(Izabela Kononowicz - Emma’s Cottage with Garden and Art Gallery)

A Fantasy World

by Pam North

Like many other miniaturists, Izabela Kononowicz has embraced the world of mini things since childhood, and they remain a passion in her life as an adult. She has had to deal with some serious health issues, and she credits miniatures as an escape from her problems, as she explained. “By profession I'm an interior decorator and a florist. For 15 years I ran a shop with decorations for houses, flats, offices, and shops. I arranged flowers into wreaths and centerpieces, organized weddings, and made wedding decorations. Currently, I no longer work in my profession; in my free time I devote myself to miniatures that I make and collect, such as bottles with perfumes, cups, and dolls. Miniatures are both an escape and a way of passing free time. They allow me to spend more time with my husband, who helps me with their construction. My family supports and motivates me in my work.”
She continued, “I come from Poland, and I live in Częstochowa, where there is a monastery of the Pauline Fathers at Jasna Góra. In Poland, more and more people are beginning to be interested in miniatures. I find the inspiration to create them from my life, the surrounding world, or in the projects of other miniaturists. My passion doesn’t interfere with my domestic duties; on the contrary, it helps in the most difficult moments. Thanks to miniatures and a bone marrow transplant, I was able to survive the fight against my disease. My love for miniatures brings me hope and connects me with loved ones. That's why I urge anyone who hasn’t yet found a passion for something to never stop looking for it.”
Izanela and her husband share interest in various aspects of the miniature world. He has his own small workshop, while she prefers working in her spacious kitchen. The creation process begins with an idea that gels into a project, which they complete by combining their skills. “We cut the walls and glue them, install lighting and daub. Then we paint the houses, plaster, and finally decorate. This last part gives me the most fun. I decorate with ready elements, which I import from all parts of the world, as well as those made by myself. To build our projects we use, among other materials, PVC boards, cardboard boxes, wallpapers. We don’t have any difficulty in making the houses, as my husband is a real handyman, and I decorate them with no problems. The whole creation process is great fun for us, an escape from real-life complications. The only obstacle is poor vision, and fewer manual skills because of age; that's why glasses and pliers are invaluable in our work. A chisel and drill also are necessary.”
Her latest project, Emma’s Cottage with Garden and Art Gallery, was inspired by her own shop and garden. The house was built by her husband, who installed the lighting in it, then left the decoration and furnishings to Izabela. The 1:12 inch scale house is distinguished by the open front and back, highlighting two distinct views, an unusual combination venue. There is the art gallery, which is a shop with porcelain objects, paintings, and furniture, and then there is the entrance to the cottage and the garden. The project is large, presenting a problem in moving it, which was remedied by dividing it into two parts, so that the garden part is mobile. The lighting also presented difficulties in hiding the cables. On the roof of the miniature building there is another garden, as Izabela is especially fond of various types of gardens. To complete the miniature house, she used materials such as natural wall tiles cut into tiny pieces, and artificial grass. Inspiration came from her own Japanese and Mediterranean thematic gardens. For the miniature garden, she envisioned floral windows, flower beds under the windows, vines on the fence and on the swing set, and so she installed blooming climatis plants, ivy on the wall, and a dominant tree covered with vines. Conifers, thuja trees and shrubs also “grow”, and the picturesque garden is dominated in purple hues. During the process of creation, her cat became intrigued with the loose materials, surreptitiously hiding them all over Izabela’s household, and necessitating a lengthy search later that day to find them all.
The project has a story theme and a fictional couple of its own, Emma and Christopher, for whom Izabela has created an entire imaginary scenario, which she shared. “Emma always has dreamed of a house full of warmth and love, but also stylish and unique. She wanted to have her own garden, to bring her much joy and self-fulfillment. The cottage with the garden is a fairy place surrounded by a flowery paradise in which Emma likes to spend late afternoons sitting on the veranda amid the sweet aroma of blooming plants, accompanied by the dense vibe of twilight and the yellow light of Paris lamps. As the sun  lazily comes closer to the horizon and twilight was slowly approaches, the first guests begin crossing the border of Emma's garden. A table awaits them, groaning with grilled delicacies that Emma's husband had just cooked. The plates are heaped with grilled steaks and sausages, colorful vegetables, and a Greek salad prepared by the lady of the house. Connoisseurs of beer aren't disappointed, because the hosts offer a variety of drinks. The cottage with the garden is a charming place where Emma and Christopher love to spend time together with their friends, and their barbecue is a great opportunity to talk with them beside glowing embers in a dusking garden.’’
Izabela doesn’t plan on selling her houses, as they are so much a part of her life. Instead, she would like to organize an exhibition of her works in Częstochowa, and later in other cities in their country. She simply wants to create her miniatures and share them with the world. Her miniature houses have been exhibited at the trade fair in Vienna in 2016 and 2017. She and her husband have created about 32 rooms inside miniature structures - cafes, shops, greenhouses, and gardens - and they continue to build more. “At the moment, another house construction is nearly completed, in which there are two shops downstairs - one retails hats, the other is a jewelry store. The store owner and his family live upstairs. We also are nearly finished with a shop with shoes and bags, as well as a wedding salon.”
Izabela’s work can be found on her website at http://minizadollhouseminiatures.com, and on Facebook under the name: Miniza dollhouse miniatures 1:12. Her smaller works may be viewed and purchased on Etsy. She also belongs to several internet groups of miniaturists which feature photos of her work.

Conyacy Information:
Izabela Kononowicz
Adresse: ul. Wielkoborska 25, 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland
E-mail: Miniza.miniatures@gmail.com
Website: www.minizadollhouseminiatures.com