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The Heart of the Miniature MATTER.

"Fix your eyes on perfection and you make almost everything speed towards it. William Ellery Channing

I want to introduce you to a long gone miniaturist who obviously was obsessed with perfection. At least that is what shows up in his work.

His name is Frank Matter and he passed away in 1977.  During his lifetime he made the most incredible miniatures. Everyday things, copied exactly, working, and of course, without the use of computer graphics. 

I first read about Frank in the old Nutshell News. I lot of his items were in the collection of John and Ellen Blauer. In that article was a description of a fountain pen made exactly like a real fountain pen. Rubber bladder and all. Can you even imagine?

Anyway, I was aware that Adell Venus collected miniatures as far back as the 1950's. (she was a customer of mine, became my friend and also told me she had that fountain pen so I knew she had a lot of Frank's things)  I was luck enough to get just a very FEW things of Frank's from Adell's auction and below is one.

Looks like a very nice bathroom scale, right? But, guess what? When you press on it the dial actually moves. So a dollhouse inhabitant might very well check her weight each morning. (The scale is metal)

I managed to learn a good bit about Frank from Bill Robertson who happens to be an incredible miniature artisan himself. Just have a peek see at some of his amazing work .

One of his stories about Frank involves "the world's smallest pipe" that Frank advertised in magazines. Luckily I got one out of Adell's collection. He sold things in those gelatin capsules and I am probably the first person to touch this pipe when I removed it for photographing. Pretty sure Adell left things as she got them and just put them away. It is in point of fact a working pipe.

   
According to Bill, the Kansas City Museum  has a large collection of Frank Matter's creations. I have not yet been but if you get there make sure you get to see these miniature miracles. (And if you have seen them, tell me about them in the comments. Please.)

Here are a few other bits I managed to acquire.

 Just as an FYI, remember that Frank was working long before computers and printers and these tiny bars of soap are HAND PAINTED. Same goes for the cigarettes.

 You do tend to see lots of sewing things about all over in miniatures. But none so perfect. Looks like to me Frank used ivorine or celluloid to make the thread cards.

The little thread storage piece turns to let the spools out. Clever.

 There is much more to Frank Matter. These tiny little scraps that I am so lucky to own are just a minuscule example of what he was capable of.  He worked in wood, silver, paint, ivory, and included furniture, games, musical instruments, toys, clocks and more.  He also made a 1:48 scale house and created nearly every item in the house, including working clocks, paintings and a tiny silver tea service. 

There is very little about Frank anywhere on the 'net and I am happy to bring him to your attention. 

So what do ya think?

Making Minis with Idris Elba

 

 PSYCH !!!!

Sorry for that, but in a way, kinda true. I watch/listen to Netflix while working and my latest was watching/listening to the British drama series, Luther  While I worked Idris was right there with me. So I wasn't lying actually.

Here's what came out:

 

 I put together this Paleontologist's paraphernalia. Cute little Mastodon skeleton model right? Books, fossils too. If you'd like to own it here ya go.

 While I am not an animal maker, I do give it a shot now and again. This sculpted Afgan Hound is furred with Alpaca fibers. This was a hit and miss project that took more than several episodes of Luther.

I have done one of these before and this one is a bit different. The original is one of my most popular pins on Pinterest. So, another one.

I got this industrial barrel in an auction lot of stuff I wanted and this was extraneous to my needs. I thought it needed some toxic waste.

And some bird houses. Don't like the roof on the first one, so have since ripped it off. But now I have run out of Idris... 

Most of this will be on my Ebay.

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Step by Step.

 "There is no one giant step that does it, it's a lot of little steps". Peter A. Cohen

I have never done a work in progress like you see on blogs a lot. Step by painful step.
But might as well do one for the record.

This is a Trompe L'oeil called Le Pate after Jean Baptiste Oudry. I had done this one years and years ago but this was a request so did it again. Have to admit I have not painted in a few years so, something different. Keeps the old brain from getting tics, hopefully...

This one below was done long ago and I found it  on Google. Not the best lighting. For sure, it was not that yellow. I would love to see them side by side. See how close I came each time...

Let me know what you think. 
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Mini Love,

TEN Tips for Finding the BEST Miniatures in Your Pajamas. (and at a bargain)

I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best. Oscar Wilde

You don't need the expense of traveling to miniature shows when the very best miniatures are no farther than your keyboard. We all came to earth with gifts and one of mine I know for sure is that I can find the best things in just about anyplace. And I know who has what gift. So when it comes to miniatures I am pretty good at ferreting out great stuff. To add to my own collection. And here are some tips to help you find treasures of your own:

1) Don't Overlook Ebay.
There are wonderful artisan miniatures available there every day often going for way below original cost. Check under 'Artist Offerings" in Dollhouse Miniatures (under Dolls and Bears). But don't neglect the larger category because many things there are not followed by most.

2) Check out the Artisan.
If you see something on a popular miniature website and are not thrilled with the prices, go directly to the artisan (Google) You may well get the better price. Plus you can find wonderful things from artisans who might not be dealers at the shows you attend.

3) Auctions.
For years I thought I would never be able to afford the wonderful miniatures that were coming up for auction. I did not even know how to sort out bidding on those auctions. So, sadly, I passed up bidding. Eventually when an auction got to be too tempting, I jumped in.  While things are usually sold in lots and you might be interested in only one item, charge in and get the lot. You can later sell off the unwanted bits and in the end come out ahead with your prized item costing nothing.

4) ETSY.
While I find ETSY to have a lot of miniatures less than top, artisan quality (lots of decal-ed plates and crockery, computer printed books, paper watering cans etc), there are quality pieces there, you just have to look.  As new artisans emerge with wonderful things you can score amazing miniatures for great prices. These artisans eventually move on for some reason, often showing up on eBay where there is great competition for their work. Strike while the iron is hot. (And hey, nothing wrong with decals and computer printed stuff, I use and make it myself,  but that stuff will not bulk up the pocketbooks of your heirs)

5) THE CAMP. 
This is a Yahoo group consisting of over 1800 members at the time of this writing. Its a great place to share anything about miniatures and ask for help with your projects or locating a item. Lots of help from many well informed artisans and collectors. When one finds something fabulous it gets shared and you can find great deals and great artisans by word of mouth. I believe it to be the ultimate miniature online group. Join HERE.

6) Facebook. 
While not for everyone because I have heard that joining scares some people into believing their information might be shared, its still one of the biggest if not the biggest social media sites. There are many miniature groups there and you will find wonderfully talented artisans coming out of the woodwork from all over the world and many sell their work. I would start with IGMA: The International Guild of Miniature Artisans.Go HERE.

7) Pinterest.
Another social media venue full and I mean FULL of miniature eye candy. Again, you can find wonderful creators of minis there and many do sell their work. You can also leave a message asking to place an order.

8) Blogs.
Yes, there are millions of blogs these days. Just another sign of the times that the internet is where it's at. It can happen this way; you find something on Pinterest that links to a blog. That blog lists favorite blogs they happen to follow - miniature related, of course, and you can scroll through several at a sitting, see what the owner is doing and how they do it. Many show step by step photos of their own personal projects. But in and among this information is reference to items they collected and where to find the artisan.
 
9) Show schedules with dealer links.
Whether you go to shows or not, you can always visit the show's website. There posted are dealers for upcoming shows with links directly to the artisans. Click around and you will find something to please you in your budget directly from the artisan. Since you saved a pile of money not traveling to the show, spend away.
 
10) And last but not least THE IGMA Fine Miniatures Forum. This is an online forum of the very finest miniatures but anyone is welcome to view and post their work. You need not be a member to participate. But once there, you may well be inclined to be part of a group promoting miniatures as an art form. Which indeed they are. Check it out.

Did I miss anything? Found anything wonderful yourself off the beaten path? 
Tell all below.

WHY ?

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how"  Friedrich Nietzsche

I'm in a bad mood today so I'm really glad I have miniatures.  Mention just about anything and it will piss me off.  Right now I am thinking about those dismissive people who think miniatures are toys for little girls.  And right now I can see their eyes glaze over. Or roll. And right now I'd like to see their eyes rolling under my desk.

Simon Sinek says, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

I make miniatures (and sell them) because I get up in the morning and can't wait to get into my studio and create something. I love the creative process. I love designing a miniature and going bit by bit through the process taking the twists and turns until something that pleases me comes out.  And thankfully my customers are pleased as well. I love taking a blah piece and transforming it into something beautiful and unique.  I consider what I do making art. And miniatures are my medium.

Right now Halloween is on the way. So right now I am transforming my stash of commercial, yes, commercial, 1:12 scale chairs into something spooky in honor of the season. Which is by the way, one of my favorites.

So inspired by my favorite holiday and my love of creepy things I express myself through my art. How is that any different than any other more 'lofty' art?  No different.

 

I am also discovering new abilities and improving on old ones in trying to wrangle fabrics to lay believably on the tiny chairs, unearthing new mediums for sculpting, improving my sculpting, and maneuvering images in my photo software into images that will work in 1:12 scale and give the impression of 'eerie'.  I have yet to tackle Photoshop but its on my bucket list. 

Am I expert at any of this?  I am not. There are far better sculptors, far, far better upholstery geniuses and far better digital artists.  Will you see my original one of a kind pieces coming and going? You will not.  Am I having fun? You bet your ass.

This is art. It is MY art. And only one aspect of it. It is miniature and you can put it in a doll house. And you don't have to like it. But don't you dare turn your nose up.

So, what do you do and why do you do it?  Do you think miniatures can be considered ART?  Put your thoughts below.

And oh, by the way, if you like this blog, please share it.
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An Adventure in the Search for Miniature Treasure

"I ransack public libraries, and find them full of sunk treasure." Virginia Woolf

I have recently been ransacking myself.  Not in a library, but rather at the IGMA Show held annually in August in Teaneck NJ.  And not in a search for books but in my constant quest for the best miniatures.  And lo and behold they there were.

But I am not talking about the show exactly - which is in fact a treasure trove of exceptional miniatures crafted by the very best artisans. I am talking about the silent auction that has been held at the show for years and years. The problem was I always ignored it because I could not allow myself to miss the treasures in the show room.  

It was only at last years show that I meandered around the silent auction table and put down a few bids. The thrill of discovering the riches lying there got my heart fluttering. And winning, well, even more thrilling.  And more fluttering. So back I went this year and here are some my fabulous finds.

Dont be jealous. You could have been there too.

Wonderful Wash Tub, obviously artisan make, maker unknown.

Copper cooking pot with stand for fireplace cooking with copper and brass spoon.

Lovely and delicate turned wooden bowl, beautiful

Hand Carved wooden Utensils

Brass moveable Colonial candle stand

Leather covered canteen. Well done!

Look! the cap comes off.

Backgammon Game.

Comes in a beautiful wooden case.

Gorgeous  multi-leveled  sewing box

Sewing box opened. And partially filled with some sewing supplies.

These are all original artisan pieces can't you tell? Totally amazing and gotten for a song. I am perfectly thrilled with myself. The worst part is I missed so many opportunities in the past. I'll just have to console myself with my treasures here and now.  One other thing, the only signed piece here was the cooper cooking pot, signed with an S. So I have no idea who might have made any of this. Such a shame because the makers are lost to history now. (Sign your work!!)

How about you? Find anything awesome unexpectedly? Tell me about it in the comments below.

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The Elephant in The Room

"Nature's great masterpiece, an Elephant; the only harmless great thing." John Donne


I can't begin to tell you how much I love elephants and I can't begin to tell you how often I have loved seeing art made out of ivory. And I'll bet I'm not the only one.

One of my favorite museums, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, has incredible things carved in the most intricate detail out of ivory. Certainly there are collections worldwide. I don't believe any of them have any inclination to rid themselves of their ivory masterpieces. Even though the killing of elephants for ivory is a travesty.  Something that is more in our consciousness now, when in the fairly recent past I think it fair to say we all took ivory for granted and never questioned how it came to be the artifact we so admire.

Ivory Memento Mori  Rosary Circa 1500 - Metropolitan Museum of Art

So what does one do when one loves elephants and owns beautiful things made of ivory?
I don't have an answer. Ivory miniatures and ivory used in making miniatures are centuries old.  And we love them. But the very sad fact remains that today love for ivory is not helping elephants. 


This piece is about ivory miniatures that I want to share here. I wish I could say they were made from the tusks of my pet elephant who passed away in sleep after a very long and happy life. Who lived out on the African plain with family and who came to visit me once a day to be petted. But I can say that the magnificent miniature pipes below came from ivory scraps used in restorations and subsequently sold on eBay. Where the selling of ivory is now banned. 

Enjoy the photos and think about the elephants who gave it.

All these meerschaum pipes are carved by Cliff Feltrope. They came out of the Adell Venus auction and they are breathtaking. Hard to believe they were made by human hands. With help from elephants of course.

Hand Carved Meerschaum Pipe by Cliff Feltrope

 

 

 

 

This meerschaum pipe by Cliff Feltrope has a gold helmet that opens.

The following photos are some other ivory miniatures in my collection. I was told that the tiny netsuke came from mammoth ivory so thought they were OK to buy.  The tiny animals are antiques. The snuff bottles, which have removable tops, were done by Ligia Durstenfeld.

I'd love to hear your thoughts regarding this touchy subject. Please comment below.

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