I turned to online tutorials. Soon, I began to also offer dollhouse miniatures in my Etsy shop. At first it was just 1:12 scale items, but since a couple of years ago, I began to offer some playscale items after someone made a request .
I would say anything my niece Alyssa makes. She is now 12 years old and almost as good as her aunt. She often goes to my worktable to make something when she comes to visit my home. I used to get angry at the mess she and her brother Ethan would make whenever they came to work at my table, but when I saw what they made, I changed my mind and saw how precious their creations were. I bake them and store them in a container after they go home.
Most memorable miniature you’ve seen?
My nephew Ethan once made a donut that reminded me of the donut that is atop the Randy’s Donuts building in the Los Angeles area, even though the color scheme was different.
Anything else you would like to add?
I may be setting up a separate shop in the future just for miniature items, and perhaps a website to sell my goods.
Polyclayart was created by Gale Lew of Rancho Palos Verdes in California. Recently , you can shop the collection on Etsy or have a look at Pinterest for more of her work in miniature!
How did you first get started in miniatures? Where does the interest stem from?
When I was younger, I went through an elimination diet to identify any food allergies I might have had. I wasn’t allowed to eat most delicious things in the meantime. For a kid who could scarf down eight large dumplings as a baby, this was quite the bummer! My mom suggested that I express my appetite through a different medium. Being from an artsy family, she handed me a block of white Sculpey and out popped a miniature marshmallow! My dad later helped me sculpt a hamburger, effectively forging my love for little faux food. I was never interested in dolls or dollhouses… in fact, I took Barbies apart and made them into race cars. So, I just kept on making miniature foodstuffs because I thought they were just so darn cute.
Where did the name “FatalPotato” come from?
FatalPotato is the product of a silly middle school obsession with spuds. I wanted my shop name to be humorous yet slightly dark… the alternative was “AgitatoPotato.”
How long have you been creating minis?
On and off again since I was around five, so about 13 years now.
What types of miniatures do you make and how has your work evolved?
I make realistic-style miniature food. I’ve always centered my art around food, so I’d say my work has evolved more in terms of technique rather than content. When I first started, I sculpted everything from memory; the only reference images of whatever food I wanted to make were in my head. My burgers and donuts were very basic in texture, color, and shape, almost cartoonish. I coated every mini in a thick layer of shiny glaze… I thought the plasticky look was *fabulous.* I later scoured cookbooks and Google images for more ideas and eventually replaced my supremely-glossy style with a realistic one.
Do you create and sell miniatures full-time?
Oh, I wish! Being a full-time student, I don’t have as much time for sculpting as I used to. I still try to keep a few minis available in my shop whenever I’m home from college (December and June-September).
What types of different materials do you use to make miniatures?
I use polymer clay as a base medium, followed by chalk pastels and/or acrylic paint for extra coloring, and sealed with matte or glossy glaze. I also use liquid clay for viscous foods and air dry clay for other textures. Organic material, like moss and wood, are handy as well.
Advice for beginner miniaturists?
Hmm… I would say the most important tip, as cheesy as it sounds, is to have patience! Progress will inevitably follow as long as you persevere and keep practicing your craft. Always keep an eye out for inspiration, but cherish and cultivate your own style, let it blossom. As a miniaturist, I find it super helpful to pay meticulous attention to the real version of whatever I’m making. Notice the shapes, the special textures, the particular gradients of color. That’s why I tend to peer at my food like an archaeologist examining an alien fossil… I like to observe all of the itsy-bitsy details that make it unique.
Tool or material you can’t live without?
Besides polymer clay, I couldn’t live without my trusty broken toothpick. It’s spiky on the broken end while the pointy end has accumulated years of paint and glue, making both ends excellent for food textures. Kinda gross, but so versatile!
Other activities you enjoy?
I enjoy dabbling in other artsy things, like drawing, painting, and photography. I love drawing skulls and creepy things especially, which is so in tune with my main hobby of cutesy, little food!
Anything else you would like to add?
Thank you to everyone who has supported my miniature foods. I’m very grateful to be included in such a wonderful online art community!
“The boat, Fish n’ Chips, was made by my husband when he was a teenager. It’s going in a future calendar, and already available in a card. It has been a good seller thus far!”
How did you decide on this unique photography project?
It all started back in 2012. We always had chipmunks and since we don’t own a dog or a cat, these chipmunks got a bit braver and began coming closer to our house. One of the first chipmunks we photographed – we called him Mr. Stubbs, Founder and Squeak-EO of FriendChips – used to eat out of our hands. I attended an event where teeny, tiny playing cards were used as drink tickets. Well, I brought these cards home and put some food for the chipmunks on them, and the photo looked like he was playing cards with my husband Paul’s hand in the photo! After taking lots of photos in 2012, I finally started to perfect the art of capturing these chipmunks at just the right moment in time. I soon discovered what people would buy, and soon enough, the public fell in love with FriendChips photography.
I use low-tech everything. There’s no retouching these photos. I mean, I don’t even have the Internet at home! I will do a little bit of contrasting with the light in the photo and I will remove small bits of seeds — but that’s it! The entire time I’m photographing, I’m about 18 inches away, with a pocket full of seeds and an extra battery for my camera! Frequently I’ll tape things down on the set and you don’t really know whether the scale will work until you’re out there shooting and the chipmunks have entered the scene.
“Here is the Monte Carlo car that Paul made out of a piece of sheet metal. It’s the same car that is featured in the ‘Perfect Tree’ card. I’m planning to use it again. Folks do like when there is a hand in the photo, believe it or not. Kind of helps show how tiny the chipmunk is.”
How has your photography evolved?
In time, I learned to get more intimate with the photos. I use better lighting and have an improved camera now. I write down ideas before shooting the work. I try to make the circuit during the holidays now, whether attending a local holiday craft fair at schools around the area or other shows in the neighborhood. There’s usually a good audience interested in buying the photographs during that season.
Miniature made by Paul Pierce.
Nowadays when it comes to the selling of the works, I’d saying 50% of the appeal is the chipmunk(s) and 50% is the miniature props. My husband used to build miniatures when he was younger, before we knew each other. He once made an airplane so small it fit on the tip of his finger, and inside of it was a miniature jeep! Seeing his patience building miniatures made me fall in love with him when we were dating.
A lot of my miniature props have found their way into my possession accidentally. Or, I’ll see something that looks like something else in small scale. The chipmunks are 100% interested in food, not in the props themselves. So, when I put out a new set, they will walk around and sniff everything until they find where the food’s been hidden.
It took a long time for me to figure out the right shots and the appropriate scale to make scenes more intimate. I try not to make my sets too big or too busy, because you need the shot of the chipmunk to stand out and be larger. So it’s really only about a 6 inch space that ends up in the photo.
How do you get the FriendChips stars to pose in your photography?
“He has his back foot up on the table!”
People frequently ask how I bait my photoshoots and what kind of bait I use. I use buckwheat and sunflower seeds. I love sunflower seeds as bait because the ’munks will hold a seed and sit up a bit more to eat it. The magic moment in my photography comes when they’ve taken their last bite. It’s all in that last shot before he or she moves again! The only way that you’d know when to get that perfect shot is to spend the hours that I spend with these animals. My relationship with them has evolved and now they expect certain things of me (food!) and I expect certain things of them (great poses!)
Whenever I’m shooting, I can talk, but I can’t move. Often times, I’ll have to tape down miniature props because they will jump on a set and often times, there’s more than one of them in the mix. And yes, they can fight when there’s more than one chipmunk on the set. For my yard sale photo, I baited the set to include two chipmunks on purpose. And then, at the perfect time, a magpie made a bunch of noise and the ’munk near the pots and pans looked up. It was 100% magic to get that photograph, so you can only strategize to a certain extent. It’s all a happy accident.
Approximately how many chipmunks do you have on your property?
There are a dozen chipmunks around our patio at any given moment. I’d speculate there are around 40 on the hill nearby, and they all come and go and change places rapidly. We’ll see the same couple of guys for a month (we can recognize them because of an injury or nick in their fur), but then the next year, it might be a different group out there. This summer, it’s been about two dozen on the property that I filmed.
To clarify, they are wild chipmunks. Tolerant of me, but wild. And I don’t touch them. And I would never feed them human food. Any of the food props in the photos are either ceramic or plastic. I would never expose them to human food. The chocolate bunny in the Easter photo is ceramic and the bundt cake in another photo is made out of rubber.
Miniature made by Paul Pierce.
Do you have any favorite miniatures?
Anything my husband has built – whether miniature props or set – has ended up being in the top five selling cards on my site. Often times, these photos will include some props he built as a teenager.
As for my favorite set I’ve worked on, I loved the background of purple flowers you can see in a lot of the spring shots. Photos are taken in my rock garden or in my patio.
What inspires you?
The whole process behind FriendChips inspires me – not just one thing. I’m drawn to the chipmunks picking up cups. It’s hard not to be inspired.
Favorite time of day to shoot FriendChips photos?
When it’s warm, so usually between 6:30 and 9 AM. The shots I’ve been getting have been great during that time of the day, so I must be doing something right. Later in the day there are usually too many shadows to get a great shot. And the chipmunks are hungriest in the morning, too.
“I love this ‘Laundry Day’ blooper. It tells the story of how close I am when I do this.”
What have you learned about photography through this project and your work with miniature props?
I don’t consider myself a photographer at all. I just use a point and shoot, which is a little faster than my old camera. It gets me what I need to get. However, me knowing the chipmunks’ behavior is how I get the shot. You can’t be even one movement behind them. It’s all about patience with a wild animal. Think about those National Geographic photographers who live in a ditch for about a month all for 30 seconds of a perfect shot.
Why FriendChips miniature photography? What keeps you coming back for more?
I love the creative process. I love building the set, and building the story that I’m going to capture. Secondarily, I love people’s reactions to my photographs. I’m addicted to show and tell. I love when they exclaim, “how did you get that!?” and to see fans enamored with the little sets, it makes it all worth it. People keep coming back for more! So, I’m truly addicted to people’s reactions and the joy that all of this spreads.
Plus, the chipmunks are easier than having a pet. They live outside and do their own thing. They are absolutely the perfect candidate for this type of photography. They pick things up. They can stand up. They do human things and animal things. They have opposable thumbs! They make amazing poses just by being themselves! That’s what makes it so fun.
I’m standing up the entire time of a shoot, eye level with them. So it’s a gift to be this involved. And it’s evolved to be so much fun. I will build the set and place all the props into a bucket. I’ll work through the winter on strategizing what to rebuild the next season.
“Paul made the step ladder just for the bunny shot. It turned out just the way I had envisioned. I love this one.”
What’s to come from FriendChips in the future?
The season is done, so there will be no more photos this year. I usually get most of my shots sometime between May and June when all the purple flowers are blooming. The hotter it is outside, the less likely the chipmunks will be running about.
Creatively, it’s hard to get to a done point per se. You have a vision of what you want to accomplish. And when your juices are done, they are done. At any time, I have a storyboard of about 25 ideas written to do and I have lots of projects I’m looking to tackle next year. A lot of these projects will require time from me to strategize on the set. I want to do a little snowmobile set with sledders on a hill. I’ll use felt to make it look like snow.
What are your favorite FriendChips photos you’ve taken?
I don’t have one favorite because I love so many of them. I love “Laundry Day” and the chocolate bunny Easter photo. I got exactly what I wanted to get with both photos.
“This is in the 2016 calendar. One of my favorites. I love everything about it. They kept picking up that ladybug to see if it was food! This is one I envisioned, and had it come out the way I wanted!”
Paul made the step ladder just for that bunny shoot. The photo happened as I had envisioned, which only occurs about 60% of the time. It’s magic when it happens so perfectly amidst all these wild chipmunks.
Another shot I love is the one that features a little house that my husband made when he was five years old. He also made the saw and the toolbox for the photo. People are absolutely enchanted with the lunch bag and the coffee cup in the background. I even sprinkled a little sawdust in the photo so it looks like the chipmunk is sawing in the photo. It took a great deal of strategy and about all day to get the set ready. And then, I got the shot within 20 minutes!
I love looking at the calendars – it’s as if I’m viewing them for the first time. There’s a joy about what the image does to you.
One other memorable shoot was when the flowers on the property had begun to bloom. There were these columbines and the weather turned bad. Finally, I was able to get this shot of the columbine as a lamp on a desk. The day after I got the shot was the last day that particular flower was even around!
“Mr. Carpenter is working on the house my husband Paul built when he was 5 years old! This was the cover of the 2015 FriendChips calendar.”
Advice for photographers?
Know your subject. That applies to anyone working in nature photography. That, and luck. For every shot I get and sell, there’s about 50-80 deleted photos from trying to get the right one. Chipmunks run around like a blur. That’s what they’re supposed to do. They have to because of the hawks around. So they run around for about 5 minutes before moving on to the next location. This type of photography involves a great deal of baiting and waiting.
What’s to come from FriendChips?
I’m knee-deep in the selling season right now. I’m working on building the next calendar. I’m always shooting very far in advance, so I have 2017 and 2018 calendars already complete. The 2019 FriendChips calendar is almost complete, too! And the 2016 calendar is available for purchase online.
“After the ‘Sweethearts’ photo, he stole the cup and took it up the hill to finish his ‘coffee’ in private!”
I’d love to put together a coffee table or a children’s book of these photos. Couple the images with sweet messages and what have you. I just love that the joyfulness of all of this transcends all age groups.
Anything else you would like to add?
I obtained my business license in 2013, so I’m just now nearing completion of my second selling season. FriendChips work is available through 37 retailers already.
Christie Pierce is the photographer behind FriendChips. You can view many more of her works on the Forming FriendChips website and shop the collection online!
“I left the desk put together, as I might use it at my shows to show the scale. The drawing propped up by the desk was from a previous shot (Construction). The garbage is a hairspray lid. The little calculator was from previous shots, Paul made that for me. The other stuff is just odds and ends, new and from other photos.”
How did you transition from ceramics to small scale works of pottery?
I’ve always been interested in small detailed things; before I became a potter I worked in stone as a lapidary and made jewelry. After learning to form clay on a potter’s wheel I started making smaller and smaller pottery challenging myself to see how small a vessel I could make. In 1993, I saw an article about Andrea Fabrega and her miniature porcelain and that showed me that anything was possible and my more intense pursuits began at that time. While selling my small pottery in a Santa Barbara gift shop in 1994 a local dollhouse miniaturist started collecting my work and suggested I focus on 1:12 scale. I started selling at miniature shows the following year. Today I make both 1:12 scale miniatures and life-size functional pottery.
What types of pottery do you find especially challenging?
Forming miniatures on a potter’s wheel requires much more concentration and focus than forming ‘life-size’ pottery. I move slowly and precisely in a cubic inch of space allowing my fingertips and a wooden dowel to stretch and expand clay from a solid wet spinning mound. The process of throwing miniatures on a potter’s wheel however is the easiest part of the process. After they are thrown, I trim the foot-ring, add handles and spouts, carve decorations, etc. These things are all more difficult than the throwing process itself.
But the most difficult thing for me is the glazing. Glazes are dipped, poured and brushed on the vessels and then portions are scrapped off to thin the glaze layer before firing in a kiln. If the glaze is too thick the glaze might run off the pot destroying it. If the glaze is too thin, the colors will be bland and uninteresting. After all the work that precedes the firing – this last step results in a number of losses. Making compound forms such as teapots are the most challenging due to the increased number of steps. Making a teapot means throwing the vessel, throwing the spout, making a well fitting lid and adding a handle – it is like making several simple vases. Teapots spouts are the smallest thing I throw and If the spouts aren’t thin enough they will look too ‘chunky’ and out of proportion.
Do you have a favorite firing method?
I love high-fired porcelain fired in reduction. I fire most of my porcelain creations to about 2350˚F in a natural gas-fueled kiln. I first load it with life-size pottery and then place my miniatures around the larger pots.
Do you have a favorite piece you’ve made?
The most recent pieces to come out of the kiln are always my favorites. It is always a joyous thing to unload a warm kiln and see how each unique piece comes out. Not all of them survive but those that do make the whole process worthwhile.
What inspires you?
I am most inspired by antiques that I see in museums, books, and peoples’ collections.
Advice for beginner artists?
Experiment! Try everything even if it doesn’t work as intended, use the process to gain experience. Never stop playing, trying new things and pushing the limits.
What’s your earliest memory with miniatures and dolls?
My earliest memories of dolls was the Ideal Toys Crissy doll whose hair grew when you gave it a tug and retracted when you pushed a button in the back. She was all dressed in orange! And Mattel‘s Dancerina Ballerina all dressed in pink with a plastic crown that you pushed to make her spin! Not miniatures of course.
My earliest memories of miniatures were dollhouses from that same era and the occasional clothespin dolls we made in Girl Scouts.
When I was studying figurative sculpture, I was always drawn to maquettes, (small scale studies for larger works). I believe that is where my interest in smaller scale representation may have been peaked. They seemed magical to me. In my late twenties, I saw some of Bernini’s and Camille Claudel’s maquettes on a trip to Europe and they made a lasting impression on me.
How did you first get started making lifelike dolls?
I needed occupants for a dollhouse I was making for my nieces. In 2005, my sister-in-law asked me to make a dollhouse for my two young nieces. I have a background in architecture so that intrigued me. I custom designed it, made the cabinetry and even custom crafted Georgian fireplaces with over mantles. The house became very elaborate, in fact too elaborate for the girls who were then 2 and 5. I built it in my father’s workshop frequented by his retired friends. They were actually very interested in the construction the dollhouse. One day, one of them asked, “where are the people?” That was when I started making 1:12 scale figures for the house.
What was the first doll you created?
The first miniature doll I created was a papier-mâché 18th century lady with a Marie Antoinette-style wig totally from my imagination… face, costume, and all. I still have her in my workroom staring down at me from the doll case.
How has your work evolved over the years?
The first doll I made is nothing like the dolls I make now. Today, I work in polymer clays and artist’s resins and almost never make a face or costume without some sort of real life reference.
What keeps you creating?
The desire to improve keeps me creating. I am motivated more by the process than the end product but the two are intricately linked. I am always looking for ways to better my technique and I experiment a lot.
Do you have a favorite character that you create?
I suppose I am partial to sleuths like Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes but I don’t have a favorite character that I create. I often do re-make doll characters. Sometimes because customers ask me to and sometimes because I want to see how my eye has developed over time and I will compare them to the previous ones that I’ve made.
Any favorite characters that you have yet to make but are on your t0-make list?
I want to make Queen Elizabeth I and her court. Then Henry the VIII, all those great Tudors. My dream would be to collaborate with someone to make the environments! And to have the leisure of taking all the time I need to get to every last detail.
How did you first become involved with IGMA and the annual Guild Show?
I was asked to be in the show by one of their members from my home state who I knew from other miniature events. I knew of IGMA‘s excellent reputation early on from forums online and then when I started selling dolls at shows from talking to other doll makers and miniaturists.
Advice for beginner dollmakers and artists?
My studio professors taught me valuable lessons about hard work and persistence. I used to believe artists were somehow divinely gifted and great work was magically produced by their hand any time they picked up the tools. I had no idea the amount of hard work and study that went into art to make magic happen.
Work at it often. The more you do it the better trained your eye becomes. Creating art is no different from any other task, you need to do it on a regular basis in order to improve. Great work comes from hard work.
What is the most memorable doll or miniature you have ever seen by another artist?
A maquette by Bernini in the Vatican. It was in a glass case in a hallway, so not a prominently displayed piece of art, more artifact from the work room of the sculptor. I can remember seeing the straw like fibers mixed in the red clay to create an armature or perhaps to strengthen the figure. It was extraordinary how a small study for a larger work could have so much intensity and power of expression.
What do you want doll and miniature fans to know about you?
I love running, kayaking, and boating. I would love to learn how to sail.
Colvin Dolls is based in Wilmington, NC and headed up by Sherri Colvin. To shop the collection or view more dolls, visit the Colvin Dolls website or follow along on Facebook.
When I was a child, I liked to watch stop motion puppet cartoons. Featured on the show were toy houses, food, and more. Everything was realistic, but a little bit smaller and cute. It was a magic little world.
How did you first get started making your own miniatures? How has your work evolved?
I like art and I tried different kinds of handmade art. I then came across amazing food miniatures by Shay Aaron. I was so impressed that I decided to make miniatures myself.
My first miniature was a tiny loaf of bread. It was not perfect, of course. I had to work a great deal in order to achieve good results. I posted pictures of my minis on social networks and soon I received my first custom orders. So, I had the opportunity and drive to improve my skills.
What are your favorite miniatures to create and why?
The main theme of my miniatures is food. I like to create dishes which satiate the appetite even though they’re made out of plastic. I have many custom orders for doll’s food, and I joke that my job is to feed all dolls in the world!
What are the most challenging miniatures for you to create?
I like to make miniatures that I have never made before. It is always interesting to tackle new challenges. Usually, I work in 1:12 and 1:6 scales. Maybe in the future, I will make 1:144 scale miniature houses.
What inspires you?
When my work brings joy to people, that inspires me so much. Also, beautiful photos of real food inspire me to recreate them in miniature. Miniatures by talented artists motivate me to work harder and to become a better miniaturist.
What is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen?
It is the most beautifully made dollhouse in the world: Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. I read all about it and was very impressed. I would like to see it with my own eyes very much.
Who are your favorite miniaturists?
I am delighted with miniatures by Tomo Tanaka of Nunu’s House. He creates very delicate and amazing artwork.
Why miniatures? What appeals to you most about what you do?
Making miniatures is like magic. It’s like you have a magic wand and turn big things into small works of art.
Other hobbies you enjoy?
I like oil painting, drawing, different kinds of art, and more — it all depends on my mood. I recently created a mosaic outside my country house.
Advice for beginner artists and miniaturists?
My favorite proverb is: “where there is a will there is the way.” So if you like what you do, keep doing it in spite of everything. Do not stop learning. Evolve your skills and you will reach success.
Tiny Art Miniatures is made possible by Oksana Baranova, who is currently based in Ukraine, in the beautiful city of Kamianets-Podilskyi. Shop her Tiny Art Miniatures creations on Etsy and make sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram!
Tiny Doors ATL is a public art installation brought to you by Karen Anderson, Sarah Meng, and the enthusiasm of the good people of Atlanta. This artist cooperative brings big wonder to tiny spaces through the installation of small doors in public spaces.
Tiny Door #8 will debut this December and now you can be a part of this permanent art installation. The soon-to-be-revealed door will be surrounded by bricks and paver stones personalized by miniature fans from around the country. Want your name on a miniature brick?Pledge $25 before October 31 and leave your mark on the Atlanta art scene for years to come. Your miniature brick can have up to 10 characters on it, so choose wisely!
The constantly evolving Tiny Doors ATL installation pieces are an interactive part of the Atlanta community. With the installation of a Tiny Door, what was once a wall or the column of a bridge becomes an entrance to collective creativity and an invitation to whimsy. Tiny Doors ATL is dedicated to free and accessible art and aims to inspire curiosity and exploration in people of all ages.
For more information on Tiny Doors ATL and the current Miniature Brick Campaign, visit the Tiny Doors ATL website. For new updates, head on over to Instagram, Facebook or YouTube. Check out the latest mini brick pledges on c4atlanta.org.
I started when I was younger. I used to create small fruits and other decorations for my dollhouse using cernit polymer clay.
About six years ago, I launched an online store that sold jewelry charms in the shape of cupcakes and classic Swedish pastries (such as punch rolls and princess cakes). Most of the pastries I made had a little bite in them to reveal the content. At the time, I hadn’t seen anyone else making that before. Becca Design continued on from there, and I’ve since been making more and more miniature jewelry work.
How has your work evolved?
I’ve been creating miniatures for about 6 years now. In the beginning, they had a more kawaii design with cute and rounded shapes. Now I’m trying to make my jewelry as realistic as possible.
Advice for beginner miniaturists?
Have patience and use material you’re comfortable working with. If you’re not satisfied with the result the first time, just try again, and again…
Tool, material or technique you can’t live without?
I always loved the tiniest things ever since I was very small. I had a dollhouse and loved Barbie for all the wonderful accessories she had. Then as an adult I discovered a catalog devoted to miniatures and these were obviously nothing a child would play with. So it was evident that here was something serious going on, as far as creating these diminutive things, I wasn’t the only one enthralled with them, and I could acquire a wide variety of these artisan-made collectibles.
How has your work evolved?
I have been making miniatures for over 35 years now. I started making polymer clay vegetables. I put together some House of Miniatures kits and that taught me how furniture goes together and I made some of my own and some copies of antiques. I started making Noah’s arks and other toys and folk art. That was very popular years ago. I also started reproducing paintings in miniature from the masters, since I had an art background and knew painting basics. I have done some room boxes too. A haunted house. That’s where the spooky stuff came from. And now I am learning to sculpt and fur animals. I really can’t settle on any one thing.
What materials do you use to make your miniatures?
I am for sure a multi-media artist. I use all manner of supplies, wood, paint, polymer clay, fabric, and more.
Advice for beginner artists?
Pay attention to scale. Have a good look at top quality miniatures. You might not be there yet, but you can get there. And no bright colors. Tone them down for miniatures, otherwise they scream and don’t look real in the end.
Tool you can’t live without?
Probably a surgeon’s scalpel with a #11 blade. But I recently acquired a dentist’s drill and that’s a pretty cool tool with lots of possibilities for finishing and carving.
Non-mini artists, designers, books you look to for inspiration?
I have a collection of decorator books that are fun for inspiration. Not necessarily for anything I might reproduce but more for getting the creative juices flowing. And Pinterest is magical for sparking ideas. Anything full size can be pulled off in miniature. I think that is half the wonder of miniatures. Seeing something you are familiar with in a size a fairy might need.
What is the most memorable miniature you have ever seen by another artist?
Oh, gosh! There are so many exceptional miniatures that I have seen over years of collecting. But probably the one who sticks out foremost would have to be Frank Matter, who passed away in the 70’s (I have been meaning to blog about him for some time now). I read an article about him years ago in which was described some items he made. One in particular was a fountain pen. Most people are probably not even aware that those pens had to be filled from an ink well and the ink went into a rubber bladder. They are pretty much antiques now. (They are even before my time.) Anyway, Frank had made an exact copy in miniature with the rubber bladder. That actually worked. I managed to get a few pieces of his work and I don’t think anyone comes up to the perfection he was able to create.
Why miniatures? What appeals to you most about what you do?
As I mentioned, tiny things have always fascinated me. And they certainly don’t take up much space. But in truth, they are like any piece of art anyone might make. You can paint, sculpt, fabricate, carve, solder, print, and more. You can copy full size pieces, reproduce growing things, people and animals and you can also come up with any flight of fancy that crosses your mind. I get to do all of those things and that makes for some serious fun. For me, anyway. Plus, miniatures are a lot easier to sell than full size art and you get a lot of happy customers and you feel like you are making the world happy without having to suffer trying to get into a gallery.
Upcoming shows or projects planned? What’s to come from Patricia Paul?
I don’t have any shows planned in the near future. So much easier to work in PJ’s and then sell stuff in PJ’s. But I will probably do the International Guild of Miniature Artisans Guild Show again at some point. Halloween is coming and I love adding items to my Haunted Housewares line of miniatures. Not really a line since everything is one of a kind, but I do enjoy haunting stuff. And Halloween is almost here.
Other activities you enjoy?
I think miniatures have made me kind of one dimensional. I love museums, history — only because of my interest in costumes and decorative arts, and travel to places where I can see those things. I love military museums. Not for battle strategy and the impact of wars, but rather the fabulous uniforms of the past. My kids are grown now, (but still here eating the food and using the laundry room). I have three dogs to dote on and they are all spoiled.
What do you want miniature fans to know about you?
I have a newsletter that goes out very infrequently and would love to have The Daily Miniaturereaders subscribe. Right now they will get a free book-making tutorial and I have plans to keep adding freebies that will go out to any new subscriber and the entire list. Just go to my website and plug in your email.
I am very interested in Internet marketing as well and am working on a course for miniaturists to use the Internet to market their business pretty much for free. I hate the meme “artists starve.” Miniatures have always been popular through the ages and I believe, thanks to the Internet, a lot of interest is being generated in a lot of young people. I want miniature artisans to be able to reach them even if they are not Internet savvy. So, hopefully, coming soon.
Oh, and I always have something interesting on eBay.
I was given a house kit to build and, at the time, I thought my mother had gone mad! What was I going to do with a dollhouse? I had never even thought about the world of miniatures in those days… my hobbies were watercolor painting and counted cross stitch! One rainy day, after the kit had lain unopened in a cupboard for several years, I decided to actually build it. Once built and decorated, I decided that I wanted it to be a café. However, all those years ago, there was little choice of cakes, the Internet was in its infancy, and the only ones readily available were plastic imports, mainly out of scale and not very good quality, so I decided to make my own! The rest is history!
What unusual materials have you used to make your miniatures?
I’m pretty boring and use only polymer clay, paper, wood, wire, thread and pastels!
How did you become involved with the International Guild of Miniature Artisans?
A fellow miniaturist and friend urged me to join IGMA. From there, I applied to become an Artisan and ultimately have become a Fellow.
Any favorite IGMA memories or accomplishments to note?
The day in 2009 when I received the news that, on my first submission, I was awarded Fellow status.
Advice for beginner artists and miniaturists?
Practice, practice and more practice with a whole lot of patience thrown in! Always try to work from real life if possible.
Favorite mini you own by another artist?
A tiny, art nouveau silver ashtray, cigarettes in the tiniest silver holder with a matching cigarette box with hinged lid by Mike Sparrow. They are so very tiny and absolutely perfect in every way!
Why miniatures? What appeals to you most about what you do?
I love the challenge of trying to get as much detail as I possibly can into something so small, which is why I prefer working in 1:12th scale as I find that any smaller and the minute details are lost! I enjoy the pleasure both my customer and I get when I am commissioned to recreate that special miniature for someone and it seems that the challenge of turning someone else’s idea into reality results in me putting ever more detail into the piece.
I’ve come to recognize over the years that creating a miniature really is an art form in itself and I would love to see a greater awareness of the miniaturist’s skill – miniatures are collectible works of art rather than simply “dollhouse” toys!
I would love to find the time to do so many things, my own wirework is a definite if I ever get the time to start. Between family commitments, my large garden, an ever growing list of commission work and, of course, the husband, I need someone somewhere to put another 24 hours into every day for me and then I might actually try my hand at dollmaking and wirework… one day!
How did you first get started in miniatures? 
It was fascinating to see how realistic things could look done on a miniature scale. I decided to focus on miniature food after having made some for my nephew after seeing him play with pots and pans and making cooking noises. It was fun figuring out how to make certain things using clay sculpting techniques I’ve learned. Anything that I could not figure out, I turned to online tutorials. Soon, I began to also offer dollhouse miniatures in my Etsy shop. At first it was just 1:12 scale items, but since a couple of years ago, I began to offer some playscale items after someone made a request .
Advice for beginner miniaturists?
I used to get angry at the mess she and her brother Ethan would make whenever they came to work at my table, but when I saw what they made, I changed my mind and saw how precious their creations were. I bake them and store them in a container after they go home.
Anything else you would like to add? 
