Creating a miniature boudoir for a Salon show

This Saturday, November 3, my friend Cindy is opening her new PerficalSense Studio and Salon space. She is hosting a salon-themed show in which 35 artists are providing pieces that showcase the meaning of a salon to them.

Cindy taught me my first encaustics class, and PerficalSense Studio has been in existence for 3 years on Florence Ave in the Evanston West Village District. The studio has held 12 to 15 workshops per year in various mediums while specializing in encaustics. This location is where I learned from Bridgette Guerzon Mills and Crystal Neubauer. Cindy shared my Kim Bernard Wonderland experience.

Having just read “The Encyclopedia of the Exquisite,” the show’s call for art was a perfect way to put my new knowledge to good use. Author Jessica Kerwin Jenkins makes reference to salons in various entries, with “boudoir” being my favorite.

I had received a lovely box with birthday flowers in August, and was saving it for something pretty. I knew it would make a perfect assemblage case.

So I set to work selecting boudoir-worthy wallpaper at the local craft store.

Of course salonnières only walk on red carpet!

Since Tom Thumb’s chaise-lounge inventory wasn’t going to be updated in time for the submission date, I looked online for the chaise-lounge I envisioned. I cheered when it arrived, it was so easy to get upstairs!

The project brought back memories of my own dollhouse, which my mom had made with the help of my grandfather.

One of my favorite childhood books is about a dollhouse servant who escapes her oppressive employers and makes her own home in the shed with the help of a teddybear.

A boudoir has to have fine art of course, so I created mini encaustic collages to hang on the wall.

I’m working on a line of desktop minis for my upcoming holiday extravaganza. For this piece, I picked the Monarch for its regalness, the Question Mark to represent discussion and knowledge sharing, and the Buckeye which represents ‘see and be seen’ among the elite.

I also looked up some of the first salonnières mentioned by Jessica Kerwin Jenkins and pulled their portraits from the Internet.

 

Salonnières provided a training ground for young ladies in the art of conversation. One woman journaled about being knowledgeable prior to hosting a fête, so I dug up my notes from the bookbinding workshop and made some miniature books.

Bonbons had to be featured as well!

The Salon show opening is from 5 to 9 p.m. On November 3, at 1209 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, Illinois. The show will be up for a month and visiting hours can be arranged via PerficalSense Studio.

Cindy hosts 9 shows a year, rotating approximately each month. In addition to the monthly openings she has a weekend Holiday Sale in December. My Les Premier Salonnières will remain at PerficalSense for that sale (unless a miniature lover snaps it up sooner). “Artful Giving” opens Friday, November 30 in the evening and the sale continues all day Saturday and Sunday, December 1 and 2.

And yes, you will need to pop by there to see the finished piece!