After being interviewed by Sadie Brown for DHMDM, I have continued to connect and network with Sadie. I asked her a few questions about her practice as a miniaturist and a writer for publications:
What was your first job?
I used to 'help out' in my family’s photographic shop in Bridlington
when I was little, so I guess you could say that was my first job, but really
there was never any other job I was going to end up doing than the one I’m
doing now. Being self employed runs in the family, everyone had their own
business, so it’s in my DNA!
When did you begin making
miniatures?
Over twenty-five years ago. I was always utterly fascinated by
dollshouses as a child. My first house was a Lundby, a fact which,
interestingly, had completely passed me by until recently. The first miniatures
I made were a cupcake and a snowman, the former created using polymer clay and
the latter using air dry clay – I still have both.
How did you get into working with DHMSM
Lucie Dawson, the editor at the time (she’s now a publisher for
the company behind DHMS magazine), ran a summer competition to giveaway a
miniature cheeseboard I’d made. She commissioned my first project series,
creating miniature sweets, on the strength of that giveaway, and the rest is
history!
What is a typical working day like
for you?
Busy – during recent months I’ve worked on features and projects
for around ten different publications. Most days are long, writing and
miniatures are what I do for fun as well as work, so it’s sometimes difficult
to draw the line and go off to do something else! Every single day is
different, depending on what I’m working on, whether it’s a commission, a
project for a magazine, or an interview/feature.
Away from the world of miniatures, I was recently sat at my desk
writing a feature for Dalesman magazine to mark the 25th anniversary
of the Scarborough landslip which claimed Holbeck Hall Hotel, when I looked up
to see the newly renovated roof on the wee croft house below fall in!
Fortunately, no one was in, but it was a rather bizarre experience considering I
was sat there writing about a building which collapsed!
One advantage of being self-employed and a freelance writer is
that you can choose your hours, but I must admit that I especially enjoy
sitting at my desk in the wee small hours of the morning. This is often when I
most enjoy writing and creating, there’s something magical about it.
What is your favourite part of your
job?
Talking to people....and writing. Writing is something I’ve loved,
probably more than anything else, my entire life. I must have written my first
'book' thirty years ago now!! I still have all my childhood writing stored away
in drawers. In fact, I wrote a book set on a Scottish island (based on where I
now live on the Isle of Skye), when I was about 12.....it was several hundred
pages long even at such a young age!
Do you still have time to make your
own work?
A lot of the projects I create for magazines are miniatures which have
inspired me personally. For example, I’m just about to start work on a tiny
replica of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's beautiful wedding cake for the
September issue of DHMS. Outside magazine work and commissions, I’ve just started
renovating a dollshouse which was hand built for me by my beloved late uncle
the year before he died, when I was just ten years old.
What is your favourite piece of
work you've made?
A 1/24th scale dragon, made for my series of fantasy
themed projects for Dolls House & Miniature Scene last year. I adore just
looking at her, but I also love that she’s inspired readers who’ve made the
design their own, using different scales and colours etc.
I also have a huge interest in genealogy, hence my feature for Family
Tree magazine about dollshouses inspired by family history earlier this year,
so I have to say that a tiny vintage photo frame project I put together for the
current issue of American Miniaturist magazine is also very special. It uses
miniature versions of old family photographs, which include my great
grandfather, Walter Percy, who was a talented violinist
and vocalist, who once worked with Lillie Langtry in a Yorkshire theatre.
You've interviewed some interesting
artists for magazine features - who would be your dream interviewee?
Oh, that’s a very good question, as I’ve interviewed some of the
very best miniature artisans, including yourself!
Kaye Browning was always a dream interviewee for me, and I’m lucky
enough to say I interviewed her about her world-renowned miniatures collection
in Kentucky, USA for DHMS. The feature opened doors too, as I’ve since
interviewed Kaye for two other magazines and am writing a future UK exclusive
about Savage Manor, her stunning new commission by Mulvany and Rogers.
It wasn’t an interview, but, undoubtedly, one of my favourite
experiences has been working with the Press Office at Royal Collection Trust for
a feature about Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. It was an incredibly exciting
article to write.
Every interviewee is equally special. As a miniaturist, I can
honestly say that everyone teaches you something new! I love discovering
everyone’s story and being able to bring that to life in print.
Any advice for a maker stepping
into the industry?
If you want to be a writer then the best advice is to
keep going no matter what! The same goes for being a miniaturist, perseverance
is the key. I’m always fascinated by artisans who post comparison shots of
their work from, say, ten years ago, alongside one from the present day. The
difference is amazing.
Both industries offer some wonderful opportunities, and
I could never have dreamed I’d be able to combine my love of miniatures with my
love of writing. You really do never know what’s around the corner.
