Holy Guacamole!

Remember when I said I'd post a witch a week? Want to know how long I managed to stick to that?! 4 weeks. (It's because things - mostly commissions -  come up!) So... no witch today, but here's a project that took me away from Good Witches Bad Witches for most of May... I had to create an array of miniature Mexican food. It's verrrrry detailed and verrry tiny. All is in 1:12 (one inch) scale and made by me, using mostly polymer clay, paint and pastels.

In other news... being a tremendous nerd, I went to the Renaissance Faire here in LA and had a blast. Weird Al Yankovic's 'White and Nerdy' could have been written about me.
My talented friend from Dreamworks (Nicolas Marlet) did a drawing of me in my mediaeval garb at the faire, so I just had to share it here.

I've spent the past week creating a new witch and tomorrow I will show it here on this blog, and the Facebook page and Instagram... don't forget to click back and let me know what you think!

Photos from the Renaissance Faire 2015, Los Angeles!

Leeks, sheeps and Stovepipe hats

So this ought to be my final witch of the British Isles, as part of 'Good Witches Bad Witches', since I have made an English witch, an Irish witch, a Scottish witch and now, a Welsh witch. ....However, I am not at all satisfied with the Irish witch so I will sell her and remake her with a very different design. So stay tuned for that!

Now then. When I think of Wales I think of a seriously beautiful language I can't pronounce (Cymraeg), daffodils, leeks, stovepipe hats, wool and sheep. I've told you I don't want any of my witches to be boring stereotypes, plus I want them contemporary albeit a bit stuck in the past, but this Welsh witch has actually ended up riding a sheep, whilst knitting from said sheep, wearing a Welsh stovepipe hat and yep, there's a leek in there too.

Just as with my other witches, you can see the design and making process in the photos below. Email me if you have any questions or are interested in following the project! Don't forget you can follow it all by Facebook or Instagram too.

As a side note, thank you to everyone who offered me feedback about me putting my ram's horns on upside down. I corrected the error! And for those who didn't see it, you can see the incorrect ram's head on the Faecbook and Instagram pages. :)

Next week there will not be a new witch as I have to work on something else, but I'll share it here on this blog and I think you'll enjoy it! Then when I get back to it I will remake the Irish witch and proceed making witches from around the world for 'Good Witches Bad Witches'.

Flame-haired Enchantress

Today I finished my new witch of the British Isles - my Scottish witch. You may have noticed I haven't posted on this blog for a couple of weeks, and this was because I took a family holiday for a fortnight in Lincoln, England. It was ripping. I did post on my Instagram a few times, so you can always find me there as well as the Facebook page. (I'm sure it must be hell for some of you to go a week without hearing from me).

But back to witches...
I (sort of) modeled this new witch on myself. I'm (sort of) Scottish and have typical Scottish colouring. I gave this witch pale translucent skin and ruddy cheeks (my face looks like that after a brisk walk), freckles, blue eyes and a mass of bright orange hair big enough to hide a badger in. For anyone who has seen me blow-dry my hair without mousse, they'll tell you it looks exactly like this.
I also attempted MacFarlane tartan on her skirt since my great-great-grandfather was a McFarlane. By the way, and since we're on the topic, I have a double-barreled surname but this does not mean I am married to someone named Watts. Everyone in America draws that conclusion as soon as they learn my name and I endeavour to clarify that the name on my birth certificate is Caroline McFarlane-Watts. ;)

I opted to make her a chunky girl because I wanted her to be a mountainous creature, like the mountains of Scotland. Don't worry - there'll be just as many skinny witches, so I am not type-casting my 'bad witches' as large. When I start creating the 'good witches' there will be many large girls there too.

Below you can see my usual process... a sketch, then a head, then a body, details added in stages... and I hope you catch the dead endangered birds joke...

Stay tuned for the next witch... the final British witch will of course be a Welsh witch.

PS I didn't base my Scottish witch on Nicola Sturgeon. Missed opportunity?!

Right up your alley

As I mentioned in my last post, there will not be a new witch tomorrow, as I am off to Blighty and have been busy getting my orders, commissions and other affairs in order before I take a fortnight off.

So this post is to fill you in on a few things I've been doing today. I am designing the English street miniature set for the English witch (seen here). Below is my rough sketch and then an even rougher paper cut-out. I like to very quickly rough out a set in paper (with no precise measurements, or even the use of a ruler) so that I can get a feel for how it will look and then adapt it as necessary. When I get back to LA I will start constructing the set in 1:12 scale using wood and other mixed medium.

In case you've missed any recent Myrtle the Witch updates, please take a look at the last three witches created this month.

Also, did you know I recently created an Instagram account? I am having so much fun with it. If you like to get Instagram updates then please find me here!

See you soon...

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PPS 如果你使用微博，请找我来了！

Refusing to be English

It's Tuesday, and so I have another witch for you. This one is Irish. As I sat down to shoot off this post before dashing out, a Winston Churchill quote sprang to mind.

"We have always found the Irish a bit odd. They refuse to be English."

Actually I love the Irish. I feel I ought to say this (and I do mean it) since the hideousness of my witch will doubtless inspire offence in some. Sorry - all my witches are going to look rather horrid. That's the point. You can see my English witch here.

I created her in the same scale (one inch), and same medium (clay over wire). I went for what I consider the typical Irish colouring - pale skin, green eyes and black hair. I believe the term used outside Ireland is 'black Irish.' (Reference) I did her dress in Irish tartan, but aside from that I tried not to make her too much of a cliché.

I'd love to create another witch as part of my witch project and for Myrtle the Witch for next Tuesday, but I am popping back to Blighty in a few days and will be gone a fortnight, so it will just have to wait. See you soon, and enjoy looking at the work in progress photos below...!

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NOTE - I have since re-conceived the Irish witch since this post was written. Please see new Irish witch here.
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Don't lose your Head!

I know, a 'Witch a Week' is what I'd promised... and here we are 1 day overdue. No new witch. That's because last week I got a big commission which I couldn't turn down... and then I also went to Yosemite for the weekend.
Above is a photo of last week's witch in the making.

Below are the two witches to date, and don't worry... today I have started on the next witch - the latest character for the film 'Myrtle the Witch'.

Also, I just created an Instagram account, so you can find me there as well as staying in touch via the usual places... (follow this blog, find me on Twitter, and like the Facebook page)! Thanks for your interest! :)

Under my Umbrella

On this day - the day of Tiw, last week, I posted a witch (here). Seven days later and I have another one for you, which I just completed today. She is an English witch.

For my 'Witches' project (building the world for 'Good Witches Bad Witches') I am creating witches from around the world. Being English I have started with a good old English witch. I decided to dust off an old stereotype and put her under an umbrella. Whenever I meet Americans, after clarifying that I am English and not Australian, the second question is invariably "it rains everyday in London, right?!" Gosh, that does irritate, yet I can no longer be bothered to point out that London is among the driest of Europe's capitals, and has considerably less rainfall per annum than Paris, Rome, Sydney or New York. Sources (as well as personal experience) tell me that England has half the rainfall of New Zealand as well. But still, I wanted a funny scene, so I created an English witch dressed for wet weather and holding an umbrella! Soon I will create the setting for her, but until then just take a look at the witch character herself and tell me what you think.

This English witch is equipped with English staples - a duffel coat, gumboots, bulldog and my take on a Fox's umbrella.

She is 1:12 scale and modelled in clay over armature wire. You can see the process in the photos below.

Don't miss last week's witch, and stay tuned (like the FB page) so you don't miss the next witch...!

The Boxtrolls, miniature model maker, miniaturist, stop-motion miniature artist

A Peek Under the Petticoat

That may have got your attention, but I should have said, it's a witch's petticoat, so you may decide to click back over to Facebook or wherever you came from. For those that are still interested, you can scroll down to the next image...

This week I finished the witch character mentioned in my last post, and also blogged about ages ago here. As you can see from this particular post about her, her design changed quite a bit. I wasn't happy with her look when I revisited it, and decided she needed to be fatter, with wider hips and I also had the idea of making her pastry chef hat less traditional, and more like a bone. She's a witch after all. I added layers of petticoats (with my signature brown & white, and blue & white stripes), and a range of interesting objects, including a rat, in her apron pocket. I also changed the bob haircut to be two buns, because she's a pastry chef and the buns resemble pastries.

This pastry chef witch is part of the world of witches I am creating for 'Myrtle the Witch'. There will be a book and a short film, but an exhibition may come first. My 'fans' will know that I have already been selling Myrtle the Witch merchandise for the past 2 years and that more items continue to be made available for collectors all the time.
She is made from clay over armature wire, and unusually, she's in 1:12 scale. Finished with paints and mixed media. Enjoy some photos of her in progress below, and the newer sketch which reflects the changes I made to her design. Laika The Boxtrolls ParaNorman Laika miniatures