Tag Archives: miniature

Two Miniatures Complete

December 21st, 2008 | By Carrie Lewis

ACEO Lockkeeper #2
3-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ Oil
Artfix Belgian Linen

In the last two days, two miniature paintings have been completed.

The first one is approximately 3″ x 5″ on Artfix linen. I don’t know the exact size because it still needs to be trimmed.

It is a study for an idea that has been hovering in the back of my mind for over a year, now, but for which the details have yet to gel.

It also a test of a new support. I enjoyed the support, but think it’s probably better suited to something larger than miniature! It was fun to use, though.

This miniature portrait will be headed to its new owner within the next few days, depending on how it dries. I will share it here, but want to make sure it gets to where it’s going first. No sense spoiling the surprise if the recipient happens to be reading!

The second miniature to be completed was ACEO Lockkeeper #2, shown here. It was one of two aceos started at the same time. It is the first to be completed and, in all likelihood, will be the only one. The second one is a more ‘artsy’ image and I am considering translating it into a much larger image.

Unless I am overcome by radical creativity and inspiration (always a possibility!), these two miniatures are likely to be the last paintings completed this year. I am still working, though. I started the drawings for a new portrait yesterday and am still working the under painting for another portrait.

Considering that the studio will be officially closed from Christmas Eve to the day after New Years, it is looking like I’ve signed my last painting for the year.

By the way, ACEO Lockkeeper #2 is available for $95 unframed. Portraits this size are also available.

Thanks for reading and best wishes.

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.

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Favorite Artist - 2008 Mini Show

December 7th, 2008 | By Carrie Lewis

I’m going to do something a little bit different for the favorite artist today. Rather than feature one artist, I’m going to highlight my favorite pieces from the 2008 World of Small & Miniature Art exhibit currently at the Carriage Factory Gallery.

This exhibit of small and miniature art is not the largest in number that we’ve hosted. That honor belongs to the first show, held in 2005. There were 99 original paintings, drawings and other works in that show.

But it is the highest quality exhibit by far and it is also the most widely traveled. Choosing a couple of favorites is a tough call. But here goes.

The painting that had the most significant “open the box and be in awe” impact is this one. Actually, both paintings by this Belgian artist made me say “Wow!” out loud and repeatedly. This one, titled Treignes-sur-Viroin, is an original gouache by Chrys. R.

It measures all of 2-1/2 by 3-3/4.

Chrys.’ career began in architecture, but he has always enjoyed drawing and painting as a hobby, with a special interest in gouache. He has exhibited work in Paris and was recently honored with a Best of Show in the Fourth Annual World Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature in Tasmania.

I can certainly see why. Viewing the piece with a magnifying glass only makes it more amazing.

Also high in the Wow! factor are two gorgeous watercolors painted on camel bone by Iranian artist Behzad Fallahi.

This one is Silk Road and it’s my favorite because there is so much to see in this tiny street scene.

The painting is approximately 6 inches by 4. I know very little about the artist beyond the fact that he or she is doing excellent work and that other works have received honors and recognition in miniature exhibitions around the world.

Another painting that caught my attention is The Favorite by Jo Hodos of Youngstown, Ohio. Jo sent two horse racing paintings in the small format department. One is a harness racing piece, the other is this one.

Of course you know it appealed to me immediately because of the horses. Horses are always a plus.

Another factor is that this scene is so typical of small tracks, where you can almost literally hang over the outside rail. I have lots of photographs from this point of view.

But the most fascinating thing about Jo’s work is that both pieces seem to have been painted almost entirely with a palette knife. The work is thick and luscious and intriguing.

Those are my personal picks from the miniature show, but there are so many great pieces that I could do the same thing each Sunday the show is at the gallery and not repeat any.

Take some time to visit the 2008 World of Small & Miniature Art show online and don’t forget page 2!

Thanks for reading and best wishes!

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.

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2008 World of Small & Miniature Art Exhibit

November 29th, 2008 | By Carrie Lewis

I am thrilled to announce my participation in the 2008 World of Small & Miniature Art exhibit at the Carriage Factory Gallery right here in Newton.

The exhibit opens Saturday, November 29 and features small and miniature works of art from around the world.

Works have been received from such far away places as England, Australia, Belgium and Iran.

Artists from across the United States are also participating, with works from Minnesota, New York, California, Florida, Texas and Ohio, to name just a few.

Mediums are as varied as the countries of origin and range from exquisite watercolors on camel bone to a pair of stunning landscapes in gouache.

This annual exhibit puts the spotlight on original artwork that measures no more than 35 square inches for two-dimensional work and eight inches for three-dimensional work.

This year’s show features over 50 individual pieces of artwork ranging in size from 1-1/2” x 2” to 5” x 7” inches, as well as several art trading card sized paintings in a variety of media.

My contributions to this exhibit are the ACEO Morgan portrait (shown above), a 3-1/2″ by 2-1/2″ portrait painted in the classical style on gessoed mat board and North by Northeast, a 2-1/2″ by 7″ miniature oil painting, also on gessoed mat board but painted in a more direct style.

The miniature show closes on Tuesday, December 23. An opening will be held all day Saturday, December 6, 2008.

For information on any of this event, visit the Carriage Factory Gallery’s web site.

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.

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The small things…

November 16th, 2008 | By Elaine Hurst

So many of us forget to take time to enjoy, and even notice the little things around us.  I’ve been laid up, for 10 days with some pretty nasty neck problems.  Today is my first day “up”, other than visits to ERs, doctors, and the such, which do not count.  I walked around the house, and actually walked to the barn too.  Ahh, the smell of horses in the breeze.  I know some of you won’t get that, but I know the rest of you will understand.

I’ve been working on a friend’s website/blog:  www.scottsfordfarm.wordpress.com, so that has kept me busy today.  I look out the window, see the blue sky, walk in the crunchy leaves.  Life is good.  Talked to Kelley yesterday in Hawaii!!  Always good to talk to  your “children”, which I wish I could come up with something that sounded better than children, or young adults, or whatever.  Emailed to Erin, emailed to Beverley, talked to a couple of people on the phone.   Ahhh.  Back to life.

I can’t paint yet though.  Not good.  I have two commissions to do!!!  Before my neck got back I started on the sketch for one of the commissions.  I’ll share it with you, as long as you don’t send me any LOL things.  You can laugh in the privacy of your own home however. It will be a pastel painting of an event rider.  I’ll also share a small 5×5″ foxhound oil painting I did earlier.  I think it is in  frame on another post, but you can see it better here. Anyway, off to take a nap.


©Copyright 2008 by Elaine Hurst. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Elaine Hurst’s website.

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Miniature “Jewel” Paintings

November 16th, 2008 | By Elaine Hurst

Hi everyone!  I thought you might like to see some of what I call, miniature jewel paintings.  They are small, 5×5″ paintings, mounted in thick, 4+” frames.  They are all oil paintings.  I have been working on a foxhunting series for both a gallery in Charlottesville, as well as for the Montpelier Hunt Races.  The races are today, in Montpelier, VA, at James Madison’s home.  A beautiful place, and today is a gorgeous fall day.  Unfortunately I was not able to go, as my neck has been creating problems for me.  But the paintings went, so we’ll see which ones come home!  The hound painting is titled “Listening to the Master” (as in Master of Foxhounds).  The gray horse with the hounds around him is titled “Going Out”, The abstract one, is “Discussion”, the horse jumping is “Over”, and the last on is “Waiting”.I will be taking photos of the paintings from my plein air class soon.  It was also suggested that I photograph some as I am working on them, to see the progress.  I will do that also.  Have a wonderful fall day, whereever you are!

©Copyright 2008 by Elaine Hurst. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Elaine Hurst’s website.

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Christmas Come Early … And Often

November 5th, 2008 | By Carrie Lewis

One of the best things about being a gallery director is managing incoming exhibits. Every new exhibit is like Christmas for me. New works to see and enjoy. New visual gifts to open.

From November 4 through November 15, every day will be like Christmas as I unwrap the 2008 World of Small & Miniature Art show, scheduled to open Saturday, November 29, 2008 at the Carriage Factory Gallery.

And this year, Christmas has a truly international flavor. Roughly half of the entries received so far are from overseas and represent three continents.

Entries have also been received from Ohio, Texas and, yes, right here in Kansas.

Every delivery from FedEx, UPS, DHL and the USPS brings a welcome surprise these days. Even at this very early stage, it’s looking like an excellent show. I will be announcing when it goes live on line, so be watching for that. You won’t want to miss it.

And of course if you happen to be passing through Newton between November 29 and December 24, you’re more than welcome to stop in and see the exhibit in person.

I will be entering this year’s exhibit, as well, but have yet to make the final determination on which pieces will make that journey. The ACEO Morgan Portrait shown here is currently at the top of the list and is going to the gallery today. But it’s companion piece?

Ah, that’s the question!

One not-quite-finished piece is my favorite, but whether or not it gets to the show will depend on whether or not it is dry enough to frame for display when the time comes.

The ACEO portrait of Lockkeeper in colored pencil is complete, but still needs to be framed.

Any of a number of ACEO landscape paintings are also available. Decisions, decisions!

For those artists out there who might not have heard, the show is open and is non-juried. You can learn more about the show from the gallery’s web site. The page includes a link to a downloadable entry form in a PDF format.

Visit my ACEO Horse Paintings page to see the current collection.

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.

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Donkey teeny tiny oil painting

November 2nd, 2008 | By Sue Steiner

Miniature Donkey, oils

This is on a 4 x 5 inch canvas. I really enjoyed this pose and the expression so fully expect to use this study to develop into a larger painting. The paint is wet here so the image is blurry and not very crisp. You can see by the hinge of my piano how small it is. This is a friend’s donkey named Jack Benny. :) To see more equine art go to http://www.suesteiner.com This is part of an ongoing daily painting project.

©Copyright 2008 by Sue Steiner. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Sue Steiner’s website.

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ACEO Horse Portrait, Part 6

September 25th, 2008 | By Carrie Lewis

ACEO Horse Portrait
3-1/2 by 2-1/2 inches

I thought I had this one finished. Then I photographed it and looked at the resulting photograph on the computer and spotted some areas that needed attention.

Most notably, the ear, or the lack thereof. That definitely needs to be attended to.

As for the painting process, the colors used in this session were Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna and Burnt Umber to bring the base coat color to completion or nearly so.

In the face, I also used Yellow Ochre and Titanium White to bring up the highlights and give the face and head a little bit more definition.

Ivory Black and Titanium White in the muzzle and chin and blending the two areas more smoothly into the coat color. The dark portions of the eye were painted using Ivory Black, then I used a little bit of Yellow Ochre to add some color to the iris.

The last thing for the day was the mane and forelock, where shadows were deepened and highlights emphasized a little bit more.

At that point, I thought it was finished and even contemplated putting on a signature. Usually, when I think a signature is appropriate, I wait another day and give the painting one more look. This time, I’m glad I did!

The good news is that it will not take that much more work to finish this painting. I’ll wait for this work to dry, then see what else I can find to tweak or correct.

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.

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ACEO Horse Portrait, Part 5

September 23rd, 2008 | By Carrie Lewis

ACEO Horse Portrait
3-1/2 by 2-1/2 inches

Time for color! This is when paintings really begin to come to life.

To begin the color phase, walnut oil was brushed onto the surface of the painting with with a sable flat brush. The application was kept light, since the purpose is to provide an ‘open’ surface for fresh paint. The excess oil was then wiped off with a clean, dry cloth.

The first color to be used was Titanium White and it was placed in the upper right hand corner, which will represent the light source. Cadmium Yellow Light followed that and was painted onto the rest of the painting except for the horse’s blaze and muzzle.

In the background, Burnt Sienna was blended into the left hand half of the background, then Ultramarine Blue was blended into the left hand side of the background, creating a wonderful gradated color and value range that moves from bright to dark in the opposite direction of the horse’s movement.

Ultramarine Blue was also layered over the dark portions of the mane and the deepest shadow areas of the horse and that was the conclusion of work for the day.

The following day, work continued even though the previous work was still wet enough to work into. The focus of the work the previous session had been the background. This time around, I worked the horse.

Raw Sienna was applied with a soft sable flat to the mid tone areas through the horse and into the shadow areas. The only places I didn’t paint with this color were the white marking and the highlights.

Burnt Sienna was then blended wet-into-wet into the Raw Sienna in most of those areas, but not all of them. That was followed by Burnt Umber in the darkest darks of the coat.

The mane, muzzle and nostril were then worked over with Ivory Black, which I’m using a little bit earlier with this painting than with the ACEO Morgan Portrait (search “aceo morgan portrait”). The reason is two-fold. I wanted to see what the effects were of earlier application of black in the overall painting.

This painting also has more dramatic lighting and needs sharper contrast. We’ll see if the black layered with other colors achieves that drama.

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.

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Buddy Study #1, Part 4

September 15th, 2008 | By Carrie Lewis

Buddy Study #1
2″ x 3″ on Unstretched Artfix Canvas

Major progress on this portrait!

The last time I worked on it was before getting the five new miniature-sized brushes and there just wasn’t much about the work to inspire me. As a result, it was set aside for over a week while I experimented with new tools (those wonderful tiny brushes) on other projects and began work on a larger portrait.

But on September 13, after pushing an ACEO portrait as far as possible, I took Buddy off the wall with the intention of either working through the problems and getting it back on track or coming to the conclusion that it was not salvageable and moving on to something else.

In this work session, I put the 10/0 brush to work and basically repainted the entire painting, including parts of the background. Work began with the eyes, which had been bothering me almost since I starting painting the horse. Getting them correct helped immensely.

But I also spent a good deal of time reshaping the jaws on both sides, the ears, muzzle and neck. In the process, I also repainted the background in order to push the edges around.

The end result was very satisfying. Buddy now has a presence that did not exist in the portrait to this point. The changes around the withers were also unexpectedly pleasing.

There are still some areas that need to be completed before the under painting can be considered complete, but the portrait is not only back on track; it’s many steps beyond where it was when I started.

I suppose the moral to this story is that having the right tools really does make a major difference!

©Copyright 2008 by Carrie Lewis. See original post here.
To learn more about this artist, visit Carrie Lewis’s website.

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