Introduction: A Return to a New Adventure

Hello. My name is Brad. I guess you could say that I have been fascinated with the world of miniatures for quite some time. I remember finding a National Geographic magazine we had laying around our house back when I was in grade school. I remember opening up the magazine and there it was--an article featuring Queen Mary's dollhouse. I thought the work of the artisans who created the dollhouse was nothing short of amazing. To this day I am still astonished at the beautiful detail and impeccable authenticity they were able to achieve. And to think that was back in the 1920s! Wow. It's truly a magnificent work of art.
 

The library in Queen Mary's dollhouse--one of my favorite rooms.
 The detail is absolutely exquisite.

After reading that article and pouring over the pictures a few hundred times or so, I finally convinced my dad to help me build my first dollhouse. Of course I made my request under the pretense that it was "really for my two sisters." I think my dad probably wondered just a little bit about his son who wanted to start designing and building a dollhouse. It was the late 1970s after all, and we lived in a tiny Midwest town where boys were supposed to be playing football and going to Cub Scout meetings. Zoinks. Don't get me started on that story. But bless my dad's heart, he built that dollhouse anyway and I think my mom even helped me decorate it. Now that I look back, I owe a lot to my dad and mom. They supported me so much in those years and always encouraged me to be true to who I was--no matter how different it may have seemed. Noticing that I enjoyed miniatures, my dad and I went on to build a big model train layout. It was a wonderful way to spend time with my dad.  Plus, I think he probably enjoyed the trains a bit more than the dollhouse stuff.

Since then I have done a number of scaled scenic models for theatrical productions that I have directed or designed. I work in the performing arts field, and having some skill and interest for design does come in handy every now and then. But now I am at a point in my life where I feel the need to create for simply creation sake. Pretty much all of the creative work I do now in my adult years, whether it be singing, directing, or teaching, is done within the boundaries of my professional career. Now don't get me wrong. I absolutely adore all the work I do and I thank God everyday that I am blessed with the ability to work in the art forms that I love. But once in a while, it nice to make a beautiful piece of art without parameters or expectations set by others.

Thus, I have come back to my love of all things tiny (insert trumpet fanfare here--Dun ta da da!). I'm not at all sure if what I have to offer will be of interest or much value to anyone; but I thought I would share my stories and miniature projects with whoever is willing to take a look. I have been reading some wonderful and inspiring blogs on the art of miniatures. They are absolutely stupendous. They have completely inspired me to give blogging a try and to create some of my own miniature projects. So, here I go. I hope you'll read and come along with me on this new adventure. Who knows? It might be kind of fun.