Caroline McFarlane-Watts: January 2012

Just finished making the first draft of Myrtle's snail - the pest turned pet who currently has no firm name (still settling on one)...

Here he is with collar and leash, and made in one inch (1:12) scale (this means he is 12 times smaller than real life) which makes him the size of a puppy. Made using polymer clay and finished with paint / mixed media. Later I'll recreate a 3D version in Maya.

Don't forget, he's just a first draft - stay tuned for final versions or get involved and leave me suggestions in the comment section!
Before you ask, yes I think I must have been (at least on a subconscious level) inspired by the racing snail from the 80s movie 'The Neverending Story'. ;)

Alongside morning cuppa - to show scale.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone had a fantastic time last night. My night was probably my second favourite New Year's Eve ever (coming after New Orleans at the Ritz-Carlton in 2009)!

Mulled wine now washed out of my hair, I'm updating this blog to reflect on what I accomplished last year in 2011. Below are snapshots of the past year. Summing up, I wrote a short film entitled 'Myrtle the Witch' that I will aim to work on in 2012. It will be shot on miniature sets using miniature hand-sculpted characters and I really can't wait to get started. I also had my work featured in 2 magazines, started working as a freelance miniaturist and building a business in which I now sell in over 30 countries worldwide. I graduated from UCLA with my Certificate in Entertainment (Screenwriting), did both freelance script revision and freelance concept artwork for producers in LA, travelled around California (including Yosemite twice), had a balloon ride over Temecula, packed up my workshop and moved from the US (where I have lived 2.5 years) and moved back to Blighty at the end of last year!

Snapshot images of 2011 below.