This cigar box was inspired by the Mercer Botanic Gardens, where I fell in love with a staircase that disappeared into the forest.
I really enjoy sculpting rock structures using paper clay, it’s so easy to create the effects I want.
I used polymer clay to create fern fronds and baked them on rolled up parchment paper to give them a bend.
Here I’m checking to see how they fit after baking and painting them. I use matte acrylic paints for my miniatures.
I also made some trees using dowel rods. I used a Dremel with the sander attachment and just went at them.
I used more paper clay to sculpt the trees in place with some roots.
I went with vegetation commonly found in the Houston area. In addition to the ground ferns, I made some variegated ginger, ground violets and turks cap.
I made the trumpet vine using polymer clay for the blooms and colored dried basil for the greenery.
I thought I was finished with the box and realized it needed some critters. I made all those flowers and decided I it needed a pollinator. I painted the swallowtail butterfly on parchment paper.
I made an itty bitty garter snake with polymer clay.
