SALEM — Artists Robie and Patty Bonner are bringing the Witch City to Ocala, Fla.
Robie constructed a series of miniature replicas of famous Salem landmarks, starting with the Hocus Pocus house on Ocean Street, before moving on to the Ropes Mansion, the Witch House, the Witch Museum and Pioneer Village.
“When I first traveled with Patty, the history stood out to me,” said Robie, a Florida native and retired police officer. “It’s just fascinating, the amount of history there.”
“I have always loved the history and architecture in Salem. In Florida, everything looks the same. In Salem, every house is different,” said Patty a business owner, who was born in Salem and spent the first 34 years of her life there.
Robie began building models after his retirement, starting out with model ships.
To construct Salem landmarks, he estimates the measurements of the buildings based on pictures he finds on the internet.
“I kinda eyeball it,” said Robie. “I just take my ruler and start drawing it on a piece of balsa wood and cut it. From there I put the windows in, doors in, put slats on.”
His sculpture of the Witch Museum (his personal favorite) also features clay, which Robie said was “challenging but the most fun he’s had.
“There’s a lot of trial and error,” he said. “Because when you eyeball something, you can be off by five or six feet of what the actual dimensions are.”
The process of building one of the miniatures usually takes Robie a month or two.
Patty is also an artist. While she hasn’t lived in Salem since 1998, many of her pieces focus on the city.
“I miss Salem so much,” she said. “Real estate prices prevent us from moving back up, but I would love to go back.”
One of her pieces,”Trick or Treating in Salem,” is on display in the Halloween museum in downtown Salem.
“I absolutely love them,” said Patty of Robie’s models. “And I knew they’d be a sensation. I just think they’re beautiful pieces of art.”
The reception has been significant, with one of the posts racking up thousands of likes on social media, Robie said, spurred on by the interest in Salem-themed art around the Halloween season.
Both artists would like to see the miniatures displayed in Salem. He has reportedly received offers to sell the pieces, but is yet to sell
Robie’s next project is a miniature of the House of the Seven Gables.
