14 artworks by Debbie And Mike Schramer (Selection)
Download as PDFArchitectural Wonders, the Fairyhouse • 14 artworks
This is an incredible architectural sculpture that my husband Mike and I created together in 1995. It[...]
This is an incredible architectural sculpture that my husband Mike and I created together in 1995. It is completely made from nature. We use everything in nature: flowers, mosses, lichen, leaves, pods, vines, roots, branches, bark, stones, herbs, grasses, shells, seaweed, kelp, driftwood, and many other natural materials. We love foraging and collecting in the woods, the meadows, fields, by the ocean and in gardens for beautiful and unique things to use in our nature art.
We did not plan anything in creating the Fairy Castle; it simply emerged and grew, as if it were something wonderful from the earth that bloomed, naturally. Mike and I had been collecting and foraging "gifts" from nature for years and had a huge menagerie of natural materials to use. We had been asked to participate in the Seattle Folklife Festival, one of Washington state"s largest art festivals. They were planning a special miniature exhibit and had heard of our small nature art; they wanted us to create a large house of some kind, completely made from nature. We were thrilled to be asked to be in the Folklife Festival and to have the chance to make a piece that would be larger than our usual works.
We began working outside, as it was summer and the weather was warm and beautiful. We lived on 2 acres on a little farm, about an hour from Seattle. We had ducks and geese and huge gardens and we loved our life in this wonderful area. We started making the Fairy Castle just from our imagination....working with the various pieces of driftwood and gnarled and twisted branches and vines that we had found to create the base of the Castle, letting the design and line of each branch tell us what to do, how to make the basic structure of the Castle. Day after day, we continued working on the Castle, adding branches, vines, roots, etc. We worked all day, nearly every day, as the deadline for the Folklife Festival was nearing. Later adding the walls of the rooms, the tiny, intricate furnishings and all of the other elaborate detail, the Castle was finished, after 3 months of work and excitement, creating our wonderful masterpiece.
Later, we were contacted by the American Visionary Art Museum as they had also heard of our work. The museum was having it"s first opening exhibit and they wanted to purchase some of our small nature furniture; they chose 75 of our best pieces for their opening gala dinner which was given for all of the corporate contributors. The museum also asked to have our Fairy Castle in their first show, "The Tree of Life". It was a very, very exciting opportunity.
The fairyhouse has 14 rooms, all amazingly furnished with tiny chairs and tables, beds and dressers....little books, brooms, dishes, paintings, sculptures, and has so much detail and incredible embellishment everywhere you look.....people find themselves looking at the Fairy Castle for hours. There are stairways that wander all throughout the Fairy Castle, going in different directions. There are secret, hidden rooms, towers, balconies, flower boxes, gardens, pathways and at the very top, a wonderful observatory. The Fairy Castle has many interesting architectural wonders about it....being angular and very different in it"s design, it is very captivating to walk around it and see all the different directions that it goes.
It truly is a wonderful, amazing and inspiring work of art.
We did not plan anything in creating the Fairy Castle; it simply emerged and grew, as if it were something wonderful from the earth that bloomed, naturally. Mike and I had been collecting and foraging "gifts" from nature for years and had a huge menagerie of natural materials to use. We had been asked to participate in the Seattle Folklife Festival, one of Washington state"s largest art festivals. They were planning a special miniature exhibit and had heard of our small nature art; they wanted us to create a large house of some kind, completely made from nature. We were thrilled to be asked to be in the Folklife Festival and to have the chance to make a piece that would be larger than our usual works.
We began working outside, as it was summer and the weather was warm and beautiful. We lived on 2 acres on a little farm, about an hour from Seattle. We had ducks and geese and huge gardens and we loved our life in this wonderful area. We started making the Fairy Castle just from our imagination....working with the various pieces of driftwood and gnarled and twisted branches and vines that we had found to create the base of the Castle, letting the design and line of each branch tell us what to do, how to make the basic structure of the Castle. Day after day, we continued working on the Castle, adding branches, vines, roots, etc. We worked all day, nearly every day, as the deadline for the Folklife Festival was nearing. Later adding the walls of the rooms, the tiny, intricate furnishings and all of the other elaborate detail, the Castle was finished, after 3 months of work and excitement, creating our wonderful masterpiece.
Later, we were contacted by the American Visionary Art Museum as they had also heard of our work. The museum was having it"s first opening exhibit and they wanted to purchase some of our small nature furniture; they chose 75 of our best pieces for their opening gala dinner which was given for all of the corporate contributors. The museum also asked to have our Fairy Castle in their first show, "The Tree of Life". It was a very, very exciting opportunity.
The fairyhouse has 14 rooms, all amazingly furnished with tiny chairs and tables, beds and dressers....little books, brooms, dishes, paintings, sculptures, and has so much detail and incredible embellishment everywhere you look.....people find themselves looking at the Fairy Castle for hours. There are stairways that wander all throughout the Fairy Castle, going in different directions. There are secret, hidden rooms, towers, balconies, flower boxes, gardens, pathways and at the very top, a wonderful observatory. The Fairy Castle has many interesting architectural wonders about it....being angular and very different in it"s design, it is very captivating to walk around it and see all the different directions that it goes.
It truly is a wonderful, amazing and inspiring work of art.
"The Fairy Treehouse, amazing sculptural forest dwelling created from nature"
Not For Sale
"The Fairy Treehouse, Beautiful Bathroom, Print"
Photography
Not For Sale
"The Fairy Treehouse, Kitchen, Little Forest Stove, Print"
Photography
Not For Sale
"The Fairy Treehouse, Detail of Bedroom, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Castle and the Fairy Treehouse, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, Living Room, detail, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, Detail Photo of Foest Bedroom, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, the Observatory, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, Enchanted Dreaming Bedroom, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, Woodland Windowand Flower Boxes, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, The Upper and Lower Dining Rooms, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, The Lower Dining Room, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, Little Forest Elf's Kitchen, Print"
Photography
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"The Fairy Treehouse, The Music Room and Library, Print"
Photography
Not For Sale
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