What makes a mini?

All of my miniature paintings are original works of art inspired by my own personal photography. Approximately 4-8 hours go into each piece, from drawing the scene to executing each stroke, dot, and layer of paint. I do not offer prints or reproductions of my miniature paintings.

I have received several awards for my miniature creations, including the City Hall Choice Award in the Art That’s Small at City Hall exhibition at Laguna Beach City Hall, Best of Show in It’s a Small World, a national exhibition celebrating artists who create in small scale held at the Tubac [Arizona] Center of the Arts, and second place in the 15th Annual Art in Miniature Exhibition at The Village Theatre Art Gallery in Danville, California. Since creating my first minuscule masterpiece in 2018, I have sold nearly 300 miniature paintings that live happily in homes across the United States.

These works are made with tiny sable brushes and the finest materials – the same high-quality supplies that I use to create a larger painting. My media of choice are typically gouache (opaque watercolor) paint on 100% cotton, 300 lb. heavyweight black watercolor paper or transparent watercolor on 100% cotton, 300 lb. heavyweight white watercolor paper.

The genre of tiny art has been valued for thousands of years across many cultures and art forms. Most artists can work in large scale, but few have the skill and discipline to work miniature. Fine art miniatures typically measure no more than 1/6 scale of the subject portrayed and can take as long or longer than a large artwork to produce. A top-quality miniature can be magnified many times and will still hold together as a skilled, well-executed work of art.

Since they require such minimal space to display and compare favorably cost-wise to larger works, another beauty of miniature art is that it puts original fine art within reach of art lovers and collectors. Personally, this might be what I like the most about this art form. I love the idea that people of all walks of life are able to purchase, display, and cherish my tiny labors of love. I hope that the little bit of magic that I carefully sprinkle into each one of these minute creations makes their days sparkle a little brighter.