Nov 1 2022 - Miniature Stuff,

 

Hardly anyone came for Halloween - it was raining here.  But I did buy cute little candies - little gummy Minions and tiny Kinder chocolates.  They seemed irresistable to buy as compared to eat. Why do miniature things fascinate us?  This is reported to be part of the "psychology of cuteness".  And I had no idea that this has been a topic of research for more than 70 years.   Konrad Lorenz, the German ethologist introduced the concept of the baby schema ("Kindchenschema") in 1943. The "baby schema" is the theory that certain physical features that are typically associated with babies—like a round face and big eyes—are so irresistibly cute to humans they will prompt us to feel a delightful desire to take care of someone or something.  I guess that goes for puppies and kittens, too. Lots has happened since then, and research says these are also factors: they bring back the comforts of childhood, that we experience awe and wonder, that tiny things are nice and non-threatening, and symbolic of stand-ins for the real thing.  How many tiny and miniature things are there that you can actually use?  A lot of things. I like the Miniature Mixer - $43. How tiny is it? 2" x 1.2" x 2.2" Don’t relegate this battery-powered mixer to the dollhouse — or at least know that you can break it out for non-pretend baking needs, too. It’s a working kitchen tool that can be used to whip up undersized baked goods for people who are into the tiny food craze.  The Leaf Blower which is $13 from Pottery Barn  How tiny is it? 6" x 2.5" x 2" You won’t get far using this teensy leaf blower in the yard, but it delivers a stronger-than-expected gust of air that will do away with dust that’s settled on keyboards, bookshelves, and other small and overlooked spaces. The Bob Ross By The Numbers Mini Paint Kit $10 from Target How tiny is it? 3" x 3.75" x 2" This minute art kit includes three paint-by-number canvases (two landscapes and one portrait of iconic TV painter Bob Ross), along with art supplies and, of course, a petite easel on which to display your work.  There are more crazy things HERE.  Our November Calendar reminds us that November is not as dreary as we think.  These pictures of the Willow at Charles Daley park are taken mid-November.  And Japanese Maples also keep their beautiful colours well past the middle of November.     Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

How to Put out a Miniature Fire

All things miniature is covered  in a blog named 'THIS IS WHY IM BROKE'.  It has  gifts for people that love tiny and miniature things.  This is perfect for Christmas: 1. Miniature fire extinguisher 2. Mini Jelly Fish Tank 3. Tiny functional cannons 4. Mini spy hidden camera 5. Mini travel iron 6. Mini Watermelon Cucumbers 7. Mini pool table 8. The mini museum 9. Tiny crochet animas - picture of a narwhal 10. Mini Nutella single serve jar 11. Mini Moscow mule shot glasses 12. Personalized miniature of your pet 13. Mini bottle string lights 14. Mini arcade machine 15. Mini karaoke microphone 16. I love you tiny message in a bottle The Guinness Book of records has numerous things that are miniature: largest collection miniature tools largest collection of miniature books the world's top 10 tiny bars world's tiny paintings And returning back to trains - Miniature Wonderland broke a record with the opening of the new route section 'Monaco Provence'.  It will open in 2020. You can see it HERE.  they show numbers like 52 planes, 250 flights a day, 1,040 trains, 10,000 rail cars, 1,320 signals, 50 computers. 390,000 LED lights.  There are 300 employees doing all this little stuff. That's a lot of little!  And it is a lot of fun watching the video - accidents, volcanoes, fires, boats moving through 'water'. This is an amaryllis flower picture taken a few years ago.

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When Barbie Gets Hungry

Did you know that there are food modellers?  Yes, tiny creations of clay pro real food. Not to say that model railroaders don't include food in their models.  I remember seeing a railway kitchen car and the chef was cooking at the stove, and plates of meals were at the side.   Artists work in various scales, just like train modellers.  There are those who make the miniatures in polymer clay.  There are other artists who make real, tiny food. One artist makes tiny books out of edible fruit leather and honey-scented white modelling chocolate.  They are 1 1/2 inches x 1/7/8 inches.  Here tutorial is HERE. Another artist makes homemade graham-flavoured mini cakes.  Of course they are dripping with semisweet chocolate glaze.  Another artist makes real cotton candy sticks - the right size for Barbie.  Representing food in miniature form started as a trend in Japan.  The models first appeared in 1917 and were made from wax. This has evolved over the decades to clay and plastics. My fascination is with the modellers who make edible miniature food cooked in miniature stoves as though they are real. Wikipedia says 'a match is used for igniting the candle to power the tiny stove'.   I went looking for something on the Sundance train layout in which food was involved. I found a bushel of squash in the scene below. The scene below that has a building labelled Longwood Plantation's Syrup and it looks like there's food inside - perhaps a 'fast food shack' from the past.  Below that are the tiny food pictures found online.

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