‘Wonderful World Of Miniatures’

On Display At Library

By Nancy K. Crevier

Martha Bishop has been having a teeny-tiny bit of fun since she retired from her position as the library media specialist at Bethel Middle School in 2005. Since then, she has indulged her love of miniatures, creating a variety of dioramas from found and purchased objects that visitors to C.H. Booth Library can enjoy now through February 20. “The Wonderful World of Miniatures” is on display in the glass case located just outside of the children’s department.

Ms Bishop, who also directs the library’s Young Adult Mask and Wig Players, has been dreaming up miniature house scenes for over 50 years. Her first one was built within the cubbyholes of a desk her mother put into her room.

“I made some furniture from wooden blocks and wood scraps from my grandfather’s workshop, and painted them to look like furniture,” recalled Ms Bishop. Her first miniature characters were crafted from paper and clothespins, and while rustic, they jump-started her hobby of making something from nothing.

While the hobby of a miniaturist can become expensive if all of the house furnishings and accessories are store-bought, Ms Bishop prefers to look at ordinary things in an extraordinary manner, turning found and recycled items into doll-sized wall hangings, furniture, and landscapes. Even the items that she does purchase are frequently redesigned and customized to suit her needs. And just in case she needs to measure some tiny treasure she has come upon, she carries a 6-inch ruler with her wherever she goes.

Viewers of “The Wonderful World of Miniatures” will want to carefully examine Ms Bishop’s works. At first glance, one scene appears to be just a stepladder and various painting appliances. But the paint tray carefully balanced on the ladder’s shelf began life as an Altoid’s Strips container. “I saw these little containers when we were in New York, and the first thing I thought was that they were shaped just like tiny little roller paint pans,” said Ms Bishop. Then, she needed a roller, so she created one from a pipe cleaner and beads.

“The Stable” scene holds various toy animals from her gigs as a story teller, but the stable itself is made from an old tangerine crate that Ms Bishop recognized immediately as “a great stable.” Twigs and sphagnum moss make an authentic thatched stable roof, and old loop earrings are hoops to hold harness straps made from leather shoestrings.

Many times, Ms Bishop collects items or is given an item for which she has no definite plans. That was the case of the old vinegar barrel she received years ago from her mother — and that has become “The Bear-el,” a small home for bears. A plastic witch’s cauldron for trick-or-treaters or seasonal plantings is, of course, a witch’s den, complete with a graveyard basement and a crystal ball made from a clear marble.

Under Ms Bishop’s scrutiny, ribbons and bits of material become window frames and curtains, vegetable netting could be reincarnated as a miniature hammock, toothpicks are railings, and plastic pizza protectors are turned upside down, reinforced with a thin piece of wood and become lovely little tables.

In the “Hansel and Gretel” cottage, Ms Bishop has utilized hair accessories to cleverly landscape the witch’s yard. Small hair clips are fastened to the lawn like Venus fly-trap plants, and hair combs line the edge of the property, perfect as fences. For mischievous children (like Hansel and Gretel) who need to take a rest, other hair clips make ideal benches propped up against the wall of the cottage. Look a little bit closer, and notice that Hansel is captured inside of a cage — made from a hair roller. Inside, the witch waits beside an oven crafted from a small tin can.

Each of the miniatures takes Ms Bishop anywhere from a few days to several weeks to complete, once she gets going.

“It’s a fun hobby, and relaxing. I can watch TV while I work on my miniatures,” said Ms Bishop.

Other miniaturists in the area who are interested in sharing ideas can contact Ms Bishop through the C.H. Booth young adult librarian Margaret Brown, at chbya@biblio.org.