Making Dollhouse Miniature Food From Polymer Clay
With Crown Jewel Miniatures
Tapping The Fountain Of Imagination
Not long ago, one of my collectors posted this question to me in Facebook:
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“Robin, Just a simple question……are you a good cook and do you actually cook all these things to see what they will look like when you make them in miniature? They are so realistic that I don’t see any other way.”
I found that question thought provoking.
Where do I get the inspiration to create miniature food?
Surprisingly, cooking is not my passion. My art comes from what I call my “fountain of imagination” and my inspiration is zeal to make a miniature scene look real by the addition of lifelike elements.
When I first discovered miniatures many years ago, I found the toy-like quality of miniature food unimaginative. It looked fake and I didn’t want it in my dollhouse because it ruined the realistic effect I was trying to achieve. With necessity being the mother of all invention, I began making my own miniature food, servingware and original accessories.
Crown Jewel Miniatures Original Servingware
Today there is a large selection of miniature accessories and serving ware available to the collector and I often find inspiration in these wonderful little pieces. I surf the Internet daily for dishes, pots, pans, utensils, you name it. When it arrives in my studio, I study a random piece and try to imagine what will look best in it. Once I decide, I surf the Internet again to see if anyone else is making it. If so, I usually abandon that idea unless I can think of an original way to make mine stand out.
How do I achieve that? Piped potatoes on a shepherd’s pie- stuffed clams in real shells- candy swizzle sticks in a cup of cappuccino- original serving ware made from jewelry findings, imperfect cheese and bread, etc. Realism in miniature is largely dependent on attention to detail. Success in miniature is a matter of innovative ideas and originality.
Ultimately I have three goals – originality, realism and making collectors happy. Experimenting with new materials, ideas and techniques that bring a static scene to life is the perfect recipe for making happy collectors!
I speak from experience. I’m a miniature collector too! ♥
Robin
http://www/CrownJewelMiniatures.com
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