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If You Could See Me Now

“One of the main reasons why poisoning became such a common means of murder in the Victorian era was, quite simply, ease of access…”

From Arsenic, Cyanide and Strychnine – The Golden Age of Victorian Poisoners, British Library

 

Wetplate by Julie Loen

The Tale of Two Bad Mice

My favorite book as a child was The Tale of Two Bad Mice by Beatrix Potter. I was very fascinated by the delicious food those mice found in the dollhouse, and how angry they got when they realized they couldn’t eat it…

If You Could See Me Now was completed in 2018, and is an homage to Potter, and to the story of two bad mice.

The stove

The stove was the first thing I made for the kitchen. It’s sculpted from Supersculpey, then painted and stained.

Making the cook

The fabric I chose for the apron, was very old and delicate. It is from a child’s garment, with a tag sewn inside.

The cupboard and dishes

I built the cupboard from old pieces of wood.

I wanted to fill it up with a nice set of dishes.  I sculpted them, then did the painting, and finished with a few coats of varnish.

Wetplate by Julie Loen

Building the Pantry

Using an old cigar-box , cardboard, coffee-sticks, I created a pantry that would look about the same as I remember my great-grandmothers pantry,  where she would take me for cookies and candy.

 

 Filling up the pantry

Sculpting and painting all sorts of jars, bowls and trays.

Wetplates by Julie Loen

 Details

I made a lot of things for this diorama. I made them in clay, or in combination with bits and pieces.  An old lightbulb becomes a lantern. Buttons can be used for lids.

My workingtable

The coffee-grinder

A piece of broken jewellery, a metal button, old pieces of wood painted and stained, a little sculpting.

The sketches