Rosie Tonkin

How would you describe your work?

I'm an artist working predominantly in miniatures for TV and animation.

I specialise in model-making and painting, but my work spans across puppetry, sewing, art fabrication, styling and production design. I draw and paint in my spare time, and I am particularly interested in nature and tactile connections.

Can you walk us through the process of conceptualizing and crafting the globe?

I began by sketching out a design of the front and above view of the diorama inside the globe to give a rough size guide for me to sculpt from. I then sculpted the mountains and landscape onto a special material designed to withstand submersion in water.

The frozen lake was made by pouring clear resin into a hollowed out shape in the disc, swirling delicate white patterns through it to echo the intricate ice designs found in Canada’s lakes. 

For the figures, I drew inspiration from videos and images of Carlotta and Elladj skating together, capturing their graceful movement in the pose. Each figure was sculpted and painted individually, allowing for more detailed work.

Once they were complete, I joined their hands together, securing them into tiny holes drilled into the resin, anchoring them to the frozen lake below. The whole diorama was then coated with lacquer before being submerged in the glass dome filled with a special mix of snowy water - then sealed tight.

The base was turned from a solid block of ash on a lathe, then stained and waxed to bring out its natural beauty. A small brass plaque was set into the wood before fixing the glass dome into the base.

Were there any challenges in designing such a unique piece?

Because the figures are so small, the limbs of their bodies all had to have wire the thickness of a strand of hair drilled through the middle to help prevent them breaking.

The glass dome of the snow globe also causes some interesting magnification effects. The initial design I created appeared perfect before it was placed inside the glass, yet the ice skates—such a crucial detail—were barely visible.

I had to remake the landscape higher, and angled forwards to make sure it was all visible enough once underwater and within the glass. It was a real process of trial and error.

What is your favourite scale to model (e.g miniature, lifesized, giant) and why?

I used to make much larger sculptures and installations, and do still occasionally work on big props, but prefer the challenge of replicating things in miniature. You have to think creatively about how to make realistic textures and shapes, but smaller, and that can be quite fun.

I end up collecting strange shaped lids, bottles and beads because they can be incredibly useful to repurpose into other things. Thankfully, even when making miniatures, they do often need large sets and backdrops to be made for them so I still get to work on a range of scales.

Every day is different, a new puzzle to solve.

What is your favourite part of the winter season?

I love crisp, clear, winter days around February or March when the first flowers are pushing through the soil and spring feels within reach. I grew up in the countryside in Sussex, where you can see the seasons changing vividly through the colours of the leaves and sky.

These days I love cycling along the Thames on cold sunny days like this, looking out over an expanse of open space in such a built up city. It gives me a little feeling of freedom.

Can you describe your favourite scent?

I love anything woody, earthy, and smoky. Something that reminds me of camping and the outdoors, where I'd almost always rather be.