The Conservatory

 The Conservatory: a very special greenhouse.

© 2023  José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Just Little Jane Again...

 

 

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane

As cute as she may seem, this little one is quite well acquainted with darkness. She blends with the shadows and becomes one with the night; all that remains is a sigh, a whisper, and the faint pulse of a beating heart.

 

© 2023 José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Mummy, I'm Here, I Can See You..!

Hi everyone, I hope you're doing well!

As stated in my previous blog, I'm currently experimenting a bit with audiovisuals to explore the possibilities of my artwork.

This short clip is the second in a series centering around the 'ghosts & apparitions' theme that I love so much.

 

I hope you liked this blog. If so, leave a comment, and see you next time. Thank you!!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Boy in Window.

Hi everyone, I hope you're doing well!

I'm currently experimenting a bit with audiovisuals to explore the possibilities of my artwork.

This short clip is the first in a series that I have in mind, centering around the 'ghosts & apparitions' theme that I love so much.

 

I hope you liked this blog. If so, leave a comment, and see you next time. Thank you!!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

 

Happy Halloween!

Hi everyone! 

To all those folks who will be celebrating Halloween today, have a good one! 

Take care and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Tales from the Attic: "Double barrel" Maggie.

Hi everyone, I hope you're doing well!

 

The frail Old Lady, with her uncertain gait, wasn't any of that when it came to aiming her trusty 'double barrel' at the sinister creatures from the swamp, should they come at night, as they usually did, and dare to trespass...

In her world, nothing was more vital for survival than a generous supply of ammo to feed her rifle. The monstrous head of the devilish boar that she kept in the attic as a trophy, was a silent testimony to her courage, her shooting skills, as well as to the need to stay vigilant at all times... Especially so when the sun went down, and darkness and mist engulfed the heather fields around the house. Because that was the time when the swamp creatures usually began searching for food...

 

That's all for now, folks. Thanks for visiting, keep safe, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

 

Ghosts That Dwell In Dolls Houses: Jane.

They say that every old house has a resident ghost, and to be honest, I think the same goes for old dolls houses. And considering that I have quite a few very old dolls houses, well.. you can figure that they must host a whole plethora of spirits! 

Meet Jane, aka "Jane of the Attic", or "The Doll That Lives Upstairs". I've introduced Jane to you before, as part of the "Attic" series. Jane is actually a doll that houses a ghost; the ghost of an old lady.

Not ready to exchange this world for the next, the old lady passed away, but not quite, as she decided to cling to her favorite and beloved doll "Jane".  Ever since, the old lady appears regularly in the house where she spent her earthly life, manifesting herself sometimes as "Jane", sometimes as her own self, making this a quite complex and confusing apparition.   

 

That's all for now, folks. Thanks for visiting, keep safe, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

At Night.

The abandoned train station was a place of refuge for a plethora of wildlife, including pigeons, rats,  bats, all sorts of insects, and an owl or two.  

During daytime, the air between its derelict walls was filled with sun rays shining through the holes in the roof and broken windows, as well as the pigeon's familiar cooing, and the flutter of their wings. At night, however, the nocturnal creatures took central stage; stealthily, as it is their custom to operate in silence, under the cover of darkness.

This pattern repeated itself for years and years, and throughout the seasons. Until that chilly night in April, when a new and uninvited 'guest' arrived at the scene, to claim it as its own.

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Thanks for visiting, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

The Conservatory: a place where shadows and memories dwell.

Hi all, I hope you're doing well!

A couple of weeks ago I started working on a new project: the building of an elegant conservatory, which came as a kit by The Dolls House Emporium.

Those familiar with my style will understand that the conservatory will not be a cute and tidy little place to be, but rather a derelict building, where shadows and memories dwell...

Its construction is going pretty well, and in the meantime I'm also working on stuff to put inside when it's done. On the above photo you can see some of the things I finished already. I think they turned out pretty well. This conservatory will totally kick butt when it's done. It's a promise.

That's all for now!  Thanks for visiting, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane of the Attic: The Lament of the Nightingale.

From her attic window, Jane looked over the garden, which was bathing in the pale light of the moon. Hearing the lament of a nightingale, an old, forgotten poem came to her mind. Below is an extract of that poem, titled: "In the Garden the Nightingale laments", by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819-1892). Scroll down for the English translation.

Im Garten klagt die Nachtigall
Und hängt das feine Köpfchen nieder:
Was hilft's, daß ich so schöne Lieder
Und wundersüße Töne habe –
Solange ich mein grau Gefieder
Und nicht der Rose Schöne habe!

Im Blumenbeet die Rose klagt:
Wie soll das Leben mir gefallen?
Was hilft's, daß vor den Blumen allen
Ich Anmut, Duft und Schöne habe –
Solang' ich nicht der Nachtigallen
Gesang und süße Töne habe!

In the garden the nightingale laments
And lets her fine little head hang down:
What's the use of having such beautiful songs
And wonderful sounds-
As long as I have my gray plumage
And not the rose's Beauty!

In the flower bed the rose complains:
How should life please me?
What's the use that from all the flowers,
I have grace, fragrance and beauty-
As long as I don't have the nightingale's

singing and sweet tones!

 

I guess there is a moral to this poem, but I'll leave it up to you to figure out...

That's all for now, folks! As always, thanks for visiting, and please check out this blog from time to time for news and updates. Have a great one!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane of the Attic: stories should be told...

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

The Wealden house's little secret....

I just knew there was something odd about the old Wealden house! And I was right, for it came with a little secret..! I was studying one of the vacant rooms, when I heard something moving in the room next to it. It sounded like an object rolling and squeaking, accompanied by what sounded like a faint children's laughter. And although the sound of a child's cheerful mirth invariably puts a smile on my face, this one actually made the blood in my veins run cold.

And, suddenly, the spectre of an infant riding an old, wooden go-cart came out of the darkness, and through the open door! His arms up in the air and his eyes, well, I don't think I'll easily forget those! And as it drove towards me, grinning, it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared...

I just knew there was something strange about the Wealden house, and now that 'something' had manifested itself to me.

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic update LV: an old pair of boxed leather gloves.

Hi all, I hope you're well! 

The other day I came across a miniature that I thought would be perfect for Jane's attic. And although the attic project is done, if I see something that fits, I'll just add it to it. So in a way it's an ongoing thing of sorts.

The item I saw was a pair of gloves in a box, and my mind immediately created a mental picture of them in the attic, as a memento of the old lady that once lived there.

But the gloves didn't look as you see them in the above image, in fact they were brand new. So...., you will understand that I had to take care of them..!

This image and the below one show the gloves in their original state. Much too clean for my taste!

And below is a close up of the gloves after my 'treatment', sitting on my hand to give you an idea of their size.

Although I was done with the gloves, I got the uncomfortable feeling that something was still missing, that something extra needed to be added. Somehow the box looked too 'bare' to me, so I decided to add a piece of very thin paper, much like you will normally find in boxes containing shoes, ties, and shirts. The paper was weathered to match with the box and gloves. Below you can see the end result...

Now the box was truly done, and ready to be added to Jane's attic. The below pictures show the box sitting on top of a pile of old, hat boxes there.

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Thanks for visiting, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic update LIV: A little go-cart.

Hi all! Here's another addition to Jane's attic: a 1:12 scale go-cart which I got as a kit.
Even though I followed the basic building instructions faithfully, I decided to apply some changes of my own, in order to make it look more according to my taste.

One of the main differences with the original kit was replacing the paper artwork which came with it with the image of a vintage red car painted on the side panels, and a number 3 on the back panel, just to give it that extra 'racing' look. 

The weathering was also done 'my' way, with the purpose of giving the cart some history of its own. After all, this little go-cart saw a lot of action in its heyday, and its 'battle scars' (the wear and tear) should be evident at first glance!

The measurements of the cart are approx. 7x4x2 cm, or 2,75x1,57x0.78 inches.

Below image: some basic padding was also added to the seat of the cart, just to make the kids feel a little bit more comfortable during the ride. It's not fixed, so it can be removed if need be.

I hope you enjoyed this pictorial 'walk-around'! I think the little cart looks the part, so I'm pretty happy with it!

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Thanks for visiting, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic update No LIII: a very special doll.

Last week I was at a miniatures fair in the city of Arnhem, The Netherlands, organized by DollsHouse Nederland in a truly exceptional venue: a gothic church in the city center! Below are some pictures of the scene.

The whole fair was an incredible gathering of magnificent artists showing skills that made one feel very humble indeed! The level of expertise was stunning, and the items displayed jaw-dropping. 

One of these artists was Mrs Victoria Heredia Guerbós, a miniaturist and sculptress from Málaga, Spain. I would actually add 'magician' to her titles, because the miniature dolls she makes look as if made by magic! I bought one of these tiny little wonders for Jane's attic. Below are some pictures of it for you to enjoy.

The doll is made in exquisite detail, everything about it is just right! She has five fingers on each hand, her legs can move, and she even has tiny beads for eyes, which were painted green. The doll's clothes are made of antique fabric for that extra authentic look. And to put things into perspective, you should know that she's just 2,5 cm tall!!! That's 0,98 inches!!! As I said: magic!

The doll even came with her own cardboard box. She didn't have a name, but I will call her 'Victoria' to honor the wonderful lady that created her.

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Thanks for visiting, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Jane's attic update No LI: an antique wall crank telephone.

Now that the attic is as good as finished, I find great pleasure in adding extra's to it, be it a box, a book, or a portrait. Even when some of these items are quite small and 'humble', each of them enhances the attic's overall appearance.

Going through my miniatures stash, I came across a nice, antique wall crank telephone which I thought would look great in the attic, even though it was in desperate need of some old-fashioned 'weathering'. After completion, it came to look like this:

But that's not how it initially looked like! The below image shows the same phone before the make-over.

As you can see, it looked way too pristine for the attic! So... I decided to get my hands on it, and make it look more like the early 1900's telephone it was supposed to represent!

For starters, I needed to get rid of that awful plastic cord, which resembled a garden hose, rather than a phone cord. Above is the 'hose' next to its replacement, a more realistic cord.

The ear piece needed some attention too. Some research work helped me figure out how a real ear piece would look like, so I tried to do something similar with this one. The result can be seen in the below images.

Then some work was done to the mouth piece as well. I didn't drill any holes in it because the piece is so small that I feared of destroying it completely, even using the smallest of drills. I did, however, weather the metal part, to make it look like corroded brass.

Finally, I gave the crank some attention. In the old days, many rural areas required the use of a magneto crank and internal battery to generate the current needed to use the phone, until the introduction of electricity made these unnecessary. Yet this type of telephone remained in use for many decades.

I must say I'm very pleased with the final result, so the old crank telephone is now ready to be attached to the wall!

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Thanks for visiting, and see you next time!

© José Pereira Torrejón. All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.