What did the panda say to the bamboo on Halloween? Bambooooo! Along with his panda collection, Matt also has a healthy bamboo plant which he adorns with Christmas ornaments when the season strikes. It makes for a perfect refuge for his peaceful panda pals in his home. Which one is your fav?

In honor of my dear friend and panda enthusiast Matt, I’m excited to debut the next Tinyscapes ABQ series: “Panda Pals!” It’s panda-monium how much Matt adores pandas. No, really. He tells me his fascination started when he was in 8th grade and went on a field trip to Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. It was there that Matt saw his beary first panda, and, as he recalls, sparked his never-ending infatuation with these charming creatures. Matt and I took a day to conduct a thorough inventory of his panda collection which consists of an array of stuffies, a mug, LEGOs®, clothes and even the teensy-tiniest panda on earth. Bear with us as we take a closer look at Matt’s favorite black and white buds.

As destiny would have it, our space friends finally meet on their journey! Do you think it’ll be a friendly encounter?

This team of astronauts is unAPOLLOgetic about their exploration. Do you think they’ll meet our green friends?

Did you know New Mexico is known for our hot springs? It’s no wonder too because your favorite green friends have found just the spot to rest their traveling bones. 

Next up in the Weems’ space friends series, these green friends are out to explore their new environment. What do you think they’ll do next?

This series is dedicated to my friends Dathan, Jessica, Bennett and Barrett Weems who gave me their collection of space friends to use for Tinyscapes ABQ! These two green creatures came in for a landing and are looking for a true NM adventure. Follow along to see where they go... and who they’ll meet!

Did you know tiny Brock Lesnar is a studious CNM library patron? In the spirit of fun facts, did you also know that Lesnar is the only person to hold championships in the NCAA, UFC and WWE? 

I’m always drawn to water because it adds a sparkly dimension to any image. These tiny giraffes found just the right spot in the Santa Fe plaza for a sip and a splash!

It’s hard to not visit the Santa Fe Native American Vendors Program at the Palace of the Governors, even if you’re tiny giraffes. While I was staging and photographing this installation, a few passerby stopped to look at what I was doing. John smoothly stepped in to tell them about Tinyscapes ABQ. I felt like a famous street photog for a day! 

As if a cactus wasn’t intimidating enough... what would you do if you ran into one full of predator cats? I just love the color palette in these images. At quick glance, the cats look almost like little prickly pear cactus flowers. 

Have you ever noticed how the city of Albuquerque Tiguex Park typeface looks like it’s right out of Jurassic Park? It seems only natural that these tiny dinos would greet you at its entrance. This park is special to me because I came to Tiguex one week before I launched Tinyscapes ABQ to sketch up the concept. I’m grateful to have beautiful spaces around ABQ like Tiguex to relax and be inspired. 

I just love the bright and celebratory colors in this mosaic at the Old Town entrance. I find it a perfect backdrop for these equally vibrant and colorful dinos to enjoy a Friday morning sit. While I was photographing this installation, a lovely tourist sat down beside the dinos, completely unaware of me or my tiny friends. I paused for a moment and then said hello. She looked up and and laughed, “Who put those there?” That’s the kind of reaction that just tickles me and the reason I continue to find spaces for Tinyscapes ABQ: encouraging people to see the unexpected.

I realized today that I don’t really notice sidewalk cracks. It’s a shame too because I’ll never know when I might miss a herd of zebra buddies. 🦓🦓 I love how this project helps me see a different side of ordinary objects and spaces. Suddenly a mundane sidewalk crack becomes the sturdy foundation for an art installation. What a thrilling yet also cathartic experience it is each time I’m able to flip my perspective for a moment. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to use my imagination - that is a luxury that I don’t take lightly.

Bob may be tiny but he’s got big problems. Can’t you just see a tiny van rolling around to pick him up to start over? How will the van see him?

One of Toney’s passions is horticulture and it shows in his salon at Compositionhair which is full of beautiful potted plants in nearly every corner. He has a couple of figures already in this planter, can you spot them?

Toney has this set of shelves in his entryway at Compositionhair. Every time I visit, he’s switched around the items on his shelf in an interesting and beautiful way. 

I went to visit my good friend and talented hair stylist Toney at Compositionhair and of course took the opportunity to set up some Tinyscapes in his space. Toney is in his first year at UNM School of Architecture and Planning. He’s a natural creative and remarkable designer so he’s been killing it in school so far. This is one of his models from last semester: it’s a meditation pavilion for UNM physicists to contemplate while overlooking the Bosque. Can you find the mosquito who serendipitously landed to give us a sizing scale?

This one was entirely staged by John at the Bosque Trail viewing structure. Lego man is teaching tiny John Cena about the history of Tinyscapes ABQ! Do you recognize the polaroid Lego man is holding? It’s the very first Tinyscapes installation: Tree Bridge!

I keep trying to find ways to bring these teeny tiny guys out into the world. They’re the tiniest sized figures we have in the inventory so they really need their own special scape. Any ideas where else to set them up?

Because gnomes have birthday parties too! This one completely melts my heart thinking that even gnomes can gather to celebrate one agnomeother. I hope you get to have a cherished moment like the first two are having together today. 

Sandy’s LEGO® friends are back for a sunny summer afternoon!

This was one of the most high maintenance staging yet! That makes sense because these beautiful giraffes are artists and they just want to focus on their work. Do you like John’s touch on the easel?

Remember this kitty from the duck pond series? Now you can see where he calls home. What a view he has right on the river. The Bosque probably makes for an easy commute in the morning too. Just hope he doesn’t forget his life vest!

John and I spent some time staging a new Tinyscapes series at the Paseo del Bosque open space trail. You’ll get a peek at each viewing box with its own set of characters on each subsequent post. These dinos are having a party with a view. Who do you think will win this friendly game of cards?

Tinyscapes Taos 6
The gang’s all here for this one! Doesn’t it look like the lil bear is on a great journey?

Tinyscapes Taos 5
I’m so glad I packed this tiny version of Casa Gallina’s exact bridge! While shooting this one, I had a surprise visitor. Can you spot the nosy black lab? He suddenly appeared through my lens, maybe he wanted to try the tiny bridge too?

This one is an homage to my best friend Laurel who is a NM native living in Maine. While visiting Taos, we had plans to go to this adorable coffee and chocolate shop called Chokola to share a flight of mousse and then cheekily leave behind a tiny moose (get it? Moose because she’s from Maine and also mousse? Yes, we’re hilarious.) But as plans go, instead, we just laid around in the grass at our BnB giggling. These moose mates are having a similar whimsical experience perched atop Casa Gallina‘s pretty blue door with no agenda, just enjoying the sunshine together. I treasure moments in the sunshine with Laurel, even if there’s no mousse. 

One special thing about Casa Gallina is that the owner teaches Tango lessons out of this casita! It comes with gorgeous wood floors and decked out with a high tech sound system. Naturally, tiny John Cena wanted to take advantage of this perk with his fairy friend.

Tinyscapes Taos edition 2
Now you can see where the gnome was hauling his apple dinner: to share with his buddies in their hidden garden gnome dining area of course! Casa Gallina has a vast garden that they share with their guests (and gnomes). 

Tinyscapes Taos edition 1
My bestie Laurel and I stayed at the most lovely bed and breakfast in Taos called Casa Gallina. They have immaculate casitas among an orchard, garden, chickens and even a meditation hut! It was an ideal property for gnomes to find dinner. Also, the owner has the sweetest little dog named “Madu” - can you spot her in the background?

I’ve always admired these rock formations opposite Dane Smith Hall at UNM from afar. I’ve seen people climb them to the top or wait for their rides under their shade. Seemed fitting that these dinos would set up their kingdom within the many nooks and crannies offered up. 

John was able to finesse this little guy to float to get the first Tinyscapes on water! I couldn’t wait to post these to show you because I’m loving the reflections, lighting and John’s serious skills to get this fella floating!

This little cove at the UNM Duck Pond looks like the quintessential lazy summer day spot, especially the day right before UNM started. Some of my favorite days working and going to school at UNM were the very last moments of summer. We staged the mouse complete with his life vest and floppy hat for sun protection of course. Note: the life vest doesn’t live up to its name. This poor guy nearly drowned a few times in the rapids. 

This installation brings me so many giggles because not only is it tiny John Cena and tiny Brock Lesner but John staged this one with a tiny chair! Just perfect. Shout out to the hard worker at Jackson Wink MMA who let us take over the sidewalk for this itsy bitsy fight. 

I’m grateful that I got to join my talented friend Rudy while he hosted his second “Paint by Vino” this past weekend with friends and family. This dino is just about ready to begin his masterpiece alongside Rudy, he just needs his paint and brush! Oh, and a canvas too...

Also, John gave me this tiny easel - he found it at Michaels! I just about keeled over with cuteness overload when he gave it to me.

For the final LEGO® series dedicated to my friend Sandy who lent me her daughter’s LEGOs, I bring you my favorite thing about her: her enormously crafty and creative side! Sandy can craft ANYTHING, from homemade envelopes to decorative banners made from shipping material. She even has an entire room devoted to her crafting. I imagine that room is the most colorful space with beautiful arrays of fabrics, paper and everything crafty. My favorite thing she’s ever made for me and John is this whimsical bouquet of pinwheels for our wedding! We will always treasure this bouquet so we display it proudly in our home. Thank you, Sandy!

LEGO® Series 5 dedicated to my friend Sandy who lent me her daughter’s LEGOs.

Nearly every day, Sandy brings her breakfast, lunch and snacks beautifully displayed in her collection of varied sized mason jars. Her food is not only healthy and nutritious - think: raw veggies - but also with a charmingly Pinterest-worthy aesthetic.

LEGO® Series 4 dedicated to my friend Sandy who lent me her daughter’s LEGOs.

Sandy is the single most US Postal Service-knowledgeable person I know. She knows the exact postage cost for any weight, dimension and type of mail you want to send by heart. I’m always impressed with her unmatched efficiency for getting our mail sent and delivered for the best price. Also a special thank you to Meena Lee for sending us this beautiful postcard from Maine.

LEGO® Series 3 dedicated to my friend Sandy who lent me her daughter’s LEGOs.

I don’t know anyone who’s a better patron of the public library than Sandy. She absolutely LOVES (with a capital L) to read which is probably why she is so intelligent and has so many delightful facts to share with us at any given moment. 

LEGO® Series 2 dedicated to my friend Sandy who lent me her daughter’s LEGOs.

I know Sandy loves her early morning walks through her pretty neighborhood. I imagine on one of these, she’s seen a family teaching their kid to learn how to ride a bike through the quiet streets. Perhaps at one time she and her husband Peter lovingly taught their daughters to ride bikes as well. 🚲 

The LEGO® Series, starting with “kitchen aides” is dedicated to my friend Sandy who lent me her daughter’s LEGOs for Tinyscapes. These images reflect the many hobbies and talents that Sandy possesses, starting first with baking. Sandy brings in the most delicious and exquisite baked goods to share with all of us at Albuquerque Community Foundation. I know it’s going to be a great day when she bakes for us because she bakes with not only expertise but love.

I joined my mom for a late morning service at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church one Sunday morning. She was so inspired by the beautiful stained glass that she suggested we sneak back into the chapel after the service was over to set up an installation. She and my niece Anna Michelle gave me these fairies a couple months ago to encourage me to create my own fairy garden. Thanks to them, I have and will continue to create fairy gardens around Albuquerque. This one we created together, stair stepping their way up to see the bright windows above.

Also, can you spot their camel friend?

I see this wall of ivy nearly every day because it’s a block away from our home. I’ve admired its changing colors through the seasons and have been wanting to photograph this spot for awhile now. Naturally, I picked it for an installation with tiny gorillas in a military Jeep. You probably can’t tell from the images but this was a particularly stormy day and John and I had trouble securing the Jeep against the severe weather. This wall is about 20 feet directly off of busy Wyoming Blvd traffic so while I crouched down in the middle of the street, John stood guard. I’m so lucky to have a partner who would stop traffic in a storm for the sake of an effective far away image of tiny gorillas driving their tiny Jeep.

Note: John staged the Jeep with a rock wedged just under the driver's side tire. This was such a brilliant tiny decision because it gives a real off-roading effect, don’t you think?

This installation took place on one of the hottest days of summer 2018 (my car’s temperature gauge clocked in at 110°), so it felt fitting to stage a hot and dry desert scape. It almost seems as though these hot tiny cats are melting as they venture across the sunny canyon.

I met a kind stranger and her sweet dog while photographing that day. She told me that my work reminded her of Mrs. James Ward Thorne’s “68 Miniature Rooms” at the Chicago Museum of Art. Thorne’s work is immaculate and borderline obsessively detailed. Her realistic tiny rooms are expertly displayed complete with every single home accessory, even tiny chandeliers! Although I am inspired (and perhaps a little infatuated) with Thorne’s work, Tinyscapes ABQ pales in comparison to her brilliance.

This is likely my favorite installation so far (mind you at the time I write this I’ve only photographed 19 of 101) because of the colors, lines, and, let’s face it, sheer cuteness factor of these gnome buddies marching together one by one. I’m sure my fellow Burqueños would agree that this very Instagramable colorful fence downtown makes for the perfect gnome commute. I wonder how they celebrate the end of a hard day’s work? Gnoming them, there’s likely a tiny brew waiting for them at the end of the workday.

While I was photographing, I heard a someone yell, “Tinyscapes ABQ!” I turned around to find my buddy Sofia Sanchez driving by. Thanks for the love, Sofia!

Before you point out the obvious, let me just say that fairies don’t need rackets to play tennis because they have their fabulous wings. In fact, the tennis ball is secondary to their tizzy of flight: that’s how you play fairy tennis.

Before staging this installation, I realized I arrived unprepared without a tennis ball. Luckily, I met a couple of kind strangers (this seems to happen often thanks to so many kind strangers!), in the adjacent court who not only lent but gave me a tennis ball of my very own. They did seem a little confused however when instead of a human-sized racket, I pulled out a couple tiny fairies and proceeded to lay on the court in awkward ways to photograph them. I should probably start bringing a banner to set up next to our future shoots, “eccentric photographer at work” but maybe that goes without saying?

Who doesn’t love a picnic in the park? These two buddies are gnome exception to the summertime tradition. I set up this installation on a late afternoon at the park by our house and it was truly hard to find a spot that’s wasn’t bustling with sunscreen-clad kids and families. I loved that right after staging this, these guys look right at gnome in the shade, like they could spend weekends just watching the park action unfold around them.

After John and I set up this installation, a boy and his parents walked by and only the boy noticed the animals. He was so excited to show his parents, like it was a little secret only he could see. His reaction is exactly why I started this project: to encourage childlike mindfulness in all of us. Mission accomplished!

John and I love having brunch at Flying Star Cafe on Sundays and we always try to snag a table next to this zen fountain on their “Petio.” This installation is especially fun for me because my family would visit my Grammy and Grandpa in Montreat, North Carolina every summer growing up. One of my fondest memories was rock-hopping through the Montreat creek with my siblings. I like to imagine these creatures rock-hopping together on a summer day, playfully splashing each other to stay cool.

One of my favorite things during each of the editing phases of tinyscapes is that the portrait images give the viewer the same perspective as the tiny subjects. I just love the textures, lighting and contrasting colors of the animals in “rock climbers” against the stacked rock column.

John and I are always amazed with how we can get away with staging tinyscapes in public places. This rock column is also at Flying Star Cafe and it was one of three installations we staged there on a Sunday morning. Don’t you think it’s strange that we were able to sneak behind dining patrons and serving staff to set up tiny figures without so much as a raised eyebrow? It’s probably John’s charming smile. No one questions a tall, dark, handsome stranger. I totally get it.

zeBrunch is the first of three installations John and I staged at Flying Star Cafe on a popular Sunday morning. That’s my plate of the “Ranch Breakfast” (with a blueberry pancake instead of toast in case you’re wondering) moments before I devoured it. We left the brunching creatures in the planter while we ate, almost as if we all came to enjoy a nice breakfast together.

This sweet little installation is staged just outside our gnome sweet gnome. I love leaving little Easter eggs for you to discover like the bright red mushrooms planted next to his table. Can you spot them?

Presenting the debut of 101 Tinyscapes ABQ installations! I love this tree in our front yard, maybe because it’s its own tinyscape: a small ecosystem within itself. I love imagining these tiny workers living and working within this tree, as if it’s a multi-use skyscraper in NYC.