Mention miniatures and the name of Caroline McFarlane-Watts is certain to figure. So realistic and detailed are the miniatures of this miniaturist, sculptor, and writer that they got her a break in the art department of Harry Potter at Leavesden Studios to help create a miniature scale model of Hogsmeade village.
Currently based in Los Angeles, US, Caroline established her very own company, Tall Tales Productions. The company provides scale miniatures, miniature sets, and character maquettes for her clients associated with entertainment, music, and publishing.
When Caroline started creating her scale miniatures, little did she think that they’ll take the art world by storm? Today, her miniatures are so popular and sought after that she not only delivers them across the country but also to over 45 countries worldwide. She continues to be the creative force behind her company.
Caroline grew up in a small remote village in Oxfordshire in the UK. Her family lived in a 500-year-old Tudor house that was right in the countryside. She lived with five siblings and shared this setting with several farm animals and birds.
Probably it was this set and her encouraging parents that ignited her imagination about the myriad characters that she creates as miniatures. Her parents, for one, never leashed her imagination. In fact, they encouraged and ignited it. A case in point is building a secret dollhouse behind a tiny Alice in Wonderland door for her, as also once fitting a tiny door and window into an old tree stump and making her believe that it was home to a water rat!
Caroline creates a range of miniatures with her own hands in a range of scales:
- Realistic miniatures: Caroline’s realistic miniatures can be so realistic as to make people think that they’re life-size. Her reputation for creating realistic miniatures, especially food, grew over a decade that later provided her with a chance to showcase her work in Asia, Europe, and the US.
- Creative miniatures: Caroline’s creative miniatures are usually based on a fairy tale theme. Such is their popularity that they continue to figure in various magazines and books in several languages all across the world. Private collectors across the globe also buy them for their collection.
- Miniature models/sets: Caroline gets commissioned regularly by the entertainment industry for her miniature models/sets. This is because these are amazingly detailed and precise.
- Character maquettes: Caroline’s range of character maquettes is incredible indeed. Using clay and armature wire, she creates fairy tale characters, animals, Grimm Brothers characters, and many more.
- Mini food: Perhaps the most popular item on Caroline’s…er…menu is realistic miniature food. Her mini food recipe videos have gone viral on the internet.
Creating miniatures is not Caroline’s only passion, she is equally enthusiastic about masquerade fantasy balls, costumes, Halloween parties, Art Deco architecture, and much more. So, if you want a piece of Caroline’s creativity, go to her website and buy online whatever catches your fancy.
Tall Tales Productions