Artisan Home Delights - Yoke Feature Friday
Need an incredibly unique gift for someone that they will never forget?
This week Yoke introduces Artisan Home delights. They are makers of beautiful miniature replicas of homes and buildings. We were amazed at the detail and the time and skill that goes into these amazing gifts! We caught up with Donna and her husband Eamonn, filmed some of her creative process and Donna was then kind enough to answer some questions for our #yokefeaturefriday
Y: Have you always been creative?
AHD: I always enjoyed arts and crafts throughout childhood, but more so in recent years I noticed I was constantly painting anything and everything that stayed still long enough, and I hadn't realised it was an obvious need to express my creative side.
Y: How did Artisan Home Delights start? (What sparked the idea?)
AHD: By experimenting with off cuts of wood, waste materials and driftwood from local beaches, I began spending time in our cold dark garage with a head torch experimenting with different creations. To my suprise, I was able to sell these products which helped towards the cost of Christmas that year, and have since developed the products much further, from making basic christmas cottages to models of customers' homes.
Y: What kind of projects do you work on?
AHD: The majority of my projects are commissioned model replicas of buildings chosen by the customer, though on occasion when I have time I like to create a non commissioned piece of art to allow myself to freely create.
Y: Could you tell us a bit about your creative process?
AHD: The first stage involves analysing the building's architecture and exterior finish. I then create a template to reflect the buildings relative proportions, ready for my husband to cut the main body of wood into usable pieces. After I've pieced it all together and have formed the roofline, I use a method of carving clay and paint layering to create a realistic finish with textured dimension.
Y: What are you working on at the moment?
AHD: At the moment I'm working on a few commissioned orders which are being given as Christmas gifts.
Y: What is your favourite project you’ve done? And your biggest challenge?
AHD: I don't really have a particular favourite project, I've enjoyed them all, and each order has been a challenge as every building is different and involves various forms of planning and creative methods each time.
Y: What motivates you to create?
AHD: After many joyful years of busy motherhood, I find my creative alone time quite blissful and it improves my ability to relax and focus. I also enjoy creating a sentimental product for my customers. I have had countless messages to say people have been in tears of emotion when they have opened their personalised gift which is a very heartwarming and motivating thing to hear of the joy the product can bring.
Y: Where do you find inspiration?
AHD: Inspiration is all around me, I'm constantly noticing different types of buildings and the desire to recreate them in my own artistic style.
Y: How useful has social media been for you?
AHD: Social media has been incredibly helpful to reach customers who wouldn't otherwise notice a small home - based business. In the future I hope to have time to attend market stalls or display products in galleries to showcase examples of the real products, rather than just photos on a screen, though for the time being the majority of my orders have been thankfully successful through word of mouth or social media.
Y: What are your long term goals for AHD?
AHD: My long term goals are to continue producing personalised products that people can enjoy and also to try some more challenging projects. My self taught techniques are improving all the time, and I would like the time to experiment further and keep improving the products as time goes by.
Y: What would your dream project be?
AHD: My dream project would possibly be to create a challenging building, such as a local castle or a famous landmark.
Y: Any advice for people wanting to start their own creative business?
AHD: My advice would be to start small and be patient to grow your prices and products as time goes by once you have a good customer rapport and product satisfaction. Persevere with your project and always keep working on it until it's at the best it can be. In terms of business exposure and advertising, accept that not everyone will like your style of work, but there will definitely be people out there that do, so concentrate on the positive experiences and don't regret not taking up the chance to have a creative career that you can enjoy.
See more and contact Artisan Home Delights on their website -:
