Honey, I shrunk the kids

Hi everyone,

It's been a while since i last posted and there is so much to tell, i don't know where to start. Ooh well, i think i'll just continue where i've left, so first things first; a short break. In July we've been to Germany.

As I took pictures of the surroundings i played a bit with my camera settings. Then the 1989 movie 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' came to mind. Because it was as if we walked into a miniature railway scene.

Doesn't that look funny and surreal? You've all probably seen or know these kind of settings, be it your own dolls house garden or maybe even railway scenes with a village like these. And when you see a picture with limited depth, you automatically think what's in it must be small. But here is so much detail to see here (cos it's actually big, life size) and we all know how hard it is to put as much detail in our miniatures as we can, it looks superb! It looks like 'the perfect miniature'.... I was familiar with this kind of manipulation in photography but never did i run into a situation where this joke lend itself better then here. 

On breaks like these i always like to bring a miniature job along for relaxation and to make use of the abundance of spare time that define a holiday. This time it was a bunch of legs. Bed legs to be precise. They needed some details carved into them. I'll post about them soon, cos they deserve a posting of their own. But here's a little snapshot:

Past couple of months my library of reference books has seen a bulk of additions, amongst were some really cool gifts. Thanks to all who gave 'm, you know who you are :) I'd like to mention a few though; a reprint of the Third Edition of The
Gentleman & Cabinet- Maker's Director by Thomas Chippendale. Very inspirational! But also books on netsuke, Top 100 places to visit in Canada and French Impressionism. Books on (puzzle) lock mechanisms and Art Nouveau Architecture. Wood turnings and many many more.

One thing i was really keen on were a few good books on chip carving to get me started. Most of what i've carved so far is more or less free hand and this technique requires a bit more organized approach. So with the aid of some literature i've made my first practice pieces. Turned out the soft wood that is best used for this type of carving (lime wood etc), is of no use in miniature. It just doesn't 'hold' the carving as it so small and vulnerable. Pear did the job better. I've really grown to love pear for small carvings. It has a wonderful combination of very fine tight grain whilst being gentle on the tools. And it leaves you with a smooth shiny cut.

And that leaves me with one final item i want to share with you. The Clip Chair. It's a design for MOOOI interior design in Amsterdam (The Netherlands). I rather liked it so i arranged to take measurements from an original in their showroom. I've build it in 1:6 as a test piece to see if its construction would lend itself for 1:12. Sad to say it doesn't hold up to what i'm looking for but still it is a nice and fun piece in its own right.

If you want to see more pictures of it, and/or want to see it being build, click here to see the album.
Pfff, feels like a lot of chit chatting from my side, but there you have it. And now i desperately need some catching up to do!!!

Have fun making mini's,