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A Scottish artist has created amazing mini sculptures of iconic pubs and other buildings. Her favourite piece of art she has made is a model of one of Scotland's most iconic music venues. Karen Bones from Culross in Fife started to craft the unique artworks around four years ago, after spending years working in pubs. After seeing a 3D printed sculpture of a building on the internet, she attempted it herself using recycled cardboard. Bones created a local cafe, Coorie by the Coast in Dunfermline , and gifted it to the business. The design quickly started gaining attention, with the artist soon receiving numerous commissions. She created miniature replicas of her favourite buildings in her original hometown of Glasgow . Among these are some of the city's oldest pubs such as The Laurieston and The Scotia, as well as iconic concert venues like the Barrowland Ballroom. Bones commented: "It was someone that I'd seen online that does them, and I discovered that he 3D prints them. I wondered if I could do it myself, just using rudimentary materials rather than a 3D printer. "I'd been an illustrator for years and worked in the pub trade alongside that, so when we went into COVID and the pubs shut down, I had a lot more time on my hands. I started to illustrate the pubs and then started doing 3D ones as well. "The first one was just made out of cardboard, and it was very basic, but it was really good fun—and it kind of took off from there. The first one was Coorie by the Coast, who I had done some illustrations for previously. "It's just such a beautiful building, and then I gifted it to them as a thank you. They put it behind the counter, so everyone saw it when they came in. "I was based at the market in Culross every Sunday, so then I had lots of people coming along to see if I had any others, and the commissions started coming from there." Bones, who has a degree in illustration from Duncan Jordanstone College of Art and Design, spends between two days and two weeks on each piece. She makes use of recycled materials such as cardboard, coffee stirrers, straws, lids, and beads. Bones added: "The ideas come from anywhere I go. I'm an absolute nightmare to go on holiday with now, because I'll go and my phone will be full of interesting buildings "An average one can take a couple of days, but really big detailed ones can take a couple of weeks. Building the base can be done in a few hours, but it's building up all the layers on top of that and the tiny wee details that take time." Bones sometimes receives requests for her to recreate wedding venues, family homes, and even buildings that are no longer standing. Each piece is shared on her Instagram, @bricksandbones_scotland. According to the artist, her favourite sculpture is her recreation of the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow. The artwork is a faithful recreation of the legendary venue, including working lights in the shape of its iconic sign. Bones continued: "I think my favourite is probably still one of the first ones I've done, the Barrowlands. It's so iconic, and it's the one that everyone recognises—and it's the first one I had that was lit up, which was really tricky to do. "I'm from Glasgow, so I have a real connection to a lot of the places. Even though I don't live in Glasgow anymore, I'm there quite a lot. "When I wander about, I look at places now with a new eye—places that I walked past a million times." Bones' sculptures can be spotted across Glasgow in windows at The Laurieston or behind the bar at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. She believes each piece is a labour of love, and is hoping to continue creating sculptures for many years. She said: "I'm loving what I'm doing. Each one is completely different. "I like the fact that I can make something from people's memories that they can have to keep. It doesn't matter if it's a council house or a stately home; they're all done with a story behind it and a part of me in it." Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - sign up to the Scotland Now newsletter here .
