How did you become interested in the world of miniature work? I first heard about miniature painting twenty years ago at a meeting of the Federation of Canadian Artists, on the Lower Mainland. Our chapter president had recently been to a miniature show in the USA and after telling us about it we decided to include a miniature component in our chapter show. Instinctively I felt this was a good fit for my realistic and detailed style of work, so I painted four miniatures for the show. The paintings sold within five minutes of the opening and I had a commission for four more paintings by the end of the evening. After this encouraging start, I took a deep dive into the world of miniature art and focused on developing my skills further.
Along the Tracks II, 2 x 4.5”
The World of Miniature Art by Tiffany Hastie tiffanyhastieart.com
How long have you been painting and teaching miniatures?
Born and raised on the west coast of British Columbia, Tiffany Hastie has always held a deep appreciation for the natural beauty surrounding her. The permanence of landscape and architecture, when combined with the ever-changing light, provides an endless source of inspiration and challenge. The tension created when painting the “Grand View” in miniature offers a type of intimacy that draws the viewer inward. It is this alluring quality inherent in miniature painting that Tiffany finds fascinating to work with.
I’ve been painting miniature landscapes and teaching the art of painting in miniature for about twenty years now. Considering this traditional form of painting dates back a thousand years or so, it is terrific to see quite a bit of interest in miniatures today, both from artists wanting to learn the technique, and from buyers who collect these tiny artworks. Please explain the difference between traditional miniature paintings and paintings that are just small in size? Having painted both small paintings and miniatures, I’ve found the main difference between them has to do with concept and technique. In concept, miniature painting is about rendering a subject in miniature (approximately 1/6th or so in scale of the original), without omitting any detail along the way. Traditionally, a miniature painting is considered to be a painting that can be held in the palm of one hand, with the understanding that if the painting were to be enlarged many times over, the image would appear just as complete and whole on a large scale, as it does on a tiny one.
Beached, 2.25 x 4.75
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