About Jennifer
As an orchid hobbyist, I have been learning the art of growing orchids for the past seven years. The rare beauty and grace of each flower is art in itself. Yet, as everyone with the same passion discovers, it is ephemeral. I sought a more lasting form. The art of making miniature orchid replicas began four years ago, when I discovered within myself the ability to see the orchid's parts as clearly as some see the entire bloom, and the talent to recreate them.
With a great deal of experimentation as to paper type, coloring method and assembly, I learned how to make tiny exact copies of the orchids I was growing. As is always true, my first attempts were crude, but the technique was refined with practice. The components of the orchid are cut from a Japanese crepe paper (giving additional texture), with each petal, each lip, hand-painted and shaped. Slipper orchid pouches are made from clay and baked. Painting the subtle variations of color and markings on each orchid is done with a combination of watercolor pens and acrylic paints, using tools ranging from fine brushes to cat's whiskers. I then assemble each blossom with glue, attach the flowers to a wire stem, sculpt the pseudobulbs from clay, and cut and paint the leaves. Finally the entire plant is assembled in a small pot or basket and placed in a miniature garden or room setting.
Most of the materials I use are from dollhouse stores, and the scale is 1:12 (1 inch equals 1 foot). The setting is created first since I never know which orchids will show best until it is complete, and can vary from a formal parlor to a greenhouse to an outdoor garden scene. I have created award-winning orchid replicas for growers set in their own greenhouse or home.
I have become through this pursuit of art, not merely an artist, but also a mason, woodcrafter, sculptor, electrician - in fact, many things. I have set brick and stone pathways which ramble among moss-covered lawns. I have built tiny wooden baskets for vandas. I have built and finished tables and chairs, electrified rooms, and put down oak and marble floorings. I have also created tropical plants, ferns and houseplants to complement the orchids. When each setting is finished, the details are as exacting for the bottle of Mouton Cadet bottle of wine on the table as for the red leather bound copy of Faust on the chair.
The part of my art that especially pleases me, is when a person stops, looks at what I have made, and says "Are they real?" Then I know I have created something wonderful.
Jennifer
