The Story Behind Tiny Town: Creating interactive Landscape Art.

At times having just a small studio can be helpful to the creative process.

Moving works in progress around to make space leads to interesting juxtapositions and surprising combinations that are unexpectedly successful.

That’s the story behind Tiny Town. It's a hand-made miniature Hebden Bridge townscape with surrounding woodland, a folding paper sculpture you can interact with and rearrange.

Angie Rogers Tiny Town, miniature Hebden Bridge, folding paper sculpture.

Seeing the little laser-cut town standing in front of one of my woodcuts of trees gave me the idea of combining these two elements.

As a landscape artist who works across media such as printmaking, painting and drawing, I am used to seeing my finished art behind glass, within protective frames, the practical convention for presenting artwork on paper for sale.

Sometimes I feel it would be wonderful to break free from the barrier the glass creates. For you to be able to handle the art, to experience the texture of the hand-printing, the pleasant odour of linseed printing ink, the smooth edges and crisp folds.

Tiny Town comes in the form of a free-standing sculpture with five separate pieces made from sturdy card so you can choose your ideal arrangement of townscape and woodland. You can enjoy the freedom of ‘playing’ with the different elements, moving them around until it feels just right.

Angie Rogers Tiny Town, interactive mini Hebden Bridge, Manilla card, printing ink, watercolour.

You can position Tiny Town amongst your treasured belongings like I’ve done here with my antique inkwell and wooden box, placed on an Oak shelf. The possibilities open up as you move from viewer to creator.

I must admit I've had so much fun interacting with Tiny Town whilst taking the photographs, moving the trees around, trying out different shelves and locations, watching the effect as the daylight changes (just like in real landscape).

During my career as an artist I’ve made quite a few different hand held works, including unique Artists Books, concertina prints and the map-fold butterfly and plover nest booklets that are in my shop.

Angie Rogers Tiny Town. Changing the arrangement is easy and fun.

The kind of acid-free, artist quality, card and watercolour paper I normally use is very strong and resilient; just avoid a damp environment. Ancient books and manuscripts survive for centuries so you can feel confident Tiny Town will continue to give pleasure for many years to come.

Buy Tiny Town

For more details, dimensions and presentation visit the Woodcut Townscapes section of my shop.