I was thrilled when a passionate food enthusiast commissioned me to craft two exquisite 1/12 scale bowls of authentic Louisiana-style Gumbo. As an artisan miniature maker, I eagerly embraced the challenge of recreating the rich and flavorful essence of this iconic Southern dish in miniature form.
Gumbo in Miniature by PortraitsbyNC
With meticulous attention to detail, I meticulously sculpted miniature sausages, bell peppers, rice, and celery pieces, and meticulously hand-painted each component to capture the mouthwatering hues of a genuine gumbo. This project not only showcases the diverse world of miniature artistry but also celebrates the art of Louisiana cuisine in a whole new dimension. It's a delightful reminder of the power of creativity and craftsmanship in bringing beloved traditions to life in unexpected ways.
For this project I used:
Air Dry Clay
Resin
Resin Pigments in bown and red
PLA printed bowls
Oil Paint
Wood Chips ( to make the chicken pieces)
Gel Nail Polish in red, green, ochre
I like working with air dry clay because it dries overnight. You can always add a bit of water to make the clay more pliable.
As you see in the video the shapes for the food ingredients are roughly formed and given some texture. Since we are dealing with 1/12 scale everything needs to get trimmed to fit in place.
I prefer to glue in each piece seperately, because I think it looks more realistic of you do not see the glue that holds everything together. After the dry fit, I mix the resin with pigment and with a tiny brush coax the resin between the ingredients.
For a more natural look, I layer oil paints in thin coats in different shades. This variation of color creates a more naturalistic look in the dish. Sometimes the ingredients in a dish start to blend together. If you look at the reference photo there is a lot of red and brown and rather than make the tiny dish look bland, I punch up the colors with tiny dabs of gel nail polish.
I hope that my client likes how her Gumbo dishes have turned out.
