Miniature Art
The Miniature Doll House Fascination
Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know many miniature enthusiasts. What fascinates them about seeing familiar objects in a tiny, realistic form?
Much more than a child’s plaything, building doll houses, and ultimately decorating and furnishing them in a theme of your choice, has become an adult hobby. The only way to improve on that, is to have a daughter or grand-daughter who can share that interest and passion with you.
Personally, my miniature interest lies in antique miniatures and dolls, more so than in modern works. The strange thing about that is the fact that antique pieces were seldom created with a true eye to scale, and scale is of utmost importance to me when viewing modern miniatures.
The craftsmanship involved in creating tiny little porcelain dolls, with jointed limbs, often hand blown inset glass eyes, real mohair wigs is amazing. Add to that the primitive conditions within the factories that many of these dolls were created in, adds to my amazement. Many of these tiny dolls have lasted in excess of 100 years , they have been handled, and played with, loved and often abandoned, only to turn up years later in an attic somewhere.
The furnishings of this same era were often handmade, often primitive, and much did not stand the test of time as well as the little dolls did. To find, own and enjoy these pieces today is a delight.
Manufactured doll house furnishings of this era, were often made in Germany as were the little dolls. I had a dear friend of German origin bring her childhood collection over to me to help her sell. She is in excess of 90 years old, a delightful lady who still teaches piano, runs her own household, and dresses her dolls. She had a story to tell about every piece of furniture, and remembers hours spent with her sister in creating the tiny little bed linens, doll clothes and lampshades. I like to think there are similar stories about every antique piece that comes my way.
Also of importance to me is for miniatures to be made of the material they are in real life.
If a bed is representing one made of wood, I cannot tolerate it in plastic. (sorry Chrysenbon) If bathroom fixtures are representing porcelain pieces, then do not make them in wood! Realism is very important in my own collections.
Some enthusiasts enjoy making all of their own furnishings and accessories, even their own dolls. This exacting craft can only be admired by those of us less talented, but certainly makes their fascination obvious.
Some crafters make such exquisite pieces that the prices can command as much as their full size counterparts. There are miniature artists, who paint on tiny canvases each work of art is a one of a kind painting. Other artists paint on tiny plates, even buttons as canvases.
There are miniature artists who do miniature needlepoint, knitting, rug making and pottery as well as wood workers.
One thing I have found is once someone embraces this hobby, it is usually a life long obsession.
About the Author
For more information on miniatures and doll houses, visit http://www.eloradollhouse.com. Jayne Cremasco has been a miniature and doll house retailer for over 25 years.
Miniature Art
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Miniature Artists
Artists of miniature works have often been set aside as being insignificant, unfortunately, as a result of the larger-than-life work of their "big art" counterparts, but the art of miniatures is certainly an art form worth looking at and examining closer. Miniature artists, meaning those that work on small-scale artistic pieces, have tremendous skill and patience. With some projects being miniscule, the patient resolve of a miniature artist is truly a sight to behold.
There are many top professionals in miniature art, many of whom have likely not reached levels of fame occupied by other more famous artists. Nonetheless, miniature art is a popular field and has various associations working in support of miniature art. There are several miniature art societies and clubs that encourage and promote miniature Art Work through various gallery showings, auctions, and promotional campaigns. The world of miniature art is - pardon the pun - growing.
Miniature painting is often one of the most painstaking processes to imagine, as paintings that are no more than three inches wide by three inches tall can contain some of the most intricate detail imaginable. The idea of painting something so miniscule can be staggering for those with no experience in miniature art, but for a miniature artist it is simply another day at the office.
Miniature art societies, like the World Federation of Miniaturists, have highly held standards of size measurements that all miniature art must meet. For the most part, the global standard on all miniature art is that the piece may not be larger than one hundred square centimetres or slightly over thirty-nine inches. There are different size definitions for different pieces of art through different societies, however, but most specifications match art that can be held in the palm of one's hand.
Miniature painting was said to be first popularized in the 16th century in Europe, as portrait miniatures became fashionable. Portrait miniatures were used to introduce people to one another over long distances, as large pieces of art simply would not travel well and the convenience of smaller portraits made for easier transport. Most early miniature paintings took place using watercolor on vellum, but miniatures would also be painted on ivory or various enamel surfaces.
Miniature Construction
Miniature construction is also popular, as built-to-scale models of famous buildings or architectural structures are renowned around the world. There are many examples of scale-model building around the world, from miniature versions of the Taj Mahal to the Empire State Building. The painstaking construction of these miniatures is famous, too, as the patience of the artists is definitely something to be admired.
Miniature construction comes in smaller, more basic scales as well. Dollhouses, model cars, figurine collections, and other toy items are often considered to fall under the umbrella of miniature art, too. Some dollhouses are tremendously detailed, right down to the stove and miniature fireplace within. There are many examples of miniature construction art in everyday life that draws attention to the art form and represents the true creativity that is alive and well in the world of miniature art.
About the Author
Learn more about the fascinating world of miniatures. Visit TheMagicalDollhouse.com today for a great
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Luana Rubin tours Miniature Art Quilts at IQA Houston
