(Carmen Richter)
Petite Pottery for Miniature Mansions

by Pam North

Miniature dolls in a well-furnished dollhouse must have properly-scaled tea sets, right? Carmen Richter thinks so, and she is just the craftsperson to provide them, along with other  ceramic containers - tiny bowls, pots, pitchers, cups, and other items so essential to attractively accessorizing dollhouse dining rooms and kitchens. Using clay, water, modeling tools, and a small pottery wheel, that is all she needs for creating miniature pottery pieces in 1:12 scale, then glazing them and using her own kilns for firing. “Sometimes I do custom orders, mostly tea sets. All pieces are made by myself, and I have developed my own methods on my little wheel, as I think every artist develops their own techniques over the years.”

Carmen became interested in miniatures in 2016. “I discovered miniatures as a result of wanting to make myself some tiny fruits as pendants. I looked for miniature fruit on the internet, and I was so surprised to discover that miniatures constituted their own fascinating parallel diminutive world. I could not find exactly what I was looking for, however, so I began creating fruits and other foods with polymer clay; then I wanted to present my miniature foods on beautiful plates and bowls, but couldn´t find any. The consequence was that most of what I wanted, I had to make myself. Once I started, I began having so much fun that I’ve had to continue; there’s no stopping now! Plus, the creativity thing is in my genes; my great-grandfather built doll furniture, and I have always done creative things.like watercolor painting and porcelain painting.”

Miniatures have become an important and integral part of Carmen’s life. “I just want to continue to enjoy the production of them, and to inspire others to pursue their own talents. I love creating something beautiful, and because it is so small, I can take it with me anywhere, tucked in my pocket. Small things become even more interesting as you take a closer look at them, and I like that about them, too.”

As with any intensive craft, miniatures present their own set of challenges, as Carmen outlined from her own experience. “To reflect reality perfectly in small size, especially when it comes to custom orders; I am always afraid of not meeting expectations. When I started making mini ceramics it was difficult to continue. I was using a regular big wheel, and I’d spend four hours with the wheel to make a few pieces that looked terrible. Then, using a  mini-wheel instead  and refusing to give up, I just kept trying, and suddenly I had wonderful results. Now I am able to more easily create what I want. Sometimes new ideas come to my mind quite spontaneously while I am turning ceramics, like the warmer for my teapots. Sometimes I change the production technique again, but if I want to turn something specific, I  can get the end result that I want. When I have time, I sometimes sit down at the wheel without knowing beforehand what I want to create. Suddenly my hands seem to work by themselves, and it’s like magic what happens.”

She has continued to learn new skills as she has made her tiny pottery pieces, such as working the surface of the clay with different techniques, and for this she found her most valuable tool was a surprise. “Not a joke, it’s a simple wooden stick; that´s the one I use the most.”

One part of the creation process that is especially fun for her involves color, as she explained, “Before firing, the glaze is ugly brown, and then, with the firing, there is the full color explosion. Even after hundreds of times of firing, I am still excited and happy to watch the end result happen, and later to touch it!”

Inspiration comes in many guises for her. “I find it in old books, from Pinterest, from my own life-size ceramics, but it is in the different four seasons that I find the most inspiration - the colors, the smells, the changes. Each season has its own ambience. Autumn is my favorite season. When the leaves change color, my imagination blooms, and I even dream about the colors and smells of autumn. I try to process that feeling into my ceramics. I have a thousand  ideas in my mind. At the moment, I am thinking of seasonal colors: autumn’s browns and rusts; winter’s whites and reds and greens.”

Her workplace is a simple wooden table with her utensils, her mini-wheel, and her television (very important), which supplies  a background atmosphere that helps her work. “I watch series or films basically, but only those with which I am already familiar. I.just need to listen, not watch, because I have to keep my eyes on my pottery wheel.”

Carmen’s family are excited and proud of her artistry. “Everyone finds it fascinating that I can make such small pieces, just not my jealous cat because he thinks he should have all my attention!” she remarked. “Everyone around me is always interested in what I am making. Colleagues and friends are happy and excited because they always get a miniature from me for their birthdays. I think my mom is my biggest fan, though. She has a display case, and in it are a lot of my artworks.”

She sells her pieces on her Etsy shop, with the prices usually between 15 and 45 Euros.

The future of miniatures intrigues her. “I hope they remain popular and become even more so, inspiring  larger numbers of people to become interested and involved,” she commented.

Looking ahead, Carmen shared some of her ideas of what she is planning for herself and her creations. “I want to keep trying new shapes and colors in my ceramic pieces, and I also plan to work again with polymer clay to make foods to go with my pottery sets. I already am working on a ceramic fruit collection also.”

As a final note, Carmen wanted to add, “I would like to thank everyone who enjoys and buys my miniatures. I am happy to make you happy! I never expected that my minis would become so popular, and now they have gone to new homes all over the world. Know that everything is made with love and joy.”