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taking a smaller view of the big world
by Julia Rosenfeld
Kellie Wachter knows that it’s the little things in life that matter most. “I’m a miniaturist,” she declared, unequivocally.
Ms. Wachte said she was first “captivated” by the detailed realism of the craft when she walked past a doll house shop more than 10 years ago. The big world of tiny things opened up to her. “If you can see it in real size, it’s available in miniature. There are so many talented artisans out there. People make amazing miniature food, miniature baskets, miniature furniture. It goes on and on,” she said. “And if you can’t find it already made, you just learn to make it yourself – develop your own field of expertise.”
Another aspect of miniatures that appeals to her is the community of hobbyists itself. Which is, as it turns out, a rather small community. “You can get to know the experts in the field personally. You can email them and ask for advice and they’ll email you back. They’re all very reachable. So you wind up rubbing elbows with people who are the very best in their field. It’s very encouraging.”
Ms. Wachter’s Turkey Day is currently on display in the Artists Craftsman category of the 2007-2008 Arts and Crafts Gallery. Created in one-12th scale, it’s about 5 inches tall. There are only a few items in the display that Ms. Wachter didn’t create: the basket, crock pot, metal utensils and the cabbage. Everything else is her craftsmanship. “I use polymer clay and Creative Paperclay to make each individual article you see. You learn to use anything that will work. The thing with miniatures is that it doesn’t have to be made of what it’s supposed to be, it just has to look like it.” The stuffing in the bowl in Turkey Day, for example, is made of Styrofoam and cork. “You learn to look at the world differently,” she explained. “You look to see what you can translate into something else for miniatures.”
Ms. Wachter has been a military spouse for more than 25 years, and has taken advantage of the AF Arts and Crafts Centers whenever she can, wherever the military takes her. Her husband, Chief Master Sgt. Steven Wachter, is currently stationed at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. And even though the family lives on the other side of the island from the base, she still considers the Arts and Crafts Center a crucial element in her craftwork. “The main benefit of the center is access to supplies. Here in Hawaii, for example, they have a heavy influence on Asian culture, so you can find lots of craft supplies for origami and other Asian-inspired crafts. But if you’re of a Mainland mindset, you want Mainland supplies, which are hard to get over here,” she said. “It’s nice to go over to the base Arts and Crafts Center and get the things you’re accustomed to finding. Availability is key. Overseas or in a different culture, it becomes critical.”
While the miniature hobby occupies a large amount of her time right now, she enjoys a wide variety of crafts. This year’s Gallery also displays one of her many vintage-inspired dolls, Lady Bountiful, and Frosticles, a whimsical wintertime decoration.
Ms. Wachter admits it wasn’t easy for her to take the plunge and submit her creations to the Gallery. “I like what I create and I think they’re good, but I doubted anyone else would agree. But a few years ago I was talked into submitting a sculpture to an art show in Alabama. And it won third place. And I though, ‘Oh! Someone else does agree!’ So that gave me the confidence and courage to put my things out there for other people to look at,” she said. Yet when the call went out for this year’s Gallery submissions, she was still too shy to take her items in to center herself. “I sent my husband in with them. I didn’t want to be pointed and laughed at,” she confessed. “But in the end, they were well received and I’m just tickled that people really do like them.”
source: http://www.af-artscrafts.com, USAF Arts & Crafts, 2008 |
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