{"id":350,"date":"2011-03-16T00:02:56","date_gmt":"2011-03-16T00:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.janelaverick.com\/?p=350"},"modified":"2011-03-16T00:02:56","modified_gmt":"2011-03-16T00:02:56","slug":"midweek-miniatura-more-mid-march-amazement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.janelaverick.com\/?p=350","title":{"rendered":"Midweek Miniatura, more mid-March amazement."},"content":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s amazement features two wonderful new exhibitors who ably demonstrate the inclusivity of this exclusive show, which features only the best at all extremes.<\/font><\/p>\n

First let\u2019s catch up with some old friends.  An interesting aspect of this column is that in only three bursts of Midweek Miniatura reports so far, some personalities have made themselves evident and developed followers at the show who have met them here first. <\/font><\/p>\n

Mags Cassidy at Magsnificent Miniatures continues to add to her vast range of food in mainly Tudor, Georgian, WW2 and Spooky.  She has a number of new witch accessories-<\/font><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a>including this terrific fireplace. I do like her Windfalls and Hedgerows series, which she reports are very popular.  I\u2019m not surprised, do remember that these are miniature.  They\u2019re very realistic.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

You could be forgiven for wondering if Mags actually goes out gathering and then shrinks them by Mag-ic.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a great bit of news about Petite Properties. <\/font><\/p>\n

\"miniatura\"<\/a> They were, as I\u2019m sure you remember, nominated for an award for best Miniature Dolls house Kit in a Reader\u2019s choice poll at About.com.  Just today Bea has heard that she won!  The house, the 48th scale Yule Tide Christmas Shop, will no doubt be at Miniatura; if you fancied one, this should perhaps be on the \u2018early visit\u2019 list.  Bea declares herself to be over the moon, chuffed to bits and happily dancing, which considering the house was up against major commercial manufacturers, is a thoroughly merited response. <\/font><\/p>\n

Sindy Stanley, who made her debut at Miniatura last spring, has returned with more of her Sindikits.  These 24th scale budget doll kits available in a vast range of colour families, are ideal for the younger miniaturist with a little help.  Considering that the hobby was stolen by collectors from children last century, it\u2019s high time there was something creative for children that didn\u2019t involve the use of hot ovens or assorted toxic substances.  Needless to say these appealing little kits are entirely appropriate for adults to make too.<\/font><\/p>\n

News of more workshops is now available on the Miniatura site, there are always plenty to choose from in the spring if you like to take home a new skill along with the little parcels full of goodies.<\/font><\/p>\n

There are lots of fresh delights to be found in the hall.  Sally Reader is exhibiting her toys for the first time in Birmingham, also KJ, Mollies exclusive designs, a new French exhibitor and a tricolour of new Italian exhibits can be found.  The Motor Museum in Miniature will be demonstrating car finishing and A Little Bit of Everything will have laser kits from America.  Visitors itching to know what is in the Trade Room, which is only open to bona fide traders, can find the Jiayi range of miniature furniture which features in the trade section, on public sale in the hall on the Present Address stand.<\/font><\/p>\n

The new exhibitors are as varied as can be.  At one end we find DEAW furniture.  These are the initials of Wendy Smith who has translated a lifetime spent working as as specialist finisher and French polisher of full size furniture into a miniature retirement hobby.  Wendy was originally just going to miniaturise her skills for her own amusement and applied to Miniatura expecting a long wait.  However a sudden cancellation catapulted her on to the exhibitor list at short notice.  As a result Wendy doesn\u2019t have heaps of stock to take with her but will take orders. Never mind the quantity, just look at what she does have ready!<\/font><\/p>\n

\"DSC01975\"<\/a>\"DSC01972\"<\/a><\/p>\n

How good are these?  There\u2019s a choice of colours:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"DSC01970\"<\/a>\"DSC01971\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This really is a drip of the good stuff.  Well it would be, wouldn\u2019t it?  It\u2019s the work of a lifetime, miniaturised.  Here\u2019s some more:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"DSC01973\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I have a full sized oriental box which is so like this it\u2019s just not true!  Despite the realism, Wendy does not slavishly stick to an era but enjoys an artistic interpretation, which emphasises the prettiness of it, which I\u2019d consider to be a good grasp of what miniatures are all about.  There are even going to be Treasure Boxes and all I can tell you about these is to form an orderly queue, early (this is going to be a tricky Miniatura for you, I\u2019ve told you to get to three stands the minute the show opens and I\u2019m going to tell you to do the same with the  next one.)  Here are the Treasure Boxes:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"DSC01959\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DSC01960\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Some artists are forged in the fires of a lifetime spent practising, a few, very few, are born that way.<\/font><\/p>\n

A couple of Midweek\u2019s ago I suggested you might like to look at an article on the Miniatura website about new exhibitors.  If you did you will have read about the work of Sahaya James, trading as Radical Miniatures.  You will have read of her interests and her dolls made of paperclay and mixed media, always ethically sourced, and Sahaya\u2019s passionate interest in ecological issues that extends to every aspect of her doll making.  Sahaya makes in all scales, now even down to 144th.  What you will not have read about is that Sahaya has just been awarded certification by the Vegan Society and is possibly the only doll maker ever to gain this accolade.<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/font><\/p>\n

\"Vegan<\/a><\/p>\n

Sahaya\u2019s concern for animal welfare extends to making them too, here is her 12th scale polar bear:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"CIMG0561\"<\/a>\"CIMG0557\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The face is lovely:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"CIMG0558\"<\/a><\/p>\n

the bear is this big:<\/font><\/p>\n

\"CIMG0560\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sahaya has also made a 12th scale poseable Buddhist monk<\/font><\/p>\n

\"15032011389\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And an absolutely cracking 48th scale Viva (vegetarian charity) man<\/font><\/p>\n

\"CIMG0590\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sahaya has only been making dolls for a year, with the inspiration of mentor local Faerie maker Karen, though she made plasticene models when  she was five and has always liked artistic pursuits; she draws, plays the piano and violin.  Sahaya has discovered that making dolls is something fantastic,  she says you begin on a character and watch a whole person evolving.<\/font><\/p>\n

She previously did a charity show but Miniatura is her first big Miniatures fair.  It is a great achievement to make it into a world class show after only a year of doll making but this astounding leap brings problems with it.  Safety regulations at the NEC are stringent; children under 16 are not allowed into the halls at set up time, which means that Sahaya\u2019s parents will have to set up for her because she\u2019s twelve years old.<\/font><\/p>\n

Sahaya has allowed me to tell you this; she has not previously permitted anyone in the know to mention her age as she wishes her dolls to be judged on their own merits.  I don\u2019t think there is any danger of anyone doing otherwise, these would be good dolls by anyone of any age or experience.  I can only advise you to watch this particular doll maker like a hawk, if she\u2019s this good after a year\u2026\u2026..?  You may also wish to take a look at her blog, which has more details of environmental interests and her website, which may not be there instantly, it\u2019s taking longer than expected to get right because it\u2019s a website.<\/font><\/p>\n

There are going to be some fantastical delights at this Miniatura, if you don\u2019t wish to miss a trick the best advice is to purchase the Miniatura brochure which is sold at the door and so well worth getting and hanging on to.  Inside it you will find a floor plan, contact details of every exhibitor, all of whom will be listed alphabetically and in stand number order, details of new exhibitors, smaller scale specialists and some lovely adverts (there may even be one for a well known website.) (This one.) The brochure, which takes just as much work as every other aspect of this International show, is refreshed and newly printed at the last possible minute every six months and is thus your most up to date comprehensive guide to the best miniature collectable art you can find, encompassing artists who started last century and artists who started last year, every single one of them utterly world class.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a><\/p>\n

www.miniatura.co.uk<\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

www.mags-nificent.co.uk<\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

www.daews.blogspot.com<\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

www.radicalminiatures.blogspot.com<\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

www.radicalminiatures.co.uk<\/a><\/font><\/p>\n

minminminminminminminminminminminminminminminminminmin<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n

JaneLaverick.com \u2013 advertised!<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s amazement features two wonderful new exhibitors who ably demonstrate the inclusivity of this exclusive show, which features only the best at all extremes. First let\u2019s catch up with some old friends.  An interesting aspect of this column is … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[261,263,262],"class_list":["post-350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-miniatura","tag-sahaya-james","tag-sindy-stanley","tag-wendy-smith"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t