A 1:48 scale house in the Frank Lloyd Wright style by new Artisan Carol Silberman.

Congratulations go to France Cabana, Leigh Herrick-Hallowell, Carolyn Mohler-Kraft, Bear Limvere, Greg Matusovsky, Patrizia Santi, Alison Shibata, Carol Silberman, Anne Snodgrass, Kim Stewart and Kellie Wachter who may now call themselves Artisan members of IGMA; and to Elizabeth Gazmuri, Sara Alvarez, Linda Master and Nancy Simpson who are the newest Fellow members of the Guild.

1:12 scale silver by new Artisan Greg Matusovsky.

We are just back from a very long weekend of evaluations-it does take a very long time to thoroughly examine each submission to see that it meets or exceeds the standards set for each level of membership. Each submission is judged individually on its own merit, with all accompanying documentation and without the benefit or distraction of knowing who the artist is. We are very happy and proud to welcome this newest group of Artisan and Fellow members and hope they will continue on the path towards excellence that they have begun so well.

The 1/12 scale Botticelli painting by Lee-Ann Chellis Wessel that will be the subject of the Artist-in-Residence program.

The program will kick off on June 1st when the museum opens a special exhibit of Lee-Ann’s work featuring some never before seen pieces from their collection as well as paintings from Lee-Ann’s personal collection. Lee-Ann will be present from the 24th to the 30th of June, teaching a master class in egg tempera at the Kansas City Art Institute as well as demonstrating the process on a miniature Renaissance portrait in a temporary studio at the Toy and Miniature Museum. Lectures and a reception will round out the week’s events.

Lee-Ann is very well known and avidly collected in the miniatures community for her stunning work in 1/12 scale ceramics. Over the last few years, she is becoming equally well known for painting wonderful miniature interpretations of Renaissance masterpieces. In 2004, Lee-Ann was awarded an Independent Study Program grant by IGMA to study Italian Majolica pottery in Italy. She made excellent use of her time then, as well as on subsequent trips, and amazing pieces of miniature Italian Majolica continue to emerge from her studio along with wonderful Arts and Crafts and Delft ware inspired pieces.

Two double coverlets in 1/12 scale by Bonni Backe, Weevings.

One of the classes I found myself in that year was a weaving class with Bonni Backe. I walked into the library of the Maine Maritime Academy to find 10 or 12 interesting looking table-top looms set up for us to use and by the end of the week, I was completely fascinated and had produced three pretty decent looking rugs.

Bonni is the artist behind Weevings the business she operates making and selling miniature woven rugs, bedspreads, towels and so many other items, most of them based in weaving, but not all of them strictly in the realm of textiles…snowshoes and wicker? Bonni is a Fellow member of the Guild, a position that made her eligible to apply for a grant from the Independent Study Program. IGMA established this program a decade or more ago in order to enable Fellow members to pursue a research project consistent with the Guild’s mission of promoting miniatures as an art form.

Bonni applied for and was awarded a study grant which she used to research Norwegian textiles-in Norway, spending three weeks in museums and thrift shops across the country, studying, photographing-and as I hear, buying textiles. She will be hosting a show and tell at Guild School this summer, sharing the knowledge she gained and displaying some of the pieces she found so inspiring. And, I expect that before long, we will see the inspiration reflected in some new pieces for sale.

People Sculpting 101, with Elle Piccolo.

2012 coming up in September. Apart from making miniatures for the sheer fun of it, I also make miniatures to sell-it helps fund the collecting of miniatures I will never be able to make for myself, and for the occasional miniatures related travel…i.e.Guild School. This year, for the first time, I will be teaching a class at the Guild Show which will involve many more preparations this spring and summer, than just building up inventory.

As far as I can remember, there have always been classes offered at the Guild Show, but this year they have expanded the educational opportunities at the show-encouraging many talented artists along with Artisan and Fellow members of the Guild to teach a class. A brochure detailing the classes on offer will make its debut at the Chicago International, or you can pop over to the dedicated web-page where full color photos are already available along with class descriptions.

Learning to Solder, with Tim Kraft.

Another educational opportunity will be open to all at the Friday evening festivities which have been re-envisioned as an opening party-bridging the gap between the classes and the salesroom. There will be exhibits to see as well as demonstrations by artisans in many and varied areas of miniature making-so if you’ve ever been curious about how a particular tool works, or what material would be best for working a miniature sampler, this is the chance to come and learn a thing or two, while enjoying some luscious desserts and the company of your mini friends.

The salesroom opens Saturday morning with preview hours from 9-11 a.m. and for general admission from 11 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The list of dealers is awesome now and still growing. Silent auctions will take place during salesroom hours both days and the always impressive live auction, after the salesroom closes on Saturday.

Sailing Ship Stained Glass Window, with Sue Veeder.

There is always a special section of the salesroom devoted to the  youngest collectors among us-parents strictly forbidden, and Sunday will see the launch of a new special event just for those young collectors…Minis and Tea for Mom (or Dad) and Me!

Hope to see you there.

1/12 scale adaptation of a New Hampshire sampler in a frame greatly improved with a little putty and some creative faux painting.

I’ve got a couple of miter boxes, several saws, a chopper thing that cuts angles with a single plunge of a sharp razor blade and a gadget that supposedly will sand pieces at specific angles and I’ve got to tell you, I think the gadgets are a waste of money. First off, unless I’m really missing something, the chopper thing only cuts the end of a piece, so you can’t cut a lovely angle on one end, then move the piece on through and cut the other angle without first cutting the piece to length and then turning it around to nip off the end at the correct angle. Which, let me point out requires you to remove the angle guide to cut the piece to length, then replace it on the other side of the chopper before making the second angle cut.  Yes, you can just flip the piece of wood over, but nice picture frame molding is not flat on both sides so holding the piece square on its top side will be a bit tricky. For the actual cutting, the chopper doesn’t work too badly on soft, fairly thin pieces of wood, but with something thicker and more dense, the angles are not cut completely ‘square’, the downward pressure of the blade ends up forcing the cut out of line to at least some degree.

And the sander gadget? I was completely disappointed on opening it to discover that all the angle guides were made out of plastic and the adjustable angle guide, also plastic, has no angle markings on it at all, and to use it you must hold it in place in the little channel it sits in along with the piece you’re trying to sand-and hopefully that piece is long enough to span that same channel without tipping into it thus giving you a whole other angle altogether. Yeah, pretty much useless.

O.k. so we’re back to the miter boxes. The metal ones come with little channels to supposedly match the width of your wood strip and hold it in place. Not always successfully, plus I’m sure the metal can’t be all that good for the longevity of your saw blade. I am currently having the best luck with a nice little wooden miter box I got from S.H. Goode & Sons Workshop. I take my picture frame stock and wedge it into place against one side of the box with some pressure sensitive putty adhesive (i.e. blu tack) so its sitting flat with its flange supported so it doesn’t slip out of square and saw away with my fine tooth handsaw. I can usually get the first cut done cleanly, its the second cut that always gives me trouble, hitting the mark and cutting square, ARGHHHH.

Of course, there is always a time element when I’m making picture frames and that doesn’t help any. It usually means I’m a week or two in front of a show and desperate to get things finished. It seems ridiculous to purchase a small table saw, at a cost of several hundred dollars to make frame assembly easier, but at this point, I am seriously contemplating that option. I could also get my stitching done early enough to have frames made for me by someone far less challenged, but I do usually like doing things for myself, and getting things done early? Who’s dreaming there?

Should I just set aside a few days and a few hundred pieces of wood and just practice, practice, practice? It probably would  help considerably. Maybe at the end of that, I’d have a few perfect frames and could then stitch to fit the frame…yeah, that’s the ticket!

Anyone out there have any tips to pass on to a miter challenged artist? Tell me how you get your frames to come out perfectly. I’d really appreciate the advice.

1/12 scale Dutch kas made by Iulia Chin Lee.

Iulia Chin Lee began working in 1/12 scale about 20 years ago and has firmly cemented her standing as a master woodworker in that scale in the intervening years. An Artisan member of IGMA, Iulia has won several awards for her skills as a scale woodworker. Most recently, a Dutch kas she made was selected to be shown in a exhibition entitled ‘A Tradition of Craft: Current work by the members of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers’ at the Connecticut Historical Society.

The kas, by definition is a large Dutch style cupboard used for storing linen,  an impressive piece with, usually, two doors, drawers and large ball feet. Iulia’s kas is styled after those from the workshop of Elting Beekman of Kingston, New York, circa 1730. Visit her website for photos of the kas in progress as well as photos of her other work.

Pittock Mansion, Portland, Oregon

One of the things the IGMA does particularly well is provide educational opportunities; opportunities that are not limited to its members, anyone and everyone is welcome to attend. Besides the thoroughly fun week of Guild School each June, the Guild organizes two study programs each year, in various locations around the country. Colonial Williamsburg is the setting for the first program of the  year, usually on Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday weekend. This  year the second program will be set in beautiful Portland, Oregon, which bills itself as the City of Roses.

Tinware in the Pittock Mansion pantry.

Study programs are loosely based on an historic or cultural feature of the host city, and in Portland, that will be the Pittock Mansion, nestled in the hills of west Portland and about 1,000 feet above the city’s skyline. It was built early in the 20th century by Henry and Georgiana Pittock whose lives and work paralleled the growth of Portland itself.

The program will take place the weekend of October 26-29, with classes beginning Saturday morning at the Marriott Portland City Center Hotel, following the Friday afternoon visit to the mansion to view the project inspirations in situ. The projects will include construction of an Arts and

Gustav Stickley rocking chair.

Crafts rocking chair being taught by Mark Murphy, the making of a selection of tinware, as seen in the Pittock Mansion pantry, being taught by Alan Hamer, and furring and finishing a Persian cat like the one seen in a painting at the Mansion, being taught by Kerri Pajutee.

Portland is a refreshingly low-key city, with many big city features, beloved by foodies in the know and famous for its coffee houses and micro-breweries, and by myself for Powell’s bookstore and a great chocolate shop that serves the

White Persian cat by Kerri Pajutee in 1/12 scale.

most delicious cup of hot chocolate I’ve ever had.

Brochures will be available shortly with all the program details, or go to the IGMA website to find the information on the Education page.

1/24 scale figures by James Carrington in medieval garb.

Dealing with the bits and boobs, I mean bobs, of the human figure brings a bit of the fun and bawdy to the sculpting classes of Jamie Carrington. So, don’t even think about signing up for one of Jamie Carrington’s doll classes if you’re not comfortable when things get a little saucy. Explicit details are not necessarily part of the sculpting process, but you do want to create a figure that accurately represents a human being-though some very creative fantasy figures have been known to come out of Jamie’s classes as well, intentionally, I might add.

1/24 scale figures in Tudor garb, by James Carrington, prototypes for his 2012 class at the Guild School.

Jamie, an IGMA Fellow member, has been teaching at Guild School as well as at many other locations, for many years. Last year he departed from 1/12 scale to teach a class in 1/24 scale-also known as half scale, figure sculpting and dressing. The reasoning behind the new approach being that sooner or later, most of us are going to run short on display space and moving to smaller scales is a way to fit more in. Jamie felt that the quality of the 1/24 scale structures and furniture had been gradually improving, but there very few quality figures to be found. He decided to take on the challenge. and any doubts that it could be done convincingly went out the window when the class projects went on display at the end of the week. So he’s back for a reprise in 2012-this time working on sculpting and dressing figures from the Tudor period. It is not too late to sign up.

Jamie will also be teaching at the Guild Show in September-a one day class focusing on tailoring. Students will learn how to cut and shape sleeves for all sorts of garments, as well as how to construct lapels that will avoid appearing bulky and will lie flat for a perfectly tailored look.

Chippendale style mirror with carved and gilded phoenix, full-size.

You won’t see that wonderful view of the harbor, but you will feel like you’re on vacation if you have the opportunity to come to the Guild Show this September and take a class with one of our stellar instructors!

The full line-up will soon be announced on the website and in advertising, but I can tell you now, it is going to include some of the IGMA greats like Bill Robertson, Mark Murphy, Nancy Summers, Jamie Carrington and many more-all stars direct from Guild School to the Guild Show! You will have choices in class length, from a couple of hours or as long as two full days. Take one long class, or stack up a couple of shorter classes, the choice is yours.

1/12 scale needlepoint shoes class with Patricia Richards, IGMA Artisan.

Classes cover a wide range of subjects, from hand carving a lovely Chippendale style mirror with Bill Robertson, to upholstering a sofa with Nancy Summers, or detailing and styling an Arabian stallion with Deb Mackie. There is something for everyone.

Details, including photographs will be posted on the website by April 15th and a full color  brochure of line-up will make its debut at the Chicago International show next month. Registration will begin soon there after. Hope to see you there!

1/12 scale Delftware plate by Henny Staring-Egberts, Fellow member, on a silk woven coverlet by Bonni Backe, Fellow member.

One of the objectives of the Guild is to recognize and honor talented artisans who work in miniature. It is part of our mission to promote miniatures as an art form. Many lovers of miniatures are content to be collectors and to dabble creatively in a variety of media, but some find a calling in one particular area and spend considerable time honing their skills. People that interested and dedicated deserve recognition for their efforts.

1/12 scale basket of tomatoes by Silvia Cucchi, Artisan member.

IGMA honors that dedication with two levels of recognition-Artisan and Fellow. Anyone who has been a member of the Guild for at least a year, may apply to become an Artisan member. Those who have been Artisan members for at least two years prior to application, may apply to become a Fellow member. Evaluations take place once a year and are conducted ‘blind’, meaning each submission is evaluated solely on its own merits

1/12 scale folk art bird by Mary Grady O'Brien, Fellow member, atop a painted chest of drawers by James Hastrich, Fellow member.

without knowledge of it’s creator.

Artisan and Fellow recognition is a level of membership within the Guild and any person who has received that honor is welcome and in fact, encouraged to promote themselves as such, as long as they continue to be a member of IGMA. Their work has demonstrated a mastery in their area of expertise and they are well deserving of the accolades.

More information as well as guidelines and applications for the Artisan and Fellow programs are available on the Guild’s website.