In 1980 I started on a course doll-making given by Cecile van Dongen. These were plain dolls made off air drying clay. But soon I switched to the creation of character dolls and fairy tale figures sized around 20 cm and larger. I have made these dolls until 1999.
In 1988 I won the first prize at the miniature-fair in Arnhem with "Het Muizenhuis" (the House of Mice, at a scale of 1 : 24) which I made together with my husband Marius. Unfortunately Marius fell ill in 1999 and deceased in june 2000. It took until 2002 before I started creating again. This time I decided to focus on the creation of miniature dolls. I already had some experience with it because once I made a theatre scene in a picture frame at a scale of 1 : 12. I made it for my friend Els after one of her poems.
People often ask met which technique I use. I must admit that I do not have one technique. The techniques that I use I learned myself and I never work according to a set pattern. The advantage is that every doll gets is own spirit and soul. The miniatures are made with a polymer-clay called "Crealtherm". This clay can easily be baked off in a normal household oven at 130 degrees Celsius.
The lady and girl dolls receive eyelashes made from real hair and their clothes are from different style period although I prefer the Victorian era.
This style is found back in the Dickens street project which I made as an assignment for the magazine "Poppenhuizen en Miniaturen".
I hope you will enjoy the work that is on display here. If you have any queries or comments please let me know and I will answer as soon as possible. You can reach me via the contact page.
Kind regards, Mieke.