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Wee wonders

Come marvel at 861 miniature artworks and share a passion that spans the globe.

By TERRI BRYCE REEVES
Published January 19, 2007

TARPON SPRINGS - It's the biggest little show in town.

The Miniature Art Society of Florida is holding its 32nd annual juried art exhibit at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. The show of 861 tiny treasures runs through Feb. 4.

Envision a lively French cafe, painted with a barely there brush, on a 6-by-3-inch silk canvas. Its colors are rich; its detail, delicate.

That's the essence of miniature art - and a description of the judge's second choice winner, A French Village, Tarn #1, by Joyce Rowsell of the United Kingdom.

"Each miniature should tell a story," said Kay Petryszak, spokeswoman for the Miniature Art Society of Florida. "It ought to catch your eye and pull you in from across the room."

Forty-nine panels display the miniature paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages and shadowboxes. A handy magnifying glass dangles from each one.

A new display this year features television vacuum tubes - throwbacks to the 20th century - encasing diminutive dollhouse-like scenes. It will certainly leave some scratching their heads and wondering, "How did they do it?"

To qualify as a miniature, the piece must be no bigger than one-sixth the object's actual size. The painted surface must be no larger than 25 square inches. Most emphasize realism and detail; often they project an amazing three-dimensional quality.

Miniature art dates back to the ancient Greeks, who wore small, engraved rings. The art form was popular during the Elizabethan era in England, when, before the advent of photography, portraits were painted on pocket-sized vellum or ivory.

The Miniature Art Society of Florida was founded in 1974 in Clearwater. It is said to be the largest in terms of membership (500) and size of exhibitions in the country. The society has awarded more than $85,000 in scholarships to talented Pinellas County students since 1976.

This year's show has attracted artists from 38 states and 12 countries.

Collectors come from all over the world.

"This is a different audience for us," said Jody Sherman, the museum's public relations coordinator. "We get real devotees of miniature art that come from all over, so it's great exposure for the museum."

Rosalind Pierson, a miniaturist from Tavistock, England, "a little market town in Devon," sat at a table with a wee watercolor set demonstrating stippling, a technique using dots of paint.

"It usually takes me about a week to create one miniature landscape," she said. "Some artists may take two or three months to make one miniature."

BY THE NUMBERS 

1,200 Entries in this year's show

861 Pieces chosen

43 New artists in this show

$8,800 Most expensive piece in the show

$80 Least expensive piece in the show

25 Maximum square inches allowed in image size

20 Cats in one 2-by-2-inch miniature

IF YOU GO

International Miniature Art Show

Where: Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 Klosterman Road, St. Petersburg College, Tarpon Springs.

When: Through Feb. 4.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; 1 to 5 Sunday.

Cost: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, free to children and students with ID. Sundays are free to all.

Call: (727) 712-5762 for more information.

[Last modified January 19, 2007, 06:58:11]