We Discover: Melissa Jackson
We love discovering new talent and hearing the wonderful stories behind the makes! This month we find out more about miniature maker Melissa!
Journey into the world behind the makes!
How long have you been making miniatures?
I got started late in the game, I began working on them in late December of 2019.
What got your first interested in making miniatures?
I've loved miniatures since I was little. My mum made and sold miniature jointed teddy bears when I was younger and was always into some different art project of her own. Whenever she went to the huge craft store across the river, I always had to tag along just to wander the miniature aisle. It was always exciting to find a new miniature that they had just added to their inventory.
“I love food myself, and strive to make the most realistic pieces with not only a ton of detail, but a bit of whimsy as well”
What sort of miniatures do you make and why these in particular?
I focus mainly on 1/12th scale polymer clay food. I love food myself, and strive to make the most realistic pieces with not only a ton of detail, but a bit of whimsy as well. I like to add extra pops of colour so the plate isn't boring, and love making my favourite dishes. Basically, anything comforting like pasta, dessert, roasts, etc.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
My main inspiration is any food blog, and what's in my house. I'm always searching the internet for dinner and lunch ideas, especially holiday foods. I sometimes get a bit of artist- block, so I tend to rely on real food to give me ideas.
Tell us how you go about creating your work?
I make all of my pieces at night. I began working night shift at a local hospital, so when I'm off I stay on my work schedule for the most part. I believe my best pieces have been made between the hours of midnight and 6am. I make sure to first mix my colours of clay for whatever piece I'm working on at the time. The colour and translucency of the clay is important to get as close to a realistic piece as possible. Once I have the colours I want, I roughly sculpt the piece before working on any details and texturing. My process isn't as clean as some miniaturists that have YouTube channels. But the end result is what's most important to me.
Do you have a favourite material to work with such as wood etc?
My favourite material is polymer clay. I just discovered the leather effect clay and love how it creates a whole new dimension to some of my pieces. My go-to colour would be translucent though. Mixed with other colours, this gives me the most realistic appearance of food when sculpted and baked correctly.
Where do you make your miniatures? Do you have a dedicated craft room?
I began the year making my miniature wherever I could find space. I had an office that was a cluttered mess with my husband's old table from the garage. I never wanted to work in that space, as I didn't feel like it was mine. My husband recognised this, and helped me to decorate and make it a space I wanted to create in. Now I love my little office with all its storage and pretty paintings on the wall.
Do you have a top tip you would like to share with the readers?
I eyeball everyday items to see how I can reconfigure them into a small miniature.
I've made some pretty cool additions to my miniature roombox by doing this. For example, simple pieces like popsicle sticks make great dollhouse floors, and random pieces from model car kits can be made into awesome miniature kitchen gadgets. I recently made a few pizza cutters using headlight lamps from a model car.
What do you do with the miniatures you make?
Besides keeping a few pieces for myself, I sell all my creations on Etsy. My business name began as HoneyBee Curiosity because I wanted a name that was unique to me (Melissa means Honeybee). I started out trying to find my passion in the arts by working with resin, making food jewellery, and miniatures. But I have been slowly changing my name over all my social media sites to Miniature Curiosity as my absolute passion is dolls house miniatures.
Do you have a favourite project?
Every new piece I work on becomes my new favourite project. I put so much care into each miniature, that when it turns out exactly how I wanted it to, it's so exciting. I'm constantly discovering new ways to create my miniatures, and can't wait to see how my pieces have evolved through this next year. But I believe my antique roombox I purchased online would be my favourite project. I have refurbished the whole thing, from the floors, to the wood beams in the ceiling. It's becoming a great piece to display my miniatures in.