Diane Bogos-Klein

9/2007

I made another bed when I returned home from the school also of mahogany, with more details and more turnings. 

9/2007

Miniature turnings,  1/12 scale various woods. 

 9/2007

9/2007

11/5/2005

I was raised in Phila. and lived there until my move to Florida in 1971.  I always had a strong interest in art and took many types of art lessons while in high school.  I attended Moore College of Art in Phila. and got my degree in advertising design.  I became a mom in my senior year and never did go into the advertising field. 

I guess like a rose is a rose by any name. . . design is design by any name and I became an interior designer and had my own firm for more than 30 years.  One of my favorite parts was always choosing accessories and I bought an Ed Moulthrop bowl when it wasn’t very expensive. In the late 70’s I discovered weaving and really got seriously interested taking classes and buying every type of loom, weaving tool and all types of yarn.  These took over two rooms in my house and then I moved into a smaller house and had no room for looms.  So weaving wall hangings, pillows and rugs was replaced with my next hobby. . . showing dogs. . . and I had 3 champion Soft Coated Wheatens and bought every kind of grooming supply and dog showing parefenalia and travelled the country on the dog show circuit. . . When my dogs became too old to show, I didn’t want to add new dogs to the family and so that hobby too became another thing of my past.

Another love of mine was attending high quality juried craft shows and buying the things that I admired.  I wish I had more room in my home to buy more things, but we’re out of space which may have led me to miniatures. I can hold 200 miniature vases and bowls in an antique type tray.

One day my husband and I were driving past a re-sale shop and I saw a dollhouse in the window. . . I asked Paul to stop the car and let me go into the shop.  I think that he thought I had lost my mind when I bought it. . . then I proceeded to strip it to the bare wood. . . but I had no idea of how to then refurbish it and furnish it. . . OH YES, I was an interior designer. . . but I could’t wave a magic wand to instantly shrink everything that I loved to 1/12” of life size. . . so I bought a book on dollshouses and then a magazine which led me to a miniature show that was coming to Ft. Lauderdale the next month. . . and Boy, Did that open my eyes to the world of miniatures. . . and the prices!  Wow!  Fine miniatures are the same price as their full size counterparts.  I could buy a few pieces, but I would have to learn how to make most of the things I wanted. 
So, I knew how to knit and do needlepoint and I just had to try to do it 1/12” the size of real life. . . and that isn’t easy. . . very thin needles,  very thin threads and lots of magnification.  And so I made some lovely rugs, blankets, mini sweaters, etc. 

I had designed furniture for 30 years for my clients, but my cabinetmaker made the pieces.  I had never used any power tools. . . Now I have 3 miniature power saws, a scroll saw, a disc and belt sander, a miniature drill press, several Dremels, a Fordham hand piece, etc. etc. etc. and every file, cutter, and scale lumber. . . Nothing ever changes.  With each hobby came lots of tools.  I had to learn to build scale miniature furniture with mortises and tenons, dovetails for drawers, etc. etc.  This has become the most difficult of all of the hobbies thus far. . . and then I wanted to make some turned legs, so I bought a Carba-Tec lathe and an old Unimat. Most of the miniaturists that specialize in furniture use a duplicator so I bought one of those too,  and I found it to be a real bore. . . It was like making a key at a hardware store. . . no art. . . just following a brass template. . . so I decided to try to use a lathe with a regular tool rest and lots of cutting tools. . . After making one leg and then a bowl. . . I was hooked. . . So I found Woodcraft, Constantine’s, lots of books, magazines etc. and discovered the GoldCoast Woodturner’s. . . and now you know the “Rest of the Story”

P.S. It’s fun being one of the only women in a group of handsome men!

Please visit this web site to see other minitaures
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=dianehollywdfl

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  1/8/2007