The Power of a Portrait

The power of portraits comes from the fact that not only are they a good piece of photography or artwork in their own right,

Some interesting good portraits
in my home.

but when the subject of the portrait is known or an iconic figure, it can become a symbol or shorthand for all that individual represents.  The portrait itself becomes an icon.  (Andy Warhol certainly knew this.) I think that's why I enjoy using portraits in my miniature scenes and my personal space.

I reduced and printed photos of notable DC 
residentsand put them in painted metal frames.

When I was creating the tea house in the Hampton Brownstone (my first complete dollhouse project made in a piece of furniture from Ikea), I wanted to create the feel of a neighborhood spot that included all kinds of references to Washington, DC both past and present.  Beyond landmarks and places, I got the idea that there are also people faces that are just as iconic and synonymous with the Chocolate City Capital City as the monuments.  That's why I included a black and white photo of a famous mural of Duke Ellington and adding other accomplished Washingtonians like Addison Scurlock just served to enriched the entire setting.

Details:  shelf unit, dishes, tea pots and pitchers are all from Dolls House Emporium; metal tins from A Miniature Marvel; violin and green frame are magnets from a store in Durham, NC called Morgan Imports; ashtray is by Rement; 3-tiered server and metal frames are eBay finds; doll's hat and dress are by the Enchanted Pumpkin at Etsy.com

A creative space needs a big inspiration board, right?
Made from cork contact paper covering basswood slats.

The room just above the tea house, I set up as the studio (studio7).  It's a creative workspace, so of course it had to have an inspiration board.  This one is huge.  And just like the inspiration board in my own studio craft room, it's filled with portraits of interesting if not, dare I say it iconic people.  These portraits spill over into the display area as well.  So let's see, this portrait collection includes: Dorothy Dandridge, Romare Bearden, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and President Barak Obama.  What does that say about me those avatars (Shapphire and Amaya)? Haha!

Details: metal frames are scrapbook accessories by Making Memories found at the local craft store; metal tin is from A Miniature Marvel; low bookshelf from Dolls House Emporium; printer and fax machine are by Rement; cork contact paper and colored plastic box are from The Container Store; Jonathan Adler vases from Kaleidoscope House Accessory Set; doll's hats and dresses are by the Enchanted Pumpkin at Etsy.com