Artist guild showcases miniatures
July 8, 2009
By Laura Geggel
In the world of miniature painting, everything is one-sixth of its original size. The Mt. Si Artist Guild has taken this rule to task, with 10 of its painters each painting up to four miniature paintings to display and sell at the Starbucks adjacent to the North Bend Safeway.
Coffee drinkers and art lovers will see circus ballerinas, landscapes, tea sets, bicyclists and more in tiny framed paintings with price tags ranging from $35 to $200. To purchase a painting or inquire about joining the guild, contact Diane Solomon at djsolomon@comcast.net or 206-679-6888.
Much of the guild has worked on their miniatures since January, when they first decided to do the show. The show runs until Aug. 1, with an artist open house at Starbucks from 11 a.m. — 4 p.m. July 19.
“Miniatures are like little jewels, so you treat them like they’re treasures,” North Bend resident Chris Schrenk said.
Chris Schrenk, left, and Gloria Danielson decide how to best display miniature paintings from the Mt. Si Artist Guild.
The one-sixth rule is just one of a set of rules that come along with miniature painting. The perimeter of the frame must equal 24 inches, forcing many artists to use very fine paintbrushes.
“You wouldn’t want to paint cherries, because they’d be too small,” guild co-founder Sandy Robinson said.
“I get my magnifying glasses when I do miniatures,” Schrenk said.
One of Schrenk’s paintings shows two bicyclists cycling around Seattle’s Seward Park. A black and white photo from The Seattle Times inspired her to paint the scene, although she did it with her own color scheme and imagination.
The other painters said they sometimes used personal photographs, greeting cards and magazines as fodder for their art. Robinson finished one of her paintings in a single sitting by the bank of the Snoqualmie River.
Gloria Danielson of North Bend created one of her miniatures after seeing a photo of a bald eagle in a magazine. She added Mount Rainier into the background for good measure “because I love it,” Danielson said.
“You take bits and pieces and you create your own pictures,” she added.
Robinson participates in a miniature show at Kirkland’s Park Lane Gallery every spring, but this will be the guild’s first miniature show in Snoqualmie Valley.
Starbucks Store Manager Katie Binder said she enjoyed providing local artists with monthly displays at the shop.
“We definitely know that a lot of our favorite customers are some of our artists,” Binder said.
Even when they’re not showing their wares, the Mt. Si Artist Guild helps Binder find artists to display on the Starbucks wall. This will be the first for-profit show for Mount Si junior Becky Orcutt, one of the guild’s younger artists. Orcutt submitted a still life of antique books and “my dad’s old duck decoy” and three ink drawings of houses and lighthouses. Previously, Orcutt has displayed her art at the Seattle Art Museum through the Gage Academy of Art.
“She is very gifted,” Schrenk said.
Compared to creating larger artwork, painting miniatures had its merits.
“It actually turned out to be easier for me, because I tend to focus on details more, instead of the big picture,” Orcutt said.
She thanked the guild for providing her with an opportunity to display her artwork and for offering her advice, such as how to price her artworl.
“They’ve been so supportive and I’m really grateful I’ve been able to be a part of it,” Orcutt said.
Reach reporter Laura Geggel at 392-6434 .221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
Other Stories of Interest: Mount Si Artist
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