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 Methamorphosis project: a sneak peek into Gregor Samsa's bedroom.

Hi all, I hope you're well!

As the "Metamorphosis" project nears completion, I'm sharing with you a sneak peek of Gregor Samsa's bedroom.

"The Metamorphosis" (original German title: "Die Verwandlung"), was written by the great, Prague-born novelist and short-story writer Franz Kafka, who's regarded as one of the most influential figures of 20th-century literature. It was first published in 1915, and this is a personal tribute to both writer and book. 

The story is centered around Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who wakes up one day to find he has transformed into a giant bug. The  project is a 1:12 scale reproduction of Samsa's bedroom, where most of the story takes place. 

Above: sneak peek into Samsa's bedroom through his bedroom window.

Below: partial view of the room as seen from the main entrance door.

Given that Kafka's novella wasn't originally published as a picture book, you will understand that this rendering is based on how I personally 'saw' it while reading the story. Which, of course, can be quite different than your image of it, if you happen to know the book. In any case, this one was definitely on my bucket list, so I'm happy to see it worked out!

More to follow soon, so please keep an eye on this blog if you're interested in the 'Kafkaesque'!

© 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.

Rust & Steel: a New (Old) Dolls House.

Hi all, I hope you're well!

Today I'm sharing with you my latest dolls house, which arrived from the UK last Friday.

It's an historical, 1:16th model of a so-called Wealden house, traditional in the south east of England.

When I saw it on eBay I immediately fell for it! Worn down, desolate, and in desperate need of TLC, what more could I wish for!

I contacted the buyer (a gifted miniaturist and dolls house builder, whose houses are constructed to stunning perfection) and the deal was quickly done. He took great care to make sure the old lady had a save journey to her new home, for which I'm thankful!

The pictures that you see here, are meant to share her forlorn and totally authentic beauty with you all. They were taken by the buyer as part of his ad on eBay, and he kindly granted me permission to post them here.

I'm totally in love with this house, to which the passage of time has given an incredibly realistic look!

The house is totally hand made, probably as far back as the 1930s. It does miss the removable panels it once had, and my intention is to try to reconstruct them, and add them to the house. This will be done with the greatest care and respect, trying to get them to match with the house as close as I possibly can. And, being removable (add-ons), it means that they will not alter the original structure of the house in any way. It will take all my skills to make weathered panels to match a weathered house of this quality, but I gladly accept the challenge!

Above and below image: check out those weathered wooden panels, the hand-painted glass windows, the plastered walls, that front door, the cracks... what a beauty!!

Below: this is what I call the 'blue room'. Honestly, I don't like this color very much, it does not go well with the rest of the house! The problem is that painting it over with a color similar to the other rooms will prove very difficult because of the limited accessibility to the room. But I'll figure something out..

Above and below: pure magic!! That interior wall shows lines which look like humidity, as if the house was exposed to water at some point. I can't stop looking at it, and every time I check her out, I discover something new!

That's all for now; I hope you enjoyed the old house and the photo's!

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Thanks for visiting!

© José Pereira Torrejón, except for the photo's, published courtesy of Frances.  All rights reserved. No part of the content of this blog may be distributed, published or reproduced without prior authorization from the author.

Rust & Steel: a little vintage cooker.

Hi all, as always, I hope you're doing well!

Today I'm sharing a few pics of a vintage little metal cooker, measuring only 6.5x4.0x7.5cm (2.5x1.6x2.9inch). They were taken inside one of my 'abandoned' dolls houses, simply to give the cooker a backdrop.

The little gem came with two pans glued on top of it, a blue one with fixed lid, and a black one containing boiled potatoes; well, miniature ones, that is! The cooker itself is very simple, and does not contain much detail. It has no opening doors or anything, but I love it because the way it looks!

There is not much else I can say about it, really, or even what brand it is, so if anyone can provide any info, I'll be most thankful! 

So enjoy this small pictorial tribute to the old, little cooker, and see you again soon!

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Thanks for visiting!

© 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.