We recently connected with Lisa Ayres and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned many techniques through the internet, social media, youtube and my time in art school. A lot of miniature fabrication is learned through creating and experimenting with different tools and materials.

I definitely think practice goes a long way to mastering any skill. With miniatures, many skills are involved so making parts in larger batches helps practice individual techniques and stock up for future projects. The first attempts are rarely perfect, so practicing a technique in repetition helps tremendously.

Creativity is one of the most useful skills in making miniature scenes as there isn’t a single way that creating miniatures must be done. Thinking outside the box to create solutions and come up with new ways to make convincing pieces goes a long way. A lot of miniature art is made from repurposed items and what others might consider trash.

As a beginner I think lacking access to some tools or materials makes creating certain aspects of miniature scenes more difficult or time consuming. Processes like creating your own molds, using a 3d printer, and laser cutter can all improve efficiency. As I made more and more miniatures, I improved my techniques and invested more money into my tools.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My journey to creating miniature dioramas has evolved over the years. As a child, I loved creating terrain for table top gaming and had an interest in model train dioramas. For me, art was just a hobby until 2014 when I started working with polymer clay and fell in love with the medium. I created my first sculptures and decided then to pursue art as a career. I attended community college and then university where I spent a lot of time honing my general sculpture skills. I created my first miniature diorama, an abandoned cityscape, in a college class focused on making miniature models for film making. As every student had a different project in the class, I mostly learned techniques for this project by experimenting on my own. In 2019 I left school to join a fabrication company where I created life sized dioramas for museums and institutions. I stepped away from that career in 2020 and in the next couple years I started wire wrapping and sculpting tiny desserts out of polymer clay. These skills led me to start creating miniature scenes combining my wire wrapped trees and polymer clay miniatures.
At this time, I mostly focus on creating miniature displays for exhibitions around the St. Louis area. I also sell some of my smaller miniature sculptures in person at markets, local galleries, and sometimes take custom commissions.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding part of creating miniatures is seeing each component come together to create a detailed masterpiece. I love the problem solving aspect of creating miniature dioramas, every scene has its own set of challenges. I also love coming across the perfect component for a miniature such as a unique bead, wallpaper, or fabric that brings the whole composition together.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Art makes great unique gifts, so the next time you are shopping around for your loved ones, consider finding local artisan boutiques, art galleries, or farmer/artisan markets. Keep an eye out for art market events throughout the year, you never know what you will find. I would also encourage to refuse AI generated art when you can. AI depends upon real artists and has been trained on many artists without their consent and harms the art community as a whole.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Lisaayres.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/layres.of.art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/layres.of.art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-ayres-artist-sculptor/