Fusion of Miniatures with Altered Arts

I am on a journey to fuse two of my passions "miniatures and altered arts" into a fresh expression of art.

Basic Definitions:

Miniatures- a miniature is any copy of a realistic item that is smaller than the original item. Scales used are 1:12, also known as “one inch” or “one twelfth”. In this scale, one inch in miniature equals one foot in the regular world. Other scales used are 1:24 (half inch scale) and 1:48 (quarter inch scale) where a half inch and a quarter inch equal one foot, respectively. One of the smallest scales people use is 1:144 which is one twelfth of one twelfth. In miniatures scale is everything.

Altered art - uses an object (such as a book, empty cigar box, picture frame, old suitcase etc...) and changes and modifies it to create a unique piece of art. Altered artists use a myriad of techniques such as painting, calligraphy, collage, decoupage, beading, embroidery and more to embellish their altered pieces.

Altered Miniatures (A.M.)–uses miniature techniques and scales with altered arts techniques, blending them into a balance fusion of multiple scales creating a unique piece of art. This new scale or category encourages mixing one miniature scale with another miniature scale. Or even mixing multiple scales from the micro mini’s to human scale in one project. It adds another layer of self-expression that can be recorded and revealed in your miniature art.

Even though I say this is a new category of miniatures it has been showcased over the years by miniaturists. Miniatures using an unusual container are a great example of Altered Miniatures. Miniature scenes have been made in hats, tin containers, stuffed animals, and dolls. People are using “scrubbies” that belong by the kitchen sink to put build miniature scenes, teacups and paper mache forms are turned into a mini vignettes.

There are current examples of Altered Miniatures on the N.A.M.E.’s home page http://www.miniatures.org/. On the left hand column there are pictures of Shannon Moore’s buildings built out of real books (that is really altering a book), Suzanne Larson-Tamburo’s ballet shoe scene, Robin Betterley’s project, “Feathering your Nest”, Rachel Rice’s “Father Sky, Mother Earth”, and my “Shrine to Surgery” and “Heart of the Home”.

This is just the start of my journey, will you join me?