Robert Bower

Artist Biography:
I first started making miniatures a few years ago when my daughter asked me to build my granddaughter a dollhouse. I made a colonial seacaptain's house with a widow's walk from scratch. Then, my daughter wanted me to make all the furniture for it because she could not find any early american pieces that were done in a plain style--the kind of beds and furniture that you would find in an average person's home in Maine during colonial times. I am retired now and my daughter suggested that I make dollhouse furniture as hobby to sell online. Because I do enjoy making the pieces, I decided to do just that. I have a wood-working shop in my garage. I make all the wooden furniture and accessories completely from scratch beginning with a 2 x 4 piece of pine. I use power equipment, such as a full-size table saw and scroll saw, to cut my pieces. I find inspiration for my pieces from the magazine "Early American Life," and from the PBS television show "Antique Roadshow." I am drawn to Early American/Colonial pieces simply because they are interesting. The craftsmen in those times were very talented and creative. I first became interested in american history in college (University of Maine, 1959) after taking several history courses. Before retirement, I was a career military officer in the U.S. Army. My last rank was that of Major. In the military, I was a helicopter pilot and a flight instructor. After that, I owned and operated a sub sandwich shop for several years, and lastly before retiring, I worked in an office at a local trucking company.