Artist Karen Bones creates miniature versions of Dunfermline venues

Karen Bones started working on the models after being inspired by the buildings in Culross. She said: “When I moved out to the east coast and started going to the village, I began drawing all the buildings, which kept me busy in the lockdown. I was just playing about in the house one day and I thought ‘I wonder if I could do something 3d.’

“The first one was done as a gift for Coorie by the Coast in Limekilns. I gifted it to them, and they put it behind the counter. I think that people loved it because it was so unusual.

Coorie by the Coast (Image: Submitted) “I’ve learned a lot since then, and found better ways of doing things, in terms of the materials and speeding up the process.”

Attention from the first few models led to a demand for more. She continued: “I’m friends with the people who own the Canmore in Dunfermline, and one of my first commissions was a model of their building.

 Canmore House (Image: Submitted) “Again, they put it in the bar and when people commented on it they would hand out my business card. Then I put a couple of things into the shop Pure Craft on Bruce Street.”

Pure Craft (Image: Submitted) Soon Ms Bones was asked to attend the Dunfermline City Artisan Market. She said: “After the market at the weekend, I got so many commissions coming in at once.

“I’ve been to Dunfermline so many times that I’ve got a lot of photographs on my phone anyway, particularly of the Abbey, because the archways and stuff always go down great.

“They’re beautiful to look at, but also great for me to work on too although they do take a lot of time because there’s so much detail.”

Dunfermline Abbey (Image: Submitted)

A lot of her work features popular city pubs. She continued: “I’ve worked in the bar trade for a very long time, so pubs are very dear to me.

Tappie Toories (Soon to become Monty's Rock Bar) (Image: Submitted) “Everybody has their favourite, and I’m actually working on the Creepy Wee Pub right now.

The Creepy Wee Pub (Image: Submitted) “I initially made the model as the business is now, then someone seen it and got in touch with me to buy it. They used to be the manager for years, and they asked if I could change it to be more like it was back then. That’s really interesting because it’s allowing them to see the place the way they remember it.”

Her work was even featured at Dunfermline Museum, in an exhibition about the life of the late local artist Joseph Noel Paton.

The model on display was of Wooers’ Alley Cottage, where the artist was raised.

Ms Bones said: “That was probably the biggest one I’ve done in terms of the time it took. I only had two drawings to work from, because the building was pulled down in the early 1900s.

"I really wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it, because it’s all about the detail. Then the woman who commissioned it got Stirling University involved, and they made a computer model of what they thought it would look like based on what they’d been told and different photographs.

Ms Bones described the model as her biggest challenge yet. (Image: Submitted) “I managed to get it done but it was the biggest challenge I’ve done so far.”

Discussing the process of building her models, she continued: “It’s all recycled cardboard that they’re made from. I build the basic shape and once it’s all built up, I add the details like windows and tiles before painting them.

“I tend to work on a few at the time because of the gluing process.

“What I started doing about six months ago is putting some in frames so you’re just getting the front of the building, which doesn’t take quite as much time.

“They’re a bit more economical and it means that it can straight on the customer’s wall just like a picture.

"I try to keep them as unique as possible so that people know they’ve bought something that’s a one off, because it makes it tat bit more special."

The Alhambra (Image: Submitted)