Madurodam-Awesome Miniature Park in Holland

Need another reason to visit Holland?  Why not visit Madurodam Miniature Park?  Open since 1952, it's inspired a generation of miniaturists and other theme parks worldwide.

Madurodam in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands

Madurodam in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands

Madurodam in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands

Madurodam in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands

Here's a video that gives you an idea of the experience (in case you can't make the trip quite yet).

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Weekly Etsy Diorama Showcase

Etsy has grown from a small scale online shop for crafters and artists to a great source for hard to find vintage, one of a kind, and handmade treasures.

Each week Diorama Daily will post unique diorama and miniature related crafts, art and ephemera found on Etsy.

This Week's Picks: 

Jenny Wren Miniature Friends-handmade jewelry featuring miniature animals by Jenny Peters-Toronto, Ontario.

tiny chipmunk diorama pendant

tiny brown mouse ring

tiny glass diorama ring with mushroom

 

ILaBoom-handmade shadow box frames, dioramas and vintage inspired paper goods by Tatiana Kontouli of Antiparos, Greece.

shadow box display-willow tree bunny

lightbox display-le petit bonheur

shadowbox diorama frame-le grand carnival

3d pedestal display-a day in the island

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Make Magazine-DIY Diorama Tutorial

Make Magazine has a lot of fun tutorials on how to make practically anything crafty. Here's a fun step-by-step instruction on making a mini-diorama woodland scene to get the inspiration flowing. 

Make Magazine Blog

Make Magazine Blog

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Matthew Albanese-Breathtaking Models

Matthew Albanese is a photographer and illustrator from Lincoln Park, New Jersey, that makes  unique miniature worlds and then takes pictures of them.  Here are some process photos from his work found on his facebook page. 

Matthew Albanese-facebook

Matthew Albanese

Matthew Albanese

Matthew Albanese

Matthew Albanese

Matthew Albanese

Matthew Albanese

He also has a book coming out called Strange Worlds, which you can order from Lazy Dog Press.

Matthew Albanese-Lazy Dog Press

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The Delicate Worlds of Davy and Kristin McGuire

Artists Davy and Kristin McQuire blend cinema, paper, and shadow to create unique dioramas for theatrical, film and gallery exhibition.

"Winners of this year’s Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award, Davy & Kristin McGuire are multidisciplinary artists whose work has included The Icebook and an atmospheric stage adaptation of popular fantasy novel, Howl’s Moving Castle. Their latest commission for Courvoisier was displayed at Harrods and their new production The Paper Architect will premiere in July at the Barbican London." www.davyandkristinmcguire.com

Psycho - Homage to Hitchcock from Davy and Kristin McGuire on Vimeo.

image: Davy & Kristin McGuire-Howl's Moving Castle

image: Davy & Kristin McGuire-The Paper Architect

 image: Davy & Kristin McGuire-Courvoisier

image: Davy & Kristin McGuire-The Hunter

Their work has been featured as a part of music videos:

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Best Diorama Supplies-Woodland Scenics

From trees to vehicles to figures, Woodland Scenics is the premiere supplier of diorama and scale model materials.  Their extensive collection of kits and accessories, like the Basic Diorama Starter Kit, will help get your project off the ground or add the finishing touches to your masterpiece.

Woodland Scenics Basic Diorama Starter Kit

Bases are sold separately from most of their kits, so be sure you have a base to get started.

Pop-Up Diorama Base-Woodland Scenics

Woodland Scenic Foliage and Grasses kit

The Foliage & Grasses kit includes :forest green accent, green grass, spray bottle, project glue, sifter, foliage fiber, yellow flowers, bushes, wild grass and instructions. While the Mountain Making Kit has everything you need (minus a base) to start sculpting terrain.

Mountain Kit-Woodland Scenics

For more info: visit the Woodland Scenics Website and be sure to check out their collection of video tutorials.

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Mike Ko-iPhone Diorama

3D artist and animator, Mike Ko, made this charming iPhone diorama video and details his process on his website.

iphone- diorama from Mike Ko on Vimeo.

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Peeps Diorama Contest-Deadline Approaching

Hurry up Peep-le you have until Monday Feb. 25th 2013 to enter your Peep Art to the Annual Washington Post Peep Diorama Contest.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/peeps

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Paolo Ventura-Photographing Small Worlds

 Italian photographer Paolo Ventura constructs unique worlds and then takes amazing photographs of the dioramic landscapes.

from Paolo Ventura-the Automaton

from Paolo Ventura-the Automaton

from Paolo Ventura-Winter Stories

 Here is a behind the scenes look at the artists' process.

Paolo Ventura on Winter Stories from Aperture Foundation on Vimeo.

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The Invention of the Diorama-Daguerre and Bouton

In 1822 Louis Daguerre , a painter and stage decorator, along with painter Charles Marie Bouton, invented "realistic illusion shows" or Dioramas.  Together they opened The Diorama in Paris a venue to show their large scale panorama paintings, with special light effects.

woodcut of The Diorama Paris, c. 1830

With light, forced perspective and a couple cranks of moving mechanisms, Daguerre and Bouton turned paintings into moving scenes.

Painting: Ruins in Fog, Charles Bouton c.1823

Here is a video recreation of the Daguerre and Bouton Diorama. Although, the video is in French (without subtitles)-it requires very little translation, as it visually demonstrates the technique that Daguerre and Bouton invented, which is clearly the precursor to modern cinema.


                           

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Mario Batali's Super Bowl Meat Diorama

Mario Batali, chef and co-host of "The Chew", tweeted a picture of this meaty diorama made in celebration of Super Bowl Sunday.  

Batali/Twitter

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Diorama Artist Donates Work to Museum

Diorama Artist, Peggy Burnett, 81, donated what was once a hobby of capturing childhood memories to a Heritage Museum in Utah.  Read the Full Article Here.

photo Spenser Heaps- One of  Burnett's dioramas on display at the Orem Heritage Museum .  

One of Peggy Burnett's dioramas, entitled "The Borrowers" after the children's fantasy novel, on display at the Orem Heritage Museum on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Burnett has been making dioramas since the 1970s.

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