Sunday, March 18, 2018

March means miniatures

The ACT Miniature Enthusiasts Miniature Fair and Dollshouse Show, to be precise: which happened yesterday.

Here were the highlights for me:


This garden courtyard scene, which was displayed in front of a canvas from (I assume) a bargain shop. The workmanship and detail in the scene was wonderful, but I thought the sense that the scene continued back and up to the top of the hill was a magic touch.

One-twelfth scale miniature garden courtyard with a greenhouse,a selection of plants and flowers and two men standing at the back. Behind the garden, vineyards stretch into the distance, towards the low sun.
(Speaking of 'touch' I may have warmed up the colour on the photo a touch to give it a feeling of being taken during the gloaming hour, rather than under fluorescent lights in a suburban hall...)
A woman photographing one of the one-twelfth scale buildings on display at a miniatures show. Behind the display hangs a fabric wallhanging that spells out 'ACT Miniature and Dollshouse show'.
I was interested to see Rhonda and Scott Coleman's menswear shop, as I'd photographed the contents last year (when they were displayed in an IKEA light box) but didn't blog about it. And I was lucky enough to persuade Scott to pose behind it for a photo:
One-twelfth scale miniature gentlemen's outfitters shop, with 'Coleman & Sons' written above the door. Behind the model is a man and a fabric wallhanging that says 'ACT Miniature Dollshouse'.
 It's looking very smart!
Detail of the front of a one-twelfth scale men's clothing shop with two display windows full of various men's clothing.
I'm always a sucker for a dolls' house dolls house shop, and this one seems to carry everything you might need.
One-twelfth scale miniature dolls' house shop interior, with various people browsing the tiny dolls houses and books.
Detail of a one-twelfth scale miniature dolls' house shop with four males having a conversation around the counter, and a woman looking at a display of boxed kits at the back of the shop.
The Main Street Gallery caught my attention. So much so, that I forgot to find out who created it, but past me reliably informs me that it's by Jenny Balderson. (She does beautiful work, which I photograph quite regularly...)
One-twelfth scale modern miniature two-storied art gallery and art supplies shop, taken from the outside at dusk. The lights are on and there is a woman in the gallery and a man standing outside on the street.
(So I also magiced this photo to make it dusk...)

Upstairs is a gallery space, with some beautifully-made pieces on display, ranging across many media,

One-twelfth scale modern miniature art gallery, with a woman standing behind a counter in the corner with a display of jewellery in it. On the wall behind her is a tapestry and a painting and in front and to the side of the counter are a selection of colourful glass vases.
Corner of an art gallery with a variety of colourful tapestry, painted and glass art works on display.
while downstairs is the art store we first visited in 2009, which is much expanded in its new home.
One-twelfth scale modern miniature art store displaying various paints, mark-making material, books and supports.
One-twelfth scale modern miniature art store displaying various paints, mark-making material, books and supports.
Business must be good.
One-twelfth scale modern miniature art store displaying various paints, mark-making material and supports.
Another highlight of the show for me was meeting Jill Fraser, owner of the new New-Zealand miniature magazine The Miniature Time Traveller.
Woman standing in front of a display of one-twelfth scale miniature buildings. She is holding four copies of the Miniature Time Traveller magazine, fanned out.
And, finally, the food provided for traders by thBlack Mountain School P&C was amazing, as usual. They fed us scones with jam and cream for morning tea, a selection of hot and cold dishes for lunch and this is what turned up on the trolley for afternoon tea:
Plate of cupcakes next to a plate holding half a dark chocolate cake with fresh raspberries on the top of it. Next to the cake is a stack of plates, and in front is a stack of paper napkins.
(Stall holders at the Canberra show are very spoiled!)

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