We Discover: A Clockmaker’s Daughter
We love discovering new talent and this month is no exception! We find out more about Natasha AKA A Clockmaker’s Daughter…
We find out more about Natasha aka A Clockmaker’s Daughter…
How long have you been making miniatures?
I started making miniatures in the spring of 2019, but I’ve been captivated by them since I was a small child. Any tiny object I found seemed to hold endless fascination and was like discovering the most magical thing in the world. The first miniature memory I have is of a tiny painted frog, I carried him around with me everywhere. I still have him to this day; he sits crowned and worn on the porch of my dolls house.
What got you first interested in making miniatures?
When I was a young girl, my parents gave me the Storybook Cottage by Greenleaf for my birthday. My father and I started building it, but only got the shell of it completed before life happened and it was put aside unfinished. Fast-forward some thirty plus years later, and I still had the shell with the original box of pieces. My children were older and for the first time in years I had extra time on my hands. I decided it was the perfect time to finally complete it. I quickly fell down the rabbit hole and immersed myself in all things miniature. I discovered that they still held the same magic for me now as they did when I was young.
I decided to go all in and make it the best little cottage my younger self would have been enchanted by. It took me several months to complete, but when I was done, I found I missed the creativity the dolls house had allowed me. I set out to see if there was a way I could continue to create magical mini things. It was like I received a second gift from that long ago birthday, completing my childhood dolls house brought about this new endeavor as an adult that helped me recapture that magic and wonder I had as a child.
What sort of miniatures do you make?
I make lots of different miniatures. I started out creating a miniature scene inside an antique clock box. It just so happened that when I completed it, the pandemic along with lockdowns emerged and I wasn’t able to start my next clock scene. However, I did have a stored stash of unfinished miniatures that I could transform. After completing some of those, I started making pieces from scratch. Now I make whatever unique and different thing that comes to mind and sparks my imagination. I love making bedding and layering different fabrics, making vintage kitchen sinks from clay and wood, fireplaces of all styles, tables, chairs and sofas. What I love most is to create new things, always pushing my limits and furthering my ability. I like to believe I am only limited by my imagination.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I honestly find inspiration everywhere.
I am largely inspired by art, antiques, books, fairytales, movies, nature, historical architecture and interior design. I gravitate towards things that have some history, evokes feeling and has a story to tell.
Tell us how you go about creating your work?
I usually start out with an idea for a piece, sometimes I will sketch it out before beginning with any materials, and other times I’ll just jump in head first and figure it out as I go. One of the things I love most about making miniatures is that you can just let your imagination guide you. That first piece always serves as the catalyst for a whole room. Sometimes it’s a bed and that leads to a dresser, next a chair, rug and art. It’s almost like the first piece is the beginning of a story and I’m not satisfied until I make the additional pieces that complete it.
Do you have a favourite material to work with such as wood etc.?
I have a few materials that I favour; fabric, wood, paint and clay being the main ones. I am new to clay work, but I find it so exciting and versatile because you can literally mold it into anything you can imagine. I’m always looking for new ways to use it or add it to my creations.
Where do you make your miniatures? Do you have a dedicated craft room?
I am fortunate to have a wonderful home studio that is somewhat apart from our main
home. There are several skylights that allow for natural light and brightness that feels especially helpful to combat our somewhat gloomy and long winters here in Minnesota. There is also lots of room to make large messes and create until my heart’s content. It’s amazing how such small things can make such large messes. Two things that are essential in my studio are music and a burning candle. There is just something about the combination that puts me in a mindset to create.
Do you have any advice you would like to share with the readers?
It might sound super obvious, but get on Instagram and look for fellow miniature enthusiasts! When I first started my dolls house it didn’t even occur to me to look there, but there are literally thousands of people who share a love for minis right at your finger tips. Best of all is the diversity you’ll find in the people, styles, and skill levels. It ranges from beginners to seasoned professionals, and most are so friendly and fun to chat with. There is a whole mini community that is so welcoming, supportive, and are some of the best cheerleaders you will ever find!
What do you do with the miniatures you make?
Now that my dolls house is complete I mostly sell my creations to share my love of miniatures with others. I’ve been toying with the idea of making another dolls house for myself, something a bit larger with more rooms to fill and create. I love the idea of slowly filling one over years and years, much like we do with our life-size homes.
Do you have a favourite project?
Aside from my Storybook Cottage, my absolute favorite project is the Tale As Old As Time art box. It’s based on one of my favorite fairytales, Beauty and the Beast, and has everything I love incorporated into one piece. Every item was handcrafted by me and took over one hundred and fifty hours to create. I have a great love for books, particularly old ones, so setting the scene in the library seemed like a perfect fit. I feel my versions of Cogsworth as the clock and Lumiere as the candelabra are the ideal characters to inhabit the scene. The lighted enchanted rose is at the heart of both the story and the scene. When lit at night the glass of the art box is like a window into another world, one that invites curiosity and where magic reigns.