Daily Mini Interview: Salavat Fidai Art

Miniatures by Salavat Fidai Art

|   Website   |   Shop   |   Instagram   |   Facebook    |    Behance    |

How and why did you first get started in pencil lead sculptures?

IMG_2318-HDSix months ago, I began to carve pencils after I was inspired by the work of Dalton Ghetti from the States. I had no experience before early 2015. Now, I really enjoy creating tiny sculptures on pencils. Mostly I’ve been sculpting heroes and cartoon characters.

Describe your process and inspiration.

The concept for my paintings or sculptures starts to take form while I’m asleep. The next day, I look for photos and video material, and then I make sketches or layouts. When I work with oil on canvas, it’s more emotional and expressive. If I paint acrylic on seeds, it’s hard work and more detail oriented. When I carve sculptures from pencils, it’s much more meditative.IMG_2972-2

I do a lot of reading, and go to other artists’ exhibitions. Sometimes it’s my dreams, sometimes it is the artwork of other artists, such as Vincent Van Gogh. I am inspired by music. I get most of my paintings done late at night when my family is asleep. I’m a total night owl. I find myself more productive and it’s much easier to focus at night.

Did you ever make miniatures in another medium?

Previously, I made sculptures out of wood and stone, but these were of normal size. I also create miniatures on seeds and matchbooks.

IMG_2787-HDWhat has been the most difficult miniature sculpture to carve?

I tried Darth Vader seven times. Some Vader heads broke during the carving. It took so many tries to achieve a final product I liked, and now I love it!IMG_2327-HD

Favorite artists?

Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.


What inspires you?

Good movies, books by contemporary authors, Marvel and DC comics, Pixar Animation Studios, and more great artwork.

Most treasured pencil tip sculpture you’ve created?

IMG_2528-hdWALL-E and the PPSH-41 gun.

What tools do you use to make your sculptures?

Small, sharp craft knifes and a magnifying glass.

Tool you can’t live without?

Maybe my craft knife or my favorite brush, Kolinsky Sable number 0. I experiment with different tools, but I think I would be happy creating art out of anything.

Upcoming exhibitions planned?IMG_2462-HD

Yes, of course. Big exhibitions in China and Italy.

New sculptures you’d like to mention?

It’s a secret. All I will say is “large sculptures and installations.”

What other activities do you enjoy?

IMG_2963-2Spending time with my family: going to the cinema, walking, and hiking.

Advice for beginner artists?

Do not be afraid to experiment with new materials. View more work by other artists and learn from them.

Salavat hails from Ufa in Russia. For more of his incredible micro-mini sculptures, visit his website, shop on Etsy, check out Instagram, Facebook or Behance.

 

IMG_2456-HD

Daily Mini Interview: Boutique Miniatures

Boutique Miniatures

Shop | Facebook | Instagram |

10306639_1617810578431040_82144154618900352_nHow did you first get started in miniatures?

I started making miniatures 5 years ago. For more than 18 years, I had worked on miniature wooden ship models. Though I enjoyed these simple wooden ship models, I wanted to transition to something with more energy, and I’ve found this energy in miniatures. It’s been very fun and exciting for me to create miniatures.

What materials do you use to make your miniatures?

There is no limit in materials when making miniatures. Any type of material (anything at all!) can be used during the creative process. It all comes down to achieving that “real” appearance with the miniature work. 1523453_1582235665321865_4409708103317702330_oI like battling with different materials. Most typically, I work with pear tree wood, brass, copper, and iron. A variety of my work can be viewed on Facebook.

Advice for beginner artists?

I would advise beginners to place high importance on scaling and achieving the correct scaled down dimensions. A caliper should be used at all times, and with great consideration.

Tool, material or technique you can’t live without?

10420345_1590995117779253_6619052733746069815_nI couldn’t do what I do without the pear tree. It feels like velvet. I also use two lathes, a micro planer, scroll saw, cut saw, thickness planer, table saw, circular saw, bench drill press, and disc sander in my workshop. I don’t use any chemicals in any of my works; all of my miniatures are completely natural.

Other activities you enjoy?

I enjoy photography and have spent time working in graphic design.

Fatih lives in Izmir, Turkey. For more of his fantastic miniatures, visit Etsy, InstagramFacebook or check out his previous work in wooden ship models.

10480131_1601526133392818_6207912923609210955_n

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures Now Open in New York

dthomasfineminisThe winter of 2014 welcomed big changes to the miniatures community within historic Lower Hudson Valley, NY: D. Thomas Fine Miniatures opened its doors as a premier destination for miniature collectors, artisans, and enthusiasts from around the world.

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures is a new retail destination complete with artisan dollhouses and the highest quality of collections including 1:12 scale furniture, designs and accessories. The newly launched space now offers DIY workshops and classes taught by master craftsmen and artists in the miniature industry. In addition, the shop also features a gallery space that showcases extraordinary miniatures by internationally acclaimed artists and designers. Now on display in the gallery through the end of June 2015 is Alma de España: The Artistry and Vision of Hernán Buljevich.

b8476796a822f65808940dc7e4577581

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures was created by Darren Thomas Scala for two unique purposes: to raise awareness about miniatures as a decorative art form and to introduce the discipline to new generations of enthusiasts everywhere. A Brooklyn-born artist and corporate beauty and cosmetics brand marketer, Scala has always had a passion for miniatures.f6da19c59f0b9001bca7d3d2fcc7b970

“It’s been my dream to create a space where I could introduce miniatures to the public and generate the same level of excitement I have for these pieces. Miniatures have thrilled for centuries. There is seduction in scale that transcends time. Miniatures truly capture the imagination and provide opportunity to dream, discover and explore,” Scala explains.

A decades-old dream realized, D. Thomas Fine Miniatures has been welcomed with open arms by the Hastings-On-Hudson business community. Visit the space and experience the wonder of the miniature for yourself!

Address:
579 Warburton Avenue #6
Hastings-On-Hudson, New York 10706

Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM-5 PM
Sundays 12-5 PM
Evenings by appointment

Stay updated on the latest miniature news by following #obeytheminiature and D. Thomas Fine Miniatures on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Shop the store online and make sure to check out the new website and recent blog posts today!

Photo credit to PeterLauPhotography.com.

Daily Mini Interview: Jenn’s Minis

Miniatures by Jenn’s Minis

|   Blog   |   Pinterest   |

How did you first get started in miniatures? 

I first started mini-ing a long, long, long time ago… when I was about ten years old. I saw a dollhouse in a toy store—a real dollhouse with working windows and electricity. The details were executed quite well.dailymini-JenniferAshleyHalfInchFairfieldLivingRoom

I believe that when you see your first minis, you’re either bitten with the bug, or you’re not. I was bitten! I wanted a dollhouse more than anything. Because they were very expensive, I started making my own out of cardboard boxes. I had a lot of fun doing that.

The interest never went away. I started saving money for “real” minis, checked out books on minis from the library, and then started subscribing to mini magazines. My mother gave me the book All About Doll Houses that includes plans for furniture. I still have it!

As I got older and became employed, I always set a little money aside for minis. I’ve been collecting things for several decades now! Which is why I need a lot of cabinet space…

Do you create & sell miniatures full-time?dailymini-JenniferashleyHalfScaleKitchen

No, I don’t sell anything. Miniatures are my relaxation creativity. For my “day” job, I’m a novelist (and I love it), but it’s creative in a different way. Every once in a while, I need the escape that minis provide me.

What types of miniatures do you make?

I make all kinds of minis: all scales and most mediums. I love woodworking and am trying to learn more of those skills.

dailymini-JenniferAshleyBigHouseUpstairsHallAdvice for beginner artists?

Practice, practice, practice. Nothing you do is wasted. Even if your piece doesn’t turn out, you learned why it didn’t work. It’s easy to get discouraged and give up. Don’t!

Tool you can’t live without?

The tool that has helped me the most is an excellent set of tweezers (two sets actually). One tweezers style is “reverse” and you squeeze the handle to open, then release to lock whatever you’re holding in place. The second tweezers are micro in size, with very, very fine ends. I can pick up the tiniest bead with them.

What is your most treasured miniature?

Oh…. probably my collection of miniature pianos and harpsichords. I didn’t deliberately start collecting them. I’d wanted a Partelow piano, and then I kept finding mini pianos at auctions and so forth. I like unusual ones, not just grands. I have a spinet, a box piano, a harpsichord (all by artisans, including Ralph Partelow), and a Bespac baby grand.dailymini-JenniferAshleyQuarterinchcottagewithpiano

I’m also very proud of myself for figuring out how to make a true-to-life baby grand in 1/4 scale! The only thing that isn’t real are the strings (I used a piece of gauze). But I have the soundboard, the plate, a keyboard with all the keys… I did a lot of research! I’m also pretty proud of the harpsichord I created in 1/4 scale, though it’s not as detailed. My goal is to create a 1-inch scale piano in full detail.

Artists you look to for inspiration?

I’ve collected all the back issues of The Scale Cabinetmaker, which contains a whole host of artisans’ and designers’ works and plans. I love the work of Shannon Moore, and was pleased to be able to take classes from her a few years ago. Pam and Pete Boorum make some lovely, lovely Shaker pieces. I also admire the work of April and Ron Gill. They’ve taken realism to great heights.

What is the most memorable miniature you have ever come across by another artist?

dailymini-JenniferAshleyGrungyBathroomShannon Moore’s witches “cave” in a giant dictionary, named “Velma Ebster’s Spell in Book.” But there are so many gorgeous miniatures out there! I love searching Pinterest for photos of them.

Why miniatures? What appeals to you most about what you do?

I think looking at a snapshot of the world, perfectly duplicated—but with something unusual thrown in—is a delight. It’s the silence, the peace inside a miniature scene that can calm the brain and yet excite it. Plus, it’s just fun! You create a 3-D picture from nothing—and that’s cool!

Other activities you enjoy?

I also play music: guitar, flute, and piano. Plus, I love to cook.

Anything else you would like to add?

I try to update my blog as often as possible with my ongoing projects. I hope I can help other miniaturists figure something out, or just give them something fun to view.

Jennifer currently lives in Arizona. You can view many more of her miniature worlds on her blog or check out some of her inspirations on Pinterest.

Feel Big Live Small Exhibition at apexart

Feel Big Live Small
organized by Elan Smithee
with an essay by Rachel Nuwer
on view at apexart
now through Saturday, May 17
291 Church Street, New York, NY

A little (mini) excerpt from the press release:

Dioramas and miniatures are used in the field of architecture to preview a vision, in cinema to create a fabricated world, and in workshops as a means for children to process traumatic events. 

Feel Big Live Small explores dioramas and miniatures as well as our fascination with all things small, both as a technical feat and a psychological relationship.

Kendal Murray, Family Style, Smile, 2012; Kendal Murray, Esteem, Dream, 2012; Serial Cut, Office Case, 2011; Serial Cut, HSBC, 2015.
Kendal Murray, Family Style, Smile, 2012; Kendal Murray, Esteem, Dream, 2012; Serial Cut, Office Case, 2011; Serial Cut, HSBC, 2015.

Featuring work by:

Matthew Albanese
Alice Bartlett
Dante Brebner
Citizen Brick
Thomas Doyle
Joe Fig
Idan Levin
Kendal Murray
Lori Nix & Kathleen Gerber
Serial Cut
Tracey Snelling
Daisy Tainton

Check out many (mini) more installation images via apexart.

Tracey Snelling, The Parade Ends, 2012, wood, paint, charcoal, lights, LCD screen, media player, speaker, transformer, 24 x 24 inches; Tracey Snelling, Bad Girl, 2012, Wood, paint, lights, electroluminescent wire, LCD screens, media players, speakers, transformer, 24 x 24 inches.

A little mania for the mini

Least understood by the masses is my preoccupation with all things miniature. Have a little look around to see the big picture.

In hopes of spreading the good word about a great mini, I launched @dailymini on Instagram in the winter of 2012.

The brand has since been met with great enthusiasm and delight by fellow miniacs. I’m fortunate enough to feature a new miniature each day and am thrilled to share my beloved minis with an international audience. I’m most of all humbled by the community’s response and the amazing range of mini submissions received on a daily basis.

This curated digital space is a tribute to the mini collection that started it all. The Daily Miniature is not only a portable source of miniatures, but a permanent (per·mini·nt) one.

dailymini nike dunks