Thursday, July 11, 2013

My Garden Studio and Courtyard


Welcome to my outdoor studio!

When painting and creating it's wonderful to have so much light.
I love large glass doors and skylights!

And a studio chandelier is a must!

But why stay inside on such a gorgeous day?
The garden is a lovely place to paint and so I come out to the patio.

A palette and brushes are necessities 


Close-ups of the chandelier



An umbrella keeps the sun out of my eyes and my canvas shaded

... You probably couldn't tell from the front that this is
a stone cottage.  I love window boxes ...

When I'm painting outside I come into the cottage
for relaxing breaks

Sometimes I'll have tea in the gazebo

and other days inside the cottage


{ The fairies enjoy the garden too }
(notice the miniature afghan hound in the background?)





This morning I painted the larger background boards

We have plastic dolls and a tiny tea set for the little ones to play with in the garden
because the fairies are so breakable.  The 2 year old stands on a stool to be just the right height.



~ From this angle you can view the sea off in the distance ~

This miniature garden and house
were designed and made by me,
{with help when necessary by my dear husband}
I created the chandelier (hence its rustic look)
and the easel... the brushes were made from
toothpicks, The aqua tea table is a vintage Avon jar.

I made the house from 5 picture frames.
(three square and two rectangle)
and it turned into such a bigger project than I first imagined!
The background paintings are mine.
The miniature lamb painting was done by me,
the cake painting by my daughter Megan,
and the tiny sea painting is by Anita Rivera,
who also sent me the lovely mantle and the silk remnants for the drapes.

I actually have a real studio where I paint,
which has several similarities to the miniature one,
such as aqua curtains, large windows and skylights
a chandelier and a fireplace mantle with
candelabras upon it.  I will show more photos of that soon!

I am participating in
"Where Bloggers Create 2013"
hosted by Karen Valentine.
Please visit her blog for the list of bloggers
and enjoy some eye candy and inspiration!

{click on picture for the link}

Thanks for visiting!
... I'm curious how many pictures you viewed before realizing this was all in miniature...
~ Violet ~

41 comments:

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

My mouth is still gaped widen OPEN! VIOLET! I had no idea what to expect, during all of our "conversations" that kept me enchanted with the ideas, but now I can SEE EVERYTHING!

The glass doors....the little lamby painting, the tea seat and seats....THE BACKDROP PAINTING and of course, my little seascape....it is a masterpiece! The stones on the side and the flower boxes all add a touch that makes this work worthy to be in a book, YES! Where will you house this in the winter? You must take great care of this; your grands should be able to enjoy this for many years to come, and oh...the little paintbrushes! TOOTHPICKS? You are really a genius and I'm so proud to have a small part in this!

Love it.

Gwen Simmons said...

Lovely-- and it was the third or forth picture before I realized it was a miniature. Very neat concept. I so enjoyed it. Thank you.

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

VIOLET!

Oh how I wish I could see you, to see the genius behind all of this! I also wish you could see our garden today; we put up a new arbor!

I must take photos. AND thank you for coming to my new blog! It means a lot to me to have the support of readers, especially dear friends. How I love that lamby painting! teeeeheee

Teacup Mosaics said...

Oh this is just wonderful! I could stay and play all day. Thank you for sharing your fairy land.
enjoy the party!
Kelley

Carole said...

Absolutely stunning, I love all the work you put into this. Totally gorgeous!

Sugar Lump Studios said...

This is the sweetest and cutest thing ever! I love it! The details are amazing! I bet it is super easy to keep clean too! :)

Thanks so much for sharing!

Nancy
www.sugarlumpstudios.com

Chrislyn said...

Adorable! What an absolutely fabulous fairy garden! How fun it must have been to create. Your paintings are fantastic. If you saw my WBC last year you might remember my wallpaper--Afghans of course!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

I am so comforted to see your email here as I prepare to call it a day....and your invitation to come back to this special world is a much-needed extension of your friendship to me, dearest Violet! YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLY TALENTED! How you pump out masterpiece-quality paintings for this project is BEYOND ME!!!!!!!!!!! BRAVO!!!!!!! You are making my summer extra special my dear. Thank you. Anita

The Polka Dot Closet said...

OK, you get the award for the cutest post, studio, garden, and kids! It is so cute that the kids are enjoying it and I love the miniature chandelier!

Carol

StasaLynn said...

You took me down memory lane. My grandmother was a miniature artist also and she made stunning rooms, houses and spaces... Your work is beautiful and thank you so much for sharing!

Something Special said...

Oh this was so much fun to venture through. You must have had lots of fun with that.

ImagiMeri said...

Wow, you must be really small! I've done a few miniatures in my time, but this is really well done and so complete. Thank you for sharing!

Hugs,
Meri

Carmen said...

I just love your miniature garden fairy studio!!! You should also enter the Magic Onions Fairy Garden Contest (if you haven't already). I think it's great that you got the whole family involved. This is so creative and beautiful! Thank you! :-)

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

This is just gorgeous! You did a fantastic job!

Maureen Hayes said...

How stinkin' cute is this?! The most original tour I have seen by far. I cannot begin to imagine all the work that went into it, but thank you SO much for sharing it. Can't wait to see your art studio as well!

Karen Valentine said...

Oh my goodness... that is fabulous!! What an amazing job you did on that. What a beautiful fantasy it is. Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us Violet. It was a real treat!!
xo,
Karen

Cindy said...

Hi! Your space is amazing! I recognised it was a miniature from #1, but only because I knew a girl who's hobby is miniatures, Beautifully done! Especially if it is similar to your 'big' space! Hugs! http://connell-crafts.blogspot.ca/

Mystical Gypsy said...

Violet, that was so CLEVER!! Great job! Best wishes, connie

Mari Brown and Colourblob said...

That's so neat, it was fun to see everything so small and especially how the kids are so drawn to it. Great pictures and really fun post.

I was looking at other posts you have and I so love your dogs, and I love Afghan Hound they are such a gorgeous dogs... Maybe we get one so our Charlie will have a mate : ) (he's a parti colour standard poodle and still at age 6 a crazy puppy).

Thanks for sharing your little space, it was lovely tour!!

bobbie said...

OMGoodness! I ADORE miniatures, and your is enchanting! I'd love to spent an afternoon sipping tea with you in the gazebo!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful space!!

Palomasea said...

My goodness, dear Violet...this is all so magical and amazing!!!!
I popped in quickly the other day, when our darling Anita mentioned that you have something extra special going on here...but I wanted to have more time to take it all in!!! Brilliant!!!
Have fun playing!! :)))
Love and blessings,
- Irina

CATHY said...

What a fun post! would make a wonderful creative space : ) hope you can make it real one day....cheers from singapore.

fairyrocks said...

Oh, I fell right into your fairytale spaces. Fantastic miniature works, and you paint too. Your attention to the small details fairly amazes me!! Purely delightful to any fairy folk.
Keep smiling and creating, and thanks for sharing

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful miniature creation you have made! It is really sweet!

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

Good morning BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for coming to visit my blog post! Sorry that I always wax poetic, but that's who I am....but I so appreciate YOUR support in my efforts. How I love this post of yours, and the party seems to be running beautifully!

What are you up to today? Anita

Maureen said...

Ha! Very cute take on the party theme! What a great job you did on all the miniatures; the are fab!

Marlynne said...

How precious1 I love doll houses too! I have 8 of them and have made many of the things in them, so fun! Will be interested in seeing your real studio too!

Devon Smith-Breidel said...

Your post is so darling and special! It reminds me of my dollhouse which I still have and every time I see the handmade furniture I think so fondly on both grandfathers. Those beautiful little kids will have the best mini memories-I am so enchanted. Thanks for letting us into your little world.

Tea in the Library said...

Loved your twist on the party theme! Such bright fresh colors. Very refreshing!

Burlap Luxe said...

Oh Violet,
It has béen way to long in between visits. You have created a garden dream room, one of dreams and relaxation in perfectness. I know creatively we could sit and play adding and taking away what we know to be beautiful. I adore friends who build little spaces where one can create, I too create similar pieces like my dance floors of studios of dance and French Opera theatres that are now in my etsy shop!
Thank you for sharing such beauty.

Xx
Doré

cindy-stitches-n-stuff.blogspot.com said...

You are very talented. Your imagination is wonderful.

hugs
cindy@stitches

Derrith said...

Absolutely delightful - your creations are magical!

CatieAn said...

what a beautiful concept. Such amazing little things and so preofessionallly made. that made me smile the whole time!!

Duni said...

Violet, this is the sweetest painting studio ever!! I love all the adorable details like the chandelier, the garden fairies, the painter's palette...I could go on and on, it's all so beautiful! And love the backdrop you painted. Thank you for this inspiring post!

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Dear Violet,
How did I miss this! I am in miniature heaven here. There are so many details, and Anita painted a seascape for you, how wonderful. Makes me want to give Alice a call and see if she would share her
~ Drink Me ~ so I could become small enough to walk around this magnificent Garden Studio and Courtyard.

You have outdone yourself here Violet.. Masterful work!
fondly,
Penny




Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Violet! Your miniature garden just takes my breath away...What a talent you are, in so many mediums..

I cannot wait to see your needle felted Afghan, I am sure it will be outstanding.. Yes, they do tend to grow as you go along. You are so funny,"Felted Bigtoot"

Harold turned out MUCH larger than I had anticipated... By the time I had felted his core, then added his fluff. he was quite large.. So, if I could give you any advise, it would be to keep that in mind and start small.
Also, if you "firmly" needle felt, ( it will feel hard) it keeps the size.. If you want a soft sculpture, just needle felt to the shape you want. Keeping in mind that if you want to add a second layer for fluff this will add to the size of course.. Did that make any sense? I can't wait to see your sculpture.

Thank you for your kind words about my painting. It means alot to me coming from an accomplished artist such as you.
blessings,

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

OMG!!!!! I LOVED this!! Fantastic!! I have a Victorian doll house but you have combined both miniatures and fairy garden so fantastically!!
Thanks so much for sharing!! I really enjoyed my time here!!

hugs,
Deb

Burlap Luxe said...

Thank you Violet, for taking the time to visit so sweet of you to compliment my passion in French brocante style.

See you and your beauty soon.

Bisous
Xx
Doré

Createology said...

Oh Violet Dear this is just the perfect enchanted Fairy studio and setting ever! I love the details and whimsy you have created. I am enchanted my dear...

Angelsdoor * Penny said...

Dear Violet,
Wanted to let you know I emailed you, may want to check your spam if you did not receive it.
Thank you so much for sharing the photos of the Alpacas with me... They are just darling!
I am so happy to hear you had such a good time, wish I had been there.

You mentioned the lady felted hats from the alpaca.. This is something I have not tried as yet,
~ wet felting~ but would love to give it a go one day.
Enjoy your evening and thanks again
fondly,
Penny
p.s. I love seeing the children enjoying your beautiful miniature Garden.

Justina said...

Violet!
Your miniatures are absolutely ADORABLE!! It makes me want to be little enough to hang out in that amazing little studio overlooking the water!

When I was little I had a dollhouse and I used to create little perfume bottles out of pewter beads, and earring posts, and I used old empty eyeshadow tins as trays to put the bottles on.. I used old popsicle sticks to create a wooden crate for some cherries and oranges (old beads I would paint red and orange) and used some netting for the orange bags. I used to make so many things for my little world of miniatures and then one day I think my parents got rid of my dollhouse because it was just so old and falling apart...

Your post makes me miss having a dollhouse so much,,, My mom recently inherited another one from her godparents, so maybe I will help her fix it up one day. I just LOVE miniatures :-)

Thank you for sharing!
I found your blog on Miss Vanessa's tea party comments page...

Please visit mine if you get the chance!
http://labohememagique.blogspot.com/2013/08/100th-post-this-calls-for-tea-party.html


Warm Hugs,
Justina
xoxo