Welcome to my gallery.
The majority of my works are miniatures on paper but not exclusively. I love working in a detailed photorealist style and my subjects are varied. I try to give each piece a narrative quality so no explanation is necessary.
I enjoy hearing viewers' interpretations also. With 110+ images to view I hope there is something to appeal to every taste.
All of my miniatures would be SMALLER THAN A POSTCARD and some NO BIGGER THAN YOUR COMPUTER MOUSE. That may put the amount of DETAIL per SIZE into perspective for you.
As with most drawings and paintings there are the odd spots, slightly rough areas and general tat that comes from a hand painted or hand drawn image. I DO NOT conceal or correct these with computer manipulation when scanning them because I want to show the art as it really is.
I hope you visit many times to fully study each one. I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have and your comments are appreciated. Thankyou.
May I suggest if you are buying prints of my work (and all are available) a matte print gives the closest look to my originals.
Originals may be viewed at [link]
My work is represented in Tasmania by One Wall Gallery, 29 Smith Street, Smithton, Tas. 7330 Telephone (03)64522355 during business hours.
Miniatures: Overview
I began working in miniatures because of my interest in detail and photorealism. It seemed daunting to do large paintings and drawings incorporating these interests. It was also a convenient size to ship to competitions and exhibitions. Many people imagine little old ladies creating miniatures in carefree, spare time: a dab here and there and not an anxious moment. Miniatures are actually incredibly exhausting apart from the obvious strain on the eyes. I don’t use a magnifying glass and I abhor viewers using one to scrutinize the finished product as it has not been done to enlarge. Trying to keep a stress-free mind while remaining bodily motionless is not easy. Absolute concentration is needed at all times
Oils
Most of my miniature oil paintings are done on paper with synthetic bristle brushes. I work the paintings up through a series of wash layers to intensify the colours. I may wear out up to 5 brushes on one painting. Size 000 brushes are used and they are reduced in size according to the required detail. Only a handful of bristles may remain at the time of detailing. Generally an oil takes no less than a week to complete and quite often several weeks. Living with 5 dogs, oils are the most susceptible to dust and dog hairs. I spend a lot of time extracting these from the wet paint!
Pastels
I use Conte pastel pencils for the miniatures. Because of the size restriction, all blending and graduation of colours needs to be done in stipple form which is exacting and time consuming. Pictures are rarely fixed until completion when a workable fixative is used very lightly and some extra highlights added thereafter. I work from top to bottom with these pictures to avoid smudging. To create a very fine line it is often necessary to draw the line then reduce it by increasing the width of the outside colours.
Graphites
Graphite miniatures are the most taxing. Built up through many layers, absolute white must be left as the paper colour throughout the whole process and errors cannot be erased and corrected. Graphites always take many weeks to complete as it may take a day to draw one square centimetre. Pencils are sharpened to a needle point and only 4B grade pencils are used. A small brush is used to soften edges and create blurred and blended effects.
Subjects
The paintings and drawings are all very narrative: they tell their own stories. Each viewer perceives something different but that is the intention. The subjects come from all nations, ages and vocations but either through facial expression , costume or action they offer a glimpse of their lives. A mystery remains in each piece and something unresolved remains fascinating forever.
ShopDreamUp AI ArtDreamUp
