Interview with Sadie Brown

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 25^th 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 1/24^th 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.