Yvette at Littlepapa Open House tells us about her Doll’s House project
Hi Yvette
We would love to hear about your Dolls’ House project. Can you tell us about the origins of the ‘derelict dolls’ house’ you were given? And how the current lockdown circumstances influenced this project?
Hello AOH. Yes, my name is Yvette and I am an artist and a prop maker.
Due to stress and anxiety during lockdown, I started making miniature buildings from recycled materials. I felt that it was so important to keep busy and creative especially whilst homeschooling, as I found it all a bit overwhelming and it made me a much calmer teacher!
I began by making a replica of my own house in clay, then a tiny mouse pub and a mouse bookshop from an old wooden art box. I missed pubs and I missed shops so I just made my own tiny ones! I would sit for hours in the evening making tiny books and plants. I have always had a fascination with tiny houses, I like them to be all cozy and lit up so that I can peer through the windows and imagine that I live there.
It seems that no matter how chaotic my home life is, I can always peer in through the window of my tiny buildings with nothing out of place and pretend that it is my little haven away from the madness.
I documented all my work through instagram and Facebook, then a friend got in contact and told me that she had recently acquired her childhood dollhouse and wondered if I could make use of it. I was straight over and within 48 hours, it was sitting in my lounge, a tiny majestic 1970’s detached house in need of a lot of TLC.
What changes are you planning to make to dolls’ house interior?
How are you planning to do this?
As I wondered what to do with the house, I came up with the idea of getting some of my artist friends involved – maybe add a few pictures here and there. I have run an Artist Open House since 2016 but hadn’t been able to open last Christmas and I miss my artist friends! I contacted a few people and they thought it was a great challenge. The idea just grew and grew. I decided that a mini Artist Open House would be a perfect way forward.
When it is finished how will be able to see the work?
I started an Instagram page documenting the journey from derelict to lovingly restored, I have painstakingly decorated each room to ensure that they look full sized. I have learnt a lot during this time and I think I have definitely got a lot better, just by the fact that I am having a lot less accidents with the glue gun!! I received great feedback from people who were loving seeing the miniature house grow that I extended the invitation to anyone who wanted to add artwork.
Will we be able to see it in real life in your Open House soon?
I would like to be able to keep adding work to my tiny gallery and have it on display for everyone to view in the next few weeks and during the next Artist Open Houses. I absolutely adore my little house, and it feels like a real shared labour of love with friends and artists that I didn’t know before that have created miniature pieces of joy! We even have a tiny mural on the side of the house which was put there by Brighton’s much loved Postman Art!
I can’t wait for people to visit and see it in person! The first round of art has now been added and is ready to be shown. There are four rooms to see, including a haunted abandoned room! I will be sharing pictures and short video tours on my Instagram this week.
To follow the journey, or to add artwork please go to my Instagram page and see @yvette.driver.design
