Clea Cregan of Miniscapes at her Brunswick studio.
A Miniscapes terrarium!
Terrariums in waiting
It’s so weird how the world works in cycles. When I was a wide-eyed kid straight out of uni, trying my hardest to get a job in the film industry, I ended up doing a kind of extended stint of work experience at Melbourne film production company Exit Films. It was all a bit daunting because Exit did amazing work for pretty big clients, and you know, work experience is kinda scary and you always feel like you’re asking too many questions. But, if you’re lucky, there’s usually one really nice person who you buddy up with, and it’s that person you feel you can ask when you have no idea how to work the photocopier or coffee machine? Well, in 2002, Clea Cregan was that person for me!
Clea hadn’t been at Exit Films very long when I bumbled in… and she was so patient and kind and gave me jobs to do and made me feel like I was being helpful! Who would have thought nearly 10 years later, I’d be writing a blog post about her burgeoning little business making bespoke terrariums? :)
Miniscapes started as a hobby for Clea about five years ago whilst she was still working fulltime in the film industry. She was instantly hooked by the tactile nature of the craft – working with her hands and making something beautiful, organic and sustainable. After she’d basically filled her whole house with her creations (and any glass vessel she could get her hands on!), Clea started taking orders. It wasn’t long before she was fielding requests from workplaces, events companies and local restaurants. All this tied in well with the birth of her son Harlan (now 2) – she took a little time off work, and before long Miniscapes began to fill the void!
Clea’s work is full of such beautiful details – of course each terrarium is filled with layers of rich soil, moss and lush leaves, but there are also tiny little characters hiding amongst the foliage! I especially love her work for the Australian Open VIP lounge – complete with miniature tennis players battling it out on that distinctive blue tennis court!
This week Clea has just installed some of her gorgeous work in a window display at Monk House Design in Brunswick – it’ll be up for the next 2 weeks, and she’s also got a few pieces for sale in there too! Do pop in and check them out! Miniscapes also has a super cute blog where you can keep up with Clea’s latest creations and inspiration.
Huge thanks to Clea for her time with this interview, and for being so nice to me in 2002. :)
