A Wee Piece of Home
Mini Inish
Handcrafted Irish Heritage Miniatures
Custom Commissions in Clay, Resin and Plaster mediums
Created in the heart of Derry City
I have created a range of handcrafted cultural and historical reproduction pieces with the aim of showcasing Ireland’s treasure trove of lesser celebrated heritage. If I can encourage discovery or conversation related to our rich prehistorical, historical and mythological heritage, my job is done! I am passionate about Irish history, but have equal love and respect for the Old Ways and customs. My aim is to create works that enlighten, celebrate and bring new life to both the traditional and esoteric gems that have been left to us here in Ireland across the ages. Ireland is dramatic, weather-beaten, battle-weary, magical, mystical, inspirational and ancient, Mini Inish is my own small way of exposing the wider world to its personal charms.
To find out more about my work, and background, please read on, and thankyou for stopping by.
Sláinte!
Mini Inish is the work of Derry City sculptor/Crafter, Ciaran Anderson.
Me!
The Heritage Range
An eclectic range of individually handcrafted Irish Heritage pieces
Please visit the Store to view the complete collection
Pieces are also available exclusively at these wonderful, independently owned stores in the Heart of Derry City:
The Sacred Tree in the Craft Village.
Little Acorns Bookstore on Great James’ Street.
The Process
Every single piece in this collection began life as a ball of waxed clay! Each piece is individually created by first sculpting a clay Master of the monument, artefact or historical site. This Master is then duplicated by way of the silicone molding process. The eventual piece is created in plaster form, via the silicone mold. This is when the real fun begins.
Each piece has its own specific colour palette and texturing requirements. In the pursuit of creating hyper-realistic stone and grass work, this can often be a laborious task before a satisfying finish is achieved. The highly authentic stone finish is created by applying specific wet-wash and dry-brush techniques honed over time, there are no shortcuts in this game! Many layers must be dry before overlaying, while others must be wet, to provide an end result that in your hand that feels, looks and weighs like a genuine stone artefact, even under close scrutiny. No brush strokes! I take great pride in producing this unique aesthetic, every single piece that I create receives the same level of attention to detail as the first. I love what I do and I hope it shows in the work I produce.
I am a one man operation from ball of clay to finished piece! This guarantees that every single Mini Inish item that is ordered will be mixed, molded, cured, wet-washed, dry-brushed, sealed, wrapped, boxed and shipped by me personally. No exceptions.
Custom Commissions
Making your vision a reality
If you have a favourite place or item, real or imagined, I can help you to bring it into reality. My bespoke work is created with the mediums of ceramic clay, resins, woodwork and static grasses. In many cases all of the above! Nothing is more satisfying than seeing an idea on paper, or even discussed in a chat, come to life.
The level of detail and aesthetic that can be achieved with ceramic clay is exceptional in comparison to the Plasterwork Range. Without the limitations of molding processes, the possibilities are endless.
I have created pieces as diverse in range and subject as Neolithic monument scale reproductions, 12th Century castle ruins, large scale Stone Circles, Ancient Lake Forts, Prehistoric Caves, 15th Century Crannogs (complete with realistic lake surroundings), statement pieces inspired by mythological figures and events, famed mountain ranges, and all manner of Faerie Trees, Rings, Forts, Islands, Playgrounds, etc.
I have also created unique Wargaming set-pieces and Battle platforms. Nothing is off limits in either scale or scope.
To view some of my custom work please visit the Gallery.
To view previous commission work please visit the Gallery
About me…
Mini Inish is me! A very busy Dad and partner with a full-time dayjob outside of my beloved crafting. An obsession with Airfix as a youngster chased me into adulthood, and on a rainy night during the lockdown of 2020, while building an Airfix Spitfire with my son, I rediscovered my love for working with minute detail. The obsession soon kicked back in and I found myself being requested to build specifically commissioned vehicles, complete with custom paint-schemes. I loved scale modelling, and still do, butI had always wanted to create something from nothing, so to speak, and so began sculpting clay and foam, creating little terrain dioramas and replicas of local historical points of interest. Miniature trees have become something of a trademark for my work, the intricacy and delicacy required to construct them from natural materials appeals to my fanatical attention to detail! I found a joy in this that I can’t quite describe, and it hasn’t dimmed at all since that rainy night at the kitchen table with my boy.
I posted pictures of these projects on social media and was flabbergasted by the response! That was when the idea struck - I realised I could marry my passions, art and natural and historical conservation, to create awareness of the lesser celebrated heritage of Old Ireland, particularly from the border region between Derry and Donegal where I live. I’ve always felt that Donegal has been overlooked in the broader scope of Ireland’s recognised beauty, and I now saw an opportunity to recreate many of the unknown sites and artefacts that pepper the ‘Forgotten County’. I have a deep interest in the history of Ireland, especially that of Derry and Donegal, and saw my work as a chance to showcase the true hidden gems of the Counties. Each piece I produce is accompanied by a detailed information card in order to highlight the historical background and significance of each recreation. This is very important to me personally, these pieces are more than simply ornaments to me, they represent my tiny contribution to celebrating and illuminating Irish cultural curios that might otherwise be lost to the mists of time.
I intend to keep crafting and creating works for as long as I’m able, and I welcome any and all suggestions for sites and artefacts that people feel deserve recognition.
Some of my custom commissions are presently on display in Heritage Centres and Museums, this is something I am intensely proud of.
I continue to learn, every day, and sharpen the skillset, always hoping that people find even a fraction of the joy in owning one of my pieces, that I feel when I’m creating them. They are unique and personal.
If there is anything at all you’d like to ask me or suggest to me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the Contact tab. I’ll get back to you rapido! I will endeavour to update this site regularly as there is ALWAYS something going on around here! For now, thankyou so much for taking the time to read this, hopefully we’ll chat soon!
Go raibh maith agat!
Ciaran
