(Cinda Parent - Italian Pottery Shop)

A Charming Spot for Pots

by Pam North

Cinda Parent, of Cinda Lee’s Miniatures, prefers to make miniature scenes and room boxes, mostly in 1:12 and 1:48 scales, rather than larger dollhouses that take up more space, although she confesses to having two dollhouses in 1:24 scale. Purchasing a dollhouse kit in 1991 to make for her daughter was the starting point for her interest in miniatures; she enjoyed the process so much that she just kept going. Retired now from a career in human resources, she has had no formal training in creating miniatures, managing to wing it on her own. As for ideas, she said, “Sometimes things pop into my head, but I can find inspiration from books or magazines, or really from just about anywhere.” 
Cinda calls her latest piece the Italian Pottery Shop. She always has loved the look of Italian Majolica pottery, and after collecting a variety of miniature plates, pots, vases, and other items for about 3 years, she felt she was ready to build a venue to display her many pieces, so she began creating a pottery shop. A simple purchased wooden room box was the basis, finished with a painted and aged plaster effect for both exterior and interior. She laid a tile floor and the brick around the top. A piece of round wood was used as a tabletop, with a planter urn for the base. Wood shelving units provided space to display her many pottery pieces, many of which were purchased from A Lavender Dilly, Twelve Times More Teeny, ValueARTifacts, and other online sites. Tiny plants and floral accents complete the charm and ambience. The result is a colorful, happy mix reminiscent of a village shop in rural Europe. “My projects always change as I go along,” she explained. “What I envision in my head doesn’t mean I can create that picture exactly. It all has to be adjusted to my skill level, the materials I can gather, and how much time I’m willing to spend on the project. Usually I like what I’ve created, but sometimes I don’t. Ha!” Her favorite part about the Italian Pottery Shop is the overall look, the beautiful colors of the pottery, and that it has an old world look with the aging. “I like to grunge things up - it’s so satisfying!” she laughed. She has no plans to sell the piece, preferring to keep it for the moment.
Combining home life and miniature life takes a little discipline. “Often, it’s hard to stop working on my miniatures and get some of the things on my to-do list done. Miniatures usually win out! I have a workroom downstairs, so it’s easy just to close the door on the mess when I’m done for the day. I have so much stuff that I’ve collected from thrift stores and shows that it’s hard to manage it all at times. I keep saying that I’m going to go through all this stuff and purge, but so far that has not happened. Maybe someday!” One difficulty still eludes solution. “Space! The 1:48 scale miniatures are space-savers, but I still love my 1:12 scale. I’ll just have to start giving away more of my projects to make room for new miniatures!”
What she loves most about miniatures is the variety of techniques that one is able to learn and apply in their creation, and that everyone’s miniature projects will be different even if they’re doing the same project. “The hobby has changed in the last few years. Finding what you're looking for is far easier with the internet, but the drawback is that you can’t see the item in person to see if it is the right color, scale, quality, etc. I have purchased some off-scale items that looked right online but actually weren’t. Most people have adjusted well to all the changes, and the future of miniatures is looking great.” 
As for what’s next for her and her creations, she echoed the good intentions of many artists, saying, “My goal is to get older unfinished projects done before I start a new one. Wonder how that will work out? The temptation is that I have a whole lot of ideas and supplies just waiting for me start!” 

Contact Information :
Name: Cinda Parent
Email: cparent5@hotmail.com
Website: cindaleesminiatures.com
Phone: 651-351-1693
Address: 231 Interlachen Way Stillwater, MN 55082