February 10, 2022
February 10, 2022
Over the past year, I've uncovered many treasures in my parents' home, including sketches and paintings of my mother's I hadn't seen before. Meanwhile, I've been able to give away some of the materials my mother used to make miniature furniture. Here's part of a newsletter I wrote for a class I gave on Mindfulness and Creativity:
"For my mother, furniture was a starting point. At first, she wanted to know how her ancestors had lived. What kinds of tables and chairs formed an essential part of their daily life? From there, she began to explore the world of furniture in many cultures, making scale models of over 100 pieces. She kept meticulous notes and drawings, documenting her sources and describing each step of her process.
One piece is called a Favela chair and stands about four inches high. It was inspired by the work of Brazilian designer Humberto Campana, who grew up in Brotas, a small town northwest of São Paulo.
When deciding what to do with all my mother's materials and tools for making miniatures, I thought of a friend's daughter. I knew that Maia had an interest in miniatures. I had no idea it would become a passion!
At the end of last summer, I brought Maia two large boxes, filled with tools for measuring, carving, and shaping, as well as containers full of tiny hinges and handles. Since then, Maia has been steadily creating. She and her dad (an architect) have designed a doll-house which Maia adds to on a regular basis. As birthday gifts for friends, she makes them a themed room.
Giving Maia my mother's tools and materials feels like the perfect way to honour her memory. I know she would have been thrilled to see Maia's creations."
"For my mother, furniture was a starting point. At first, she wanted to know how her ancestors had lived. What kinds of tables and chairs formed an essential part of their daily life? From there, she began to explore the world of furniture in many cultures, making scale models of over 100 pieces. She kept meticulous notes and drawings, documenting her sources and describing each step of her process.
One piece is called a Favela chair and stands about four inches high. It was inspired by the work of Brazilian designer Humberto Campana, who grew up in Brotas, a small town northwest of São Paulo.
When deciding what to do with all my mother's materials and tools for making miniatures, I thought of a friend's daughter. I knew that Maia had an interest in miniatures. I had no idea it would become a passion!
At the end of last summer, I brought Maia two large boxes, filled with tools for measuring, carving, and shaping, as well as containers full of tiny hinges and handles. Since then, Maia has been steadily creating. She and her dad (an architect) have designed a doll-house which Maia adds to on a regular basis. As birthday gifts for friends, she makes them a themed room.
Giving Maia my mother's tools and materials feels like the perfect way to honour her memory. I know she would have been thrilled to see Maia's creations."
