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At the International Miniature Art Show in Dunedin, works small in scale pack the punch of creativity.
By BRANDY STARK
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 17, 2002
Jan Borgner says the secret, and the challenge, to making award-winning miniature artworks is very small brush strokes. Steady hands and a slow pace also help. A magnifying glass is almost certainly required.
"I've had people come up to me and say, 'You must knock those out in no time.' In truth, the miniatures take as long as, or longer than, the larger paintings I make," Borgner adds.
Her works are among the 900 miniature art pieces on display at the 27th International Miniature Art Show at the Dunedin Fine Art Center. The show is sponsored by the Miniature Arts Society of Florida. More than 350 artists entered to compete for $24,000 in prize money. All works must depict subjects on a scale one-sixth the natural size or smaller. Following this scale, the human head would measure a mere 11/2 inches.
Exhibitor Carin Wiseman was attracted to miniatures after moving to a smaller house where she found it difficult to hang her larger artworks. Impressed with the work of other miniaturists and already an experienced painter, she took additional lessons to learn to fashion art on a smaller scale.
"Now, I no longer have to have my paintings stacked 10 deep in the closet. Also, when done well, I find that the works are like holding a jewel. There is something magical about something that small."
Miniature art has ancient roots. The Greeks made minute murals, and medieval monks inked small illuminations to embellish manuscripts. Until the advent of photography, miniature portraits were commissioned and carried by gentry the world over. Though interest declined with technological advancement, the movement regained momentum in the first half of the 20th century.
Among the highlights of this year's show is William Mundy's Felicity Fuchs, which won a prize for its 3- by 33/4-inch depiction of a woman standing in front of a music score. Highlights shimmer in her light brown hair, and her eyes shine. She has smile lines around glossy lips, and diamond studs adorn her earlobes.
Eleanore Torr won a ribbon for Litoria Fallax, (2 by 1 inches), in which a green tree frog sits among raindrops on a purple leaf. John Hodgson captured a prize for a smiling Charles I (21/4 by 23/4 inches), and Rachelle Siegrist won one for for Memory Lane (4 by 2 inches), a rustic scene of an old wooden barn surrounded by forest.
Best of Show winner is Statuesque by Edward Dyas of Australia. A brightly robed man sits proudly on his horse, his eyes closed in contemplation. All that within a space of 3 by 51/4 inches.
As in previous years, demonstrations will be offered to the public. Noteworthy this year is English calligrapher and miniaturist Henry Saxon, who has painted miniatures since the 1940s. He will present some techniques at the Dunedin Fine Art Center at 11 a.m. Monday. There is no charge to attend. To find out about other scheduled events, contact Wally Curtis at (727) 796-3240.
27th International Miniature Art Show, Dunedin Fine Art Center, 1143 Michigan Blvd., Dunedin. Free admission. Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat., 1-4 p.m. Sunday. Call (727) 298-3322.