I was delighted to see so many of my favorite authors and poets (Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, the Brontë sisters, Emily Dickinson, Laura Ingalls Wilder, James Joyce) in miniature form, and impressed by the quality of workmanship, attention to detail, and amazing quantity and variety of figures available (600+ items currently listed at Etsy).
Oscar WildeEmily DickinsonCharlotte Bronte
Debbie is an artist after my own heart. In addition to creating lots of writers, she also features the characters in their stories (Scarlett O’Hara, Anna Karenina, Anne Shirley, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Darcy!). And just as fabulous as her literary dolls are her artists, musicians, singers, historical figures, movie stars and TV personalities (love the Three Stooges, Lucille Ball, Willie Nelson, Aunt Bea, Captain Kangaroo, The Marx Brothers, the Royal Family!).
William and KateMarx BrothersAndy, Aunt Bea and Barney Fife
I first saw Patty’s lovely dolls several weeks ago when Etsy posted her enchanting stop motion video, “A Doll Making Story.” Instantly charmed, I was curious to find out more about the artist who was able to transform pieces of paper clay and scraps of vintage fabric into beautiful dolls with heart. All her pieces are handmade without the use of molds and are one of a kind.
The mysterious Patty, who chooses not to divulge her surname or reveal her likeness in a photo, lives in Florence, Italy, surely one of the most beautiful cities in the world, known for its rich history, culture, art, architecture, and high fashion. Who would not be inspired to create some form of art when living in the birthplace of the Renaissance? I still sigh and swoon whenever I recall standing in the Uffizi Gallery gazing at Botticelli’s “Primavera.”
“Brigitte”“Evelyne”“Apolline”
I’m sure you’ll enjoy meeting Patty, who, in addition to English, speaks Italian, Spanish, French, and a bit of Russian. She named her shop “Dedalos” (“maze”), after Daedalus, the first artist and artisan in Greek mythology who built the famous Labyrinth for King Minos in Crete. I’m always fascinated by how an artist can make a doll actually resemble a famous person yet still emanate her own trademark style.
You’re just in time to meet Stéphanie Kilgast, the supremely talented artisan who creates all the amazing miniature food sculptures at PetitPlat. 🙂
A couple of years ago, while browsing for food art on Etsy, I chanced upon PetitPlat and instantly fell for Stéphanie’s meticulously crafted, truly splendid banquet of French pastries, breads, cookies, fruits, cakes and candies. The realism and level of detail were so incredible I couldn’t believe my eyes. How did she do it? I immediately ordered Oreo cookie and submarine sandwich earrings which arrived on my doorstep lickety split, and have had so much fun wearing them ever since.
Stéphanie currently lives about 280 miles southwest of Paris. She was born in Frankfurt, Germany, speaks fluent French, English, and German, and has a Master’s degree in Architecture. While on summer break in 2007, a bored Stephanie looking for a new hobby discovered the world of miniatures and hasn’t looked back since.
She hand sculpts and assembles all the jewelry and 1:12 scale dollhouse miniatures she sells from scratch. Her work has been featured in international publications such as the New York Times, The Telegraph, BBC Brasil, Europa and American Miniaturist, and just last year she exhibited her work in Hong Kong. Crafters who work with polymer clay will be happy to know Stéphanie is currently working on a bilingual French/English tutorial book, hopefully to be released in May.
We thank Stéphanie for taking time from her busy schedule to tell us a little more about her love for food miniatures. Hers is a delightfully inspiring story of someone finding success by following her true passion, which is evident in every micro-mini baguette, St. Honoré, fruit tart, croissant and rainbow cake. She says colors and textures are her companions; “making you smiling and happy is the goal of my work.”
Think in ways you’ve never thought before
If the phone rings, think of it as carrying a message
Larger than anything you’ve ever heard,
Vaster than a hundred lines of Yeats.
Think that someone may bring a bear to your door,
Maybe wounded and deranged: or think that a moose
Has risen out of the lake, and he’s carrying on his antlers
A child of your own whom you’ve never seen.
When someone knocks on the door, think that he’s about
To give you something large: tell you you’re forgiven,
Or that it’s not necessary to work all the time, or that it’s
Been decided that if you lie down no one will die.
~ from Morning Poems (HarperCollins, 1997)
“The Listening Room” by Rene Magritte (1952)
* * *
Talk about a big apple. 🙂
Are you willing to set aside expectations, assumptions, preconceptions?
We usually see what we expect to see, and as Anais Nin said, “What we are familiar with, we cease to see.”
Quite ironic that though human beings are gifted with boundless imaginations, we inevitably become self-limiting creatures, victims of habit and predictable patterns of behavior, often moving through our days with rote responses.
Each of us operates with our own set of hidden assumptions. At the crux of creativity is the ability to let go of these, to not be so quick to label, judge, and disregard many potentially good ideas because of pre-conditioning.
Bly’s poem invites us to remain open to all possibilities. The function of art is to renew and alter our perceptions.
What if?
It could very well happen.
“Fine Realities” by Rene Magritte (1964)
* * *
The lovely Sheri Doyle is hosting this week’s Roundup. We wish her Dad a belated Happy 90th Birthday and many happy returns! In yet another case of happy coincidence, she mentioned that her Dad received a set of famous mustaches as a gift. Just yesterday I had posted a new poll in my sidebar, asking readers to vote for their favorite “cookie duster.” So now I mustache you, “Do great minds think alike, or what?” BTW, one of our favorite poets is in the running :).
Just in case you’re feeling a tad winter weary and color starved, thought I’d share some gorgeous paintings by award-winning artist, illustrator, author and teacher Carla Golembe, who currently lives in Delray Beach, Florida.
One of Carla’s children’s book illustrations.
Carla is a particular favorite because she illustrated my third picture book, The Woman in the Moon (Little, Brown), and her rich, color drenched, dreamy acrylic paintings always lift me up and transport me to a place far away from the troubles and uncertainty of this world.
Recently, Carla has been painting mermaids for the Mermaid Expo to be held at the Gallery Galleon in Puerto Rico on March 8, 2013. A devoted cat lover, Carla also painted some beautiful tributes to her beloved Zippy (who passed away last summer), as well as several whimsical pieces featuring her new cat Vinny.
This is how Carla describes her work:
My paintings are the product of my dreams and experiences. They speak of hope and love, of mystery and delight. My work expresses the harmony between individuals, between people and animals, people and nature, within a person’s soul.
They are colorful and sensual, reflecting the tropical beauty of my home and travels. The full spectrum of positive emotion echoes through my work.
Although the pieces express an optimistic attitude they are not naive, rather they come from an understanding that pain and anxiety are part of life but joy is a more desirable place to dwell. Although my compositions are designed and defined there is no gravity in my visual world. The figures often inhabit ambiguous spaces, places where sky and water flow into one another and where light and darkness merge. They are frequently caught in a moment of being or becoming, for it is in that moment that all dreams are possible.
Jama's Alphabet Soup 