How can you make Alice in Wonderland a still life for your art project?

Answer 1

To make an Alice in Wonderland still life, you could gather together objects which appear in the Alice books and arrange them into an attractive composition (then draw them as with any other still life.) You might like to also include a copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as a cue to the viewer that what they are seeing is Alice themed. (You could display the book open, so that it seems as though the related objects have spilled out of it.)

Objects which appear in Alice's Adventures in Wonderlandwhich you could choose from include:

• daisies/daisy chain
• a pocket watch
• a waistcoat
• a jar of orange marmalade
• a pile of leaves
• a (tiny golden) key
• a bottle (marked 'drink me')
• a small cake (marked 'eat me')
• a pair of white kid gloves
• a fan
• a thimble
• some pebbles
• thistle(s)
• mushroom(s)
• a hookah
• a pepper grinder
• tea cups and saucers
• a milk jug
• a teapot
• a tin of treacle*
• white roses
• red paint and brushes
• red roses
• playing cards
• a flower pot
• a Trumpet
• a scroll
• a plate of tarts
• a piece of bread and butter
• a top hat
• a crown
• a judge's wig
• spectacles

* The tin of treacle doesn't actually appear in the book, but the Dormouse tells a story in which treacle is the subject of three girls who are learning how to draw, so it might be appropriate to include it.

Alice did not quite know what to say to this: so she helped herself to some tea and bread-and-butter, and then turned to the Dormouse, and repeated her question. `Why did they live at the bottom of a well?'

The Dormouse again took a minute or two to think about it, and then said, `It was a treacle-well.'

...

`And so these three little sisters--they were learning to draw, you know--'

`What did they draw?' said Alice, quite forgetting her promise.

`Treacle,' said the Dormouse, without considering at all this time.

...

Alice did not wish to offend the Dormouse again, so she began very cautiously: `But I don't understand. Where did they draw the treacle from?'

`You can draw water out of a water-well,' said the Hatter; `so I should think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well--eh, stupid?'

The Dormouse goes on to talk about other things which the girls are learning to draw:

`They were learning to draw,' the Dormouse went on, yawning and rubbing its eyes, for it was getting very sleepy; `and they drew all manner of things--everything that begins with an M--'

`Why with an M?' said Alice.

`Why not?' said the March Hare.

Alice was silent.

The Dormouse had closed its eyes by this time, and was going off into a doze; but, on being pinched by the Hatter, it woke up again with a little shriek, and went on: `--that begins with an M, such as mouse-traps, and the moon, and memory, and muchness-- you know you say things are "much of a muchness"--did you ever see such a thing as a drawing of a muchness?'

You might like to refer to the things beginning with an M. You could put in a mousetrap and a picture of the moon (but 'memory' and 'muchness' might be more difficult to represent.)

It might be amusing to include some doll's house furniture to indicate Alice's changes in size and to play with the idea of scale. A miniature dining table and chairs could be used to represent the mad tea party for example.

There are of course a great many animals in Alice in Wonderland. If you happen to have access to any taxidermied animals the inclusion of a real white rabbit would make an interesting and sinister inclusion which would provide both an exciting texture in the form of the fur and an artistic allusion to Jan Svankmajer's art film of Alice's adventures.

In the absence of stuffed animals, you might want to include good naturalistic models of the animals featured in the story. These include:

• the White Rabbit
• the Mouse
• the Dodo
• the Lory
• the Eaglet
• the Duck
• Bill the Lizard
• the Caterpillar
• a pigeon
• the Fish Footman
• the Frog Footman
• the Cheshire Cat
• the March Hare
• the Dormouse
• the pig
• the puppy
• the flamingoes
• the hedgehogs

In order to broaden your options you might also like to include objects from Through the Looking Glass, such as a Chess board and chess pieces.

Of course I wouldn't suggest that you use all of these objects. This is just intended to give you a selection to choose from. You might want to focus on the ones which are the most typically Alicey or you might prefer to select a single moment from the story and portray that. You could set up a table to represent the mad tea party for example or, if you have access to a doll's house, use a doll to replicate the moment when Alice becomes stuck at the White Rabbit's.

An idea which you might like to borrow is that of the Wonderland Expedition Kit. The premise is that an explorer has visited Wonderland and brought back samples which they discovered there in a large box or small suitcase. To see the original kit and a discussion thread proposing ideas for kit contents follow the related links below.

Finally I would like to draw your attention to a painting posted online by an artist who made her own Alice in Wonderland still life. Perhaps it will provide you with inspiration. To see the painting follow the related link below.