In this episode, I’m talking about book nooks and how these small bookshelf worlds quietly sharpen our instincts as miniature painters and diorama builders. What started for me as a fun side hobby turned out to be a real training ground for composition, lighting, and visual storytelling. Working inside a fixed footprint teaches you how to edit, how to read light in a confined space, and how to guide a viewer’s eye through a single opening.

I also talk about how book nook culture grew, how it differs from traditional scale-modeling spaces, and why enclosed miniature worlds have fascinated people for centuries. Along the way, I share how they were a bridge to my first scratch-built box diorama, and the emotional pull of peering into tiny, contained scenes.

Why do so many miniature painters and modelers find beauty in death, rust, and ruins?

We’ll look at why decay fascinates us, through art history, neuroscience, and psychology:

In this episode I muse about what happens when we step into the world of the miniature.  Drawing on philosophy, psychology, and personal experience. I explore why small things linger in our minds, how scale shapes our perception of space, memory, and awe, and how these tiny worlds invite us to see differently.

In this episode, I examine whether skill-based levels like Standard and Masters in open system figure and modeling shows help—or quietly hurt—creativity. Stepping outside of miniature competitions I draw parallels from the fine art world, social structures, and even learning theory like the Dreyfus model.   I look at how labeling can limit growth, encourage conformity, and make people doubt the value of their work. This is a look at why some skill-based labels may not serve us as well as we think.  If you’ve ever felt boxed in by where your work “belongs” this one’s for you.  Let’s reimagine what it means to value artistic growth on its own terms.

In this episode of Her Shrink Ray Eye, I step back and ask: Where are the women in this hobby? From contest rooms to community groups women are underrepresented – but why?

I explore the question through multiple lenses: gender bias in the wider art world, cultural conditioning, marketing, subject matter preferences and how time, community, and visibility all play a role.  I bring in a sample of real data from five shows to highlight patterns of participation and absence.  This episode doesn’t give one simple answer --- instead, it opens a conversation.  If you’ve ever felt like there are more voices to be heard in this hobby, I hope this one gives you something to think about.

Its not just about being included – it’s about belonging.

What happens when a quiet kid who loved tiny cake decorations grows up to build box dioramas and shifts the lens onto a more thoughtful look inside the hobby.

In this debut episode I introduce myself – Joan, a painter, builder, and lifelong lover of small things.  Part origin story, part mission statement, it’s about art, memory, outsider perspective and the quiet power of seeing things differently.  Whether you’re a painter, a builder or just someone who loves miniatures ---this podcast is for you.