Bored Panda reached out to Maggie, the creative mastermind behind Mouseland, to dive into the captivating world of miniature art and the meticulous process behind her charming creations.
When asked what inspired her to create Mouseland and explore miniature art, Maggie shared that she’s always loved miniatures and crafting, and has been an artist for many years. "I had a couple of little felt mice, bought in an English toy shop when I was a child. About 30 years ago, with young children of my own, I took a pattern from those old survivors and began to make my own versions. Then I started building their environments and taking photographs of the sets. The creation of Mouseland became so engrossing that it completely superseded my other art. I've illustrated several children's books and I post new pictures regularly on Instagram and other sites."
Maggie's process for crafting the mice and their detailed environments is a labor of love. She explained that a diorama can take anywhere from a couple of days to several months, depending on the complexity. "I have a giant ballroom scene from my Cinderella book that took months, as there were fifty or so mice dressed in ornate ball gowns, shoes and wigs, not to mention the musicians and their tiny instruments! A book typically takes about a year."
The artist explained the process for crafting the mice and their environments: "I make the mice from gray felt that I cut and piece together from a pattern which is always evolving...they look very different now from the old original felt mice. They have a pipe-cleaner skeleton so that they are poseable, and glass bead eyes. I have a home studio overflowing with tools and materials—bits of wood, paper and fabric scraps, faux flora, jewelry findings, seed pods and miscellaneous salvage—that I use to assemble the sets. Sometimes I have a clear idea of what I'm going to make and sometimes I get inspiration from the materials themselves. I do a lot of messing around and failing, which always leads to new insights."
To stay inspired and avoid creative burnout, Maggie takes a walk, stays off of social media, and gives herself room to just play around in the studio. "When I shut out exterior noise, the work always saves me. It also helps that I constantly need to problem-solve materials and fabrication methods. My workday may involve painting, soldering, book design, sculpting, drawing, photo-editing, sewing, photography, pattern drafting, dyeing, or woodworking. It's a constant challenge."
When asked what she enjoys most about Mouseland, Maggie responded that she loves being the empress of her little kingdom. "It's a refuge from the craziness of the world, a place to reconstruct childhood memories and a way to work with my hands and stretch my imagination. I enjoy the conversations I have with Mouseland followers on social media."
Maggie dreams of taking Mouseland to the next level with a dedicated space—a Mouseland Museum—to showcase her incredible work. We can’t wait to see her vision come to life!
