The International Dolls' House Show

Why Do You Do It?

Welcome message from the Autumn 2010 Show Guide

- Muriel Hopwood

Craftsman miniaturists are often asked [in the real world] Why do you do it? Why do you sit for hours on end hunched up in a shed/garage/spare bedroom/ kitchen corner, squinting through magnification, in order to produce a tiny facsimile of something that will fit into a dwelling that is too small for anyone to inhabit? Why do you work on one item for several weeks when its selling price will bring you in less revenue than sweeping a supermarket floor? Why do you whittle the wood, produce the pots, and solder the silver for hours on end, then travel the country, in some cases the world, in order to display your wares

The question possibly says more about the “real world” enquirers than they realise. Would they ask why Michaelangelo sculpted, why Renoir painted and why Shakespeare wrote plays? Gifted craftsmen are exactly that – gifted. Where from, how, or why are points too deep to ponder here so let us appreciate exactly what we are seeing this weekend here at Miniatura.

If you are here as a collector or enthusiast, then you are one of the truly perceptive, sensitive and appreciative beings who know that owning, coveting or saving for a perfectly constructed full operational miniature will enrich your day, make your knees feel weak, and almost reduce you to tears of pleasure every time you look at it. If you are visiting as a maker who needs fine scale materials to produce your own work, then you will be only too aware of the time taken to create the finished work you see here. You will also be grateful that you can stock-up on the tools and materials available in the correct size and scale without running the gauntlet of “How small? Why? Well we could order it but it’ll cost you! “Or even “Not possible to get anything that tiny” If you have come for the first time with a friend, or because you are curious to know what all the fuss is about, then take a close look at what you see and think carefully before you ask “Why”

There is probably no single answer, but perhaps makers make because of who they are, because it’s in their genes, or because they can. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that they are special, they are unique, and what is more important today is that they are HERE. Enjoy the show, wander, view, marvel, and respect the fantastic achievements of each and every one of the exhibitors who have stretched every sinew, to show you what they have accomplished since the last event.