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Mackenzie McAlpin Miniatures

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What are some of your earliest memories that involve miniatures?

My mother made miniatures, so I remember watching her make all kinds of things. One of the coolest things she did was buy cheap Santa Claus figures and then she’d make a new face and sometimes even change their clothes, and then fill Santa’s bag with miniatures themed around a family’s hobbies. I always thought that was such a great way to make money and get to do what she loved. Mini making was just something she did on the side.

What kind of miniatures did your mom make?

Besides the Santa dudes, I remember her having a friend make a wooden Noah’s Ark and she made all the animals, two of everything she could think of. She made a lot of holiday-themed things, it was a way for her to earn extra money. She was a single mother with 5 kids so, she really needed the extra. Heart necklaces for Valentine’s Day, mini Santas and snowmen or snowwomen for Christmas, pumpkins with willow tree branches as the stems, Fourth of July flags with glitter… you name it. I still have some of the little guys she made, I have a Santa, an alligator, a bird, and a few others. She was so fun to watch. She worked with polymer clay and acrylic paints. That’s what I use too, I didn’t stray far from what I knew.

How did your mom’s work in miniatures inspire you to create your own?

Making miniatures was something that I just happened upon. I wanted to be a part of a group art show and decided I would make a miniature orange tabby cat. That was the first mini I made, as an adult. While I was making it I felt like my Mom was there helping me. It made me laugh… as if she was sooo happy that I picked her medium to work with. That felt really amazing. Doing something my Mother did. I feel a huge connection to her when I work. Also, I should mention that my Mother passed away 6 years ago… so it feels extra special to feel a connection with her through something she did, it makes the work even more important to me.

How long have you been creating works of art and photography?

I have been making art for so long. I feel like we are all artists starting out. Some of us choose different paths, but creativity is so strong in us as children. I was lucky to have a mother that nurtured that part of me. She loved every little thing we made, even if it was leaves and sticks in a paper bag, she loved it.

I started to get more serious about art in high school, because my art teacher, Tryon, ruled. She let me get into photography, but we didn’t have a photo department. We had to work with what we had, so I did a lot of collages with my photos (developed at CVS) and magazine cut-outs (National Geographic mostly). I loved them. I ended up going to college for Fine Art Photography and I still loooove making collages.

As for miniatures, I’ve been creating them for 2 years now. It’s still really new for me.

Describe the pieces from your most recent collection.

The mini boob pots that I make are a collaboration with my friend Isaac Nichols, he makes life-sized boob pots for actual plants. I always wanted some of his pots, but I couldn’t afford them, so I decided to make mini versions of them. Turns out, the minis were a big hit. I also make lots of food and handfuls of jewelry, little mugs, plants, beauty supplies, naked ladies dancing, animals, pretzels, and… and… and, well… I like to make lots of things. I’ve also just started a series of shadow boxes, so hopefully I’ll have a gallery show at some point.

Daily Mini recently visited Mackenzie’s Studio — see the photos here!

Why miniatures?

Without feedback from friends and family, I probably wouldn’t be making miniatures right now at all. They are who makes this a “thing” for me. I can talk myself out of everything pretty quickly, so having support from them keeps me going.

Do you create miniatures on a full-time basis?

I do not. I am a full-time odd job kinda gal. I babysit, I am a bookkeeper for a couple different companies, I work as a Production Assistant sometimes, I help teach little kids art… oh man, I have a long list of things that I’ve been doing for the past 10 years in Philadelphia. This is a rad place to make art and make a living. The community here is so supportive and I am lucky to have the friends that I have and be surrounded by people who understand my lifestyle. I am so very lucky.

Tools, techniques or materials you can’t live without?

Cheap acrylic matte finish paint, tweezers, music (I consider this to be a tool, without it, I get nothing done), sarcasm, my cat, and this weird little pencil that helps me shape each mini and at this point is coated with old clay and paint… it’s the best.

Advice for beginner artists?

Make what you want, how you want it, and keep at it. DO NOT try to be perfect. Let your personality shine through; that’s what people are drawn to in art, or at least that’s what I’m drawn to. Oh, and always work with good light.

What’s your most beloved miniature?

I don’t just have one. That’s the best part of miniatures! You can have a million beloved teeny things and they don’t take up that much space. BUT, I would say all the minis my Momma made, they are very dear to my heart. It’s cool to look at the way she made them and compare it to how I would make the same thing. I also have these really weird little pieces my boyfriend made me. One is a little mouse-like thing made out of clay and feathers. I call her Face Veil. And the other is a peanut on a piece of wood… I absolutely love them. They are the first gifts he gave me, and they make me smile.

What’s the most difficult mini you’ve ever attempted to create?

Custom miniatures are rough for me. I feel a lot of pressure and anxiety because I want the animals to look right, I want the person to be happy with their mini. Somehow they always turn out well, and I end up loving them, but it’s a hard thing to get started. I’m sure I overthink it. I have to take my own advice here and stop trying to make it perfect, because that’s impossible. Also, I’m sure my most difficult miniature is still to come.

What’s to come from Mackenzie McAlpin?

I’ll be working on updating my website off and on, as well as working on custom mini orders and OH! I’ll be selling minis at Art Star Pop Up Market at Spruce Street Harbor Park on July 25 (I will update my Instagram and my website accordingly). I also have a piece in the Fleisher Art Memorial Faculty Show right now.

What inspires you?

I can’t think of any one thing in particular as a source of inspiration… but I am definitely influenced by Miranda July, my family, Amy Sedaris, Billy Dufala, Isaac Nichols, LIFES HAPPENINGS, Gabriel Orozco, dollar stores, childhood, animals, boobs, women’s bodies, flowers, the sky, my cat, the moon, the sun, nature in general, people who work their butts off, Nan Goldin, routines in life, food, relationships, mistakes, children’s encyclopedias, sustainability, Mexico, Africa, music, rocks, Outsider Art, Folk Art, love, laughter, and that list could go on and on and on…

What are some of the most memorable miniatures you’ve seen?

Dalton Ghetti’s carvings are so perfectly wonderful. Also, Anatoly Konenko’s smallest aquarium in the world is crazy. I went to the Philadelphia Miniaturia in New Jersey last year and those people are no joke. They blow my mind.

Other activities you enjoy?

One of my favorite hobbies is Windowkitty on Tumblr and @windowkitty on Instagram. I get soooooooo much joy out of this. I started doing it probably 8 years ago and still love it.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Everyone should know that I like to laugh, love and have fun ’cause life is so short.

To see many mini more Mackenzie McAlpin Miniatures, visit Mackenzie’s website or check out #mackenzieminis and @kenzaloolee on Instagram! To see photos from a recent Daily Mini Studio Visit, click here!

A photo posted by The Daily Miniature (@dailymini) on Jul 19, 2015 at 2:38pm PDT

A photo posted by The Daily Miniature (@dailymini) on Jul 19, 2015 at 2:35pm PDT

Miniatures by Steve Tomashek

How did you first get started in woodcarving?

My family always had an affinity towards the arts. As the youngest of seven, I was exposed to a lot of different art forms as a child. Carving was one of them. My father used to carve duck decoys, and I would recreate these in miniature form. As a young boy, I had an interest in war figurines, so I used to carve miniature tanks and airplanes out of wood. Later, I’d make carvings for my Grandma.

With a burgeoning interest in sculpture and painting, I attended Indiana University where I further developed my woodcarving craft. My passion grew and has remained throughout my life. I was a sculptor and a painter, and I was able to unite my passions with a focus in miniature. At that particular time, I worked in miniature because the materials were more affordable in a smaller size. When your art is small-scale, you don’t need a lot of space and you don’t need as many tools or materials. I used a Swiss Army Knife at that time.

I majored in History, which opened me up to the extensive world of carving and the history of woodcarving across cultures. Many cultures are inspired by the animal form in art and nearly every major artist has also studied animal forms – Franz Marc, for one.

What materials did you use for your first carvings?

As a child, my father and I mostly carved out of basswood. We had two basswood trees in our front yard, but would pick up carving-ready wood (cut and dried) from local lumberyards.

Describe your creative process.

I always sketch out my work before I begin to carve a piece of wood. I’m constantly sketching in a drawing book which helps with my creative vision for a piece. Even if I’m designing something from scratch, I also draw up a sketch first.

I frequently receive international orders from different kinds of collectors who still provide me with the artist freedom to put my own spin on a commission. One collector in particular has amassed nearly 100 of my works over 15 years or so, and she may advise a preferred size of a carving, but allows me to determine the color palette or style. I’m working on a set of chicks at the moment to complement a collector’s recently purchased chicken miniature; for this piece, I’ll be able to run with the color and style.

How has your work evolved?

I’ve become more deft at executing miniatures, so the amount of time it takes has been greatly reduced. Whenever I used to miscarve work in my earlier years, I would seamlessly turn the wood into something else. I miss that. Nowadays, I don’t make errors anymore.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been carving wood. Just recently, I have finally begun work on larger-scale sculptures and miniature scenes in boxes. One of my favorites is of a coral reef with fish swimming. My plan is to continue these into the future.

Tool or technique you can’t live without?

These days, I work with the best knives for wood. When at school in Indianapolis, I attended a woodcarving show and there met a Lyons knife maker there who I still continue to use today.

Carving is relatively easy. There are three different types of woodcarving cuts: pull cut, push cut, and a stop cut. I’d highly recommend reading The Big Book of Whittling and Woodcarving Paperback by E. J. Tangerman. Chances are, you can check out this book at your local library. And, it’s likely the book hasn’t been taken out in the past year!

Non-mini artists, designers, books you look to for inspiration?

Two traditions close to my heart are Zuni fetishes and Oaxacan wood carvings. The Zuni animal fetishes are roughly the same size as my works (ranging in approximately 1-2 inches) and these are made out of semi-precious stones. Some Zuni works are abstracted forms. As for the Oaxacan wood carvings, these are a tabletop size and characterized by a free palette. These artists’ creations range from the more crude to the truly magnificent. I’ve sort of married these two traditions, Zuni and Oaxacan, to create my own style. I’ve allowed myself to use a free palette and range of colors when painting.

Miniaturists that inspire you?

Netsuke, 17th century Japanese miniature sculptures. They took the carving craft to a new, polished level and truly perfected that form.

Are you a collector of miniatures yourself?

Artists are the biggest collectors of their own work. I learned this at an early age, when my room was filled with paintings by my brother and father. It’s convenient to collect and keep my own carvings since they do not take up much space at all! Occasionally I will share miniatures with friends as a gift, or will trade with other artisans.

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

I am a sculptor and painter because there are things I want to say that there aren’t words for. The very act of carving wood is now something that I need. When I don’t carve, I feel that something is lacking from my day to day. Woodcarving is both my meditation and my medication. My mind enters a different zone and I can tune out the rest of the world when I’m working on a piece. I use magnification on my pieces, so the act of carving truly blocks out everything else but the microcosm I’m working on.

1427481440 Carving every day provides a rhythm to my life. Previously, I would carve for 12-16 hours at a time and then crash. I have found a better balance today where I can divide my time between other projects. I enjoy writing, working on projects in the garden, and spending time with my wife and animals. I work on blog posts quite often, and have been steadily making progress on a second book. This book will speak to the intersection of art and craft.

Most beloved miniature you’ve created?

I still have a chess set I carved for myself in college. And I particularly love the Peanut Gallery carving I made a few years ago—I keep it here in my studio.

What’s to come from Steve Tomashek?

I’m excited to move into my new woodcarving and art studio! There I’ll begin work on more large- and medium-scale pieces. I’ve worked in so many small studio spaces over the years, that it will be nice to have more room for my craft. Stay tuned for more on chainsaw carving!

Steve Tomashek lives in Germany, but is coming to the U.S. this summer to exhibit his miniature woodcarvings. For more on Steve’s colorful and whimsical menagerie, visit his website, shop the store, check out his blog, enjoy woodcarving videos on YouTube, or follow along on Twitter.

Photos taken in collaboration with Glenn Gordon.

A photo posted by The Daily Miniature (@dailymini) on May 15, 2015 at 2:13pm PDT

Tag: oaxacan

Daily Mini Interview: Mackenzie McAlpin Miniatures

Daily Mini Interview: Miniature Woodcarving by Steve Tomashek