My friend asked me to try a new project after seeing my post on making a letter holder out of a book. She shared images of “book nooks” which are miniature scenes tucked into bookshelves. There are ones that are books with windows and doors, ones that show a little alley between the books, and ones that are a cozy little room. Here’s an example from a BBC article.
I was intimidated at first, then intrigued. I’ve done things with miniatures before- back in my college years I painted figurines for roleplaying games. Last year I made Barbie furniture. I saw that there were 3D print files, tutorials on making dioramas and doll furniture…and off I went.
My mom built a dollhouse from a kit years ago. She peopled it with cornhusk dolls and sealed it off from meddling hands with a plexiglass cover. There are some great kits for single room dioramas on sale now, between $30 and $100.
One of my other sources of inspiration are “look-alikes.” I was introduced to Joan Steiner’s work through her picture books, including Look-alikes and Look-alikes Around the World. She uses everyday objects in surprising ways to create miniature scenes. She had a wonderful exhibit at the NY State Museum back in 2007. I was sad to see she passed away in 2010. Her art is amazing and shows how creative you can be in making miniatures.
So my next step is to put together a book nook, either a book with doors and windows, or a scene. I know that it needs lighting, so I will look into options on that first. To be continued…
