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Miniature Marvels To Be On Display In Dunedin

From Miniature Art Society

"Westward Bound," a 3.75-by-3-inch miniature oil painting by Tarpon Springs artist Mies J. Fry, will be on display at the miniature art show that will open tomorrow, Jan. 18, at the Dunedin Fine Art Center.

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: January 17, 2009

Small is beautiful. That could be the mantra for the Miniature Art Society of Florida exhibit that opens tomorrow at the Dunedin Fine Art Center.

Starting Jan. 18 the show will feature 850 miniature works of art including paintings, scrimshaw, fired porcelain and sculpture. They were selected from more than 1,100 submitted pieces.

Additionally, 100 miniatures from the society's permanent collection will be on display.

According to the society's vice president, Kay Petryszak, the maximum size for a miniature painting is 25 square inches. Most miniature artists create under magnification using tiny sable-hair brushes.

"We're talking about very professionally done and very detailed work," Petryszak said.

Tarpon Springs artist Mies J. Fry's picture of a ship placed second in the marine category this year. She worked on the tiny painting about 45 hours, she said.

Fry formerly painted larger pictures, but she became hooked when introduced to miniatures. "I love doing them," she said.

Magnifying glasses will be available for attendees to better enjoy the tiny art.

From this Monday, Jan. 19, until the show's end on Feb. 8, artists will be on hand to demonstrate their art and answer questions.

Of particular note, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday and again on Tuesday, Jan. 20, Rosalind Pierson, founder of the Hilliard Society of Miniaturists, in England, will demonstrate transparent watercolor and stippling, a technique where paint is applied in small dots. Pierson was a judge of the local show in 2008.

From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. this Tuesday, Canadian artist and former Best in Show winner Violet Temple will demonstrate the fired-porcelain technique.

The art in the show comes from 34 states and 12 countries. The show is the largest miniature art show in the world, Petryszak noted.

Artists are attracted by the nearly $12,000 in cash prizes the society offers. They range from $225 to $2,000.

The Sunshine State's mild winters also have something to do with the popularity of the show with artists, she noted. "They love to come to Florida in January."

The show is from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturdays and 1 - 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors and $4 youth.

Fine Art Center and Miniature Art Society members are admitted free.

The Dunedin Fine Art Center is at 1143 Michigan Blvd., in Dunedin's Highlander Park complex.

At noon Thursday, Jan. 22, Petryszak will discuss miniatures from a historical perspective and Tarpon Springs artist Markissia Touliatos will cover technique as part of the museum's Coffee and Conversation series.

Both the coffee and conversation are free.

For more information, visit the Dunedin Fine Art Center Web site, www.dfac.org, or call 727-298-3322.

Cheryl Bentley can be reached a t 727-815-1069 or cbentley@suncoastnews.com.

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