Art Kaleidoscope

Between art and craft

Category Archive: Miniature

Prayer Nut wood carving art

Prayer Nut wood carving art

A small boxwood orb decorated inside and outside with carving on religious themes – Prayer Nut wood carving art

Prayer Nut wood carving art
First of all, to produce such a prayer nut required considerable skill. Within the scope of the concave a skillful master carved miniature stories about the life of Christ and his apostles. Noteworthy, the width of a “nut” was no more than 3-5 cm in diameter. And to add flavor to patterns the artist added leaves of spice plants or aromatic oil. Undoybtedly, every Prayer Nut is a true work of art. Only the very rich could afford to order such a pocket-like altar. Therefore, possession of “prayer nuts” underlines the high social status. Designed to be worn on a rosary or belt these orbs could be used for private devotion. In particular, when its wealthy owner traveled. Therefore, they were known as rosary beads or prayer nuts.
The skill of medieval craftsmen still amazes. Every detail of the composition conceived and executed with maximum precision. These exquisite Prayer nuts adorn exposures of the world’s leading museums. Among them the British Museum in London and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Louvre. A few years ago at an auction one such nut was sold for 133,250 pounds.

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Mark Oliver and Julie Alice Chappell Techno-Entomology art

Techno-Entomology art - tiny insects from waste made by British artist Julie Alice Chappell

Tiny insects from waste made by British artist. Julie Alice Chappell Techno-Entomology art

Julie Alice Chappell Techno-Entomology art
British artists Mark Oliver and Julie Alice Chappell turn the old printed circuit boards into the light-winged fine butterflies, moths, and flies. It looks like a fairy-tale transformation of Cinderella into a princess. Teir so-called Techno-Entomology art works from waste are delicate and airy. It seems that the butterfly is about to wave its wings and fly to a blossoming lawn.
Noteworthy is Julie’s Art project called «Computer Component Bugs». The word «bug» has a double meaning – “bug” and “bug in a computer program.” Meanwhile, creating her works the artist wanted to draw attention to the problem of waste disposal, and generally to environmental protection.
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Lacquer miniature by Svetlana Belovodova

Lacquer miniature by Svetlana Belovodova. Selena - Mistress of the night sky, the Goddess of the Moon

Selena – Mistress of the night sky, the Goddess of the Moon. Lacquer miniature by Svetlana Belovodova

Lacquer miniature by Svetlana Belovodova
Having graduated from the famous Fedoskino art school with honors in 1996, Russian artist Svetlana Belovodova became engaged in lacquer miniature painting professionally. By the way, she considers herself a happy person. Indeed, isn’t it just a dream when your passion for art becomes your favorite work for life? Meanwhile, the artist creates stories, embodied in the author’s jewelry and exclusive gifts, such as miniature lacquer caskets and small panels. And while painting portraits, she uses unique technique, in particular, lacquer combined with stones and beading.
Svetlana lives and works in the city of Dmitrov of Moscow region. She is a member of the Artists’ Union of arts and crafts of Russia (2004).
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Miniature copies of paintings in jewelry

New collaboration of Fineartshop - 'Masters of Art'. Miniature copies of paintings in jewelry

New collaboration of Fineartshop – ‘Masters of Art’. Miniature copies of paintings in jewelry

Miniature copies of paintings in jewelry
Russian photographer, stylist, jewelry designer and traveler is known by her pseudonym Ilyasha Ilyaeva, the name given by her children. Ilyasha Ilyaeva is the creator of the vintage and designer jewelry ‘Fineartshop’. Five years ago she quit her office job to do what really her soul wanted – to give the beauty to the world. Now her showroom in Moscow is known and loved by the ladies of the capital. In her plans – opening a store in New York. Her life – an inspiring example of how to transform the innate sense of style and beauty in the pursuit of a successful business, and how to harmoniously balance all areas of life (which is especially important for women!) – job, personal relations, child education, sports, health and Travel.
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Exquisite Russian Icon Embroidery art

Icon of the Most Holy Trinity. Exquisite Russian Icon Embroidery art

Detail of Icon of the Most Holy Trinity. Workshop of Natalia Gorkovenko ‘Prikosnovenie’ (touch). Moscow, Russia. Exquisite Russian Icon Embroidery art

Exquisite Russian Icon Embroidery art
Icon of the Most Holy Trinity. Sapphire blue and white, beryl, blue topaz, green and pink tourmaline, citrine, garnet, quartz, rock crystal, Aventurine, coral, gold plated beads, silver. 720 hours of manual work.
Art workshop by Natalia Gorkovenko “Prikosnovenie” (Eng. “touch”) one of the first in modern Russia became involved in a noble cause – the revival of the art of embroidery of icons with beads, pearls and precious stones. These icons evoke admiration and great interest not only among church people, but for all who cherish Russian culture, people of art and collectors. Among the works of the workshop “Touch” you can select the icon of the Savior, Mary, the icon of the Saints. These icons have been in the US, Germany, Greece, the Czech Republic and Russia. Works by masters of the studio find their place in many churches. In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, you can see the icon of the Tikhvin Mother of God.
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Painting on natural stone by Anna Taleyeva

Painting on natural stone by Anna Taleyeva

Rowan evening pendant. Lacquer miniature painting on natural stone by Anna Taleyeva

Painting on natural stone by Anna Taleyeva
Moscow based artist Anna Taleyeva is not just an excellent master and mega professional, she is a pure-hearted woman. She paints beautiful and delicate images on a natural stones, considering all the smallest nuances and details. With each new miniature Anna shows that there is no limit to perfection. Unfortunately the photo does not convey the beauty, for example, we can not see that all the images are in three-dimensional format, due to the transparency of pebble (its internal veins and veins), cuts of semi-precious stones, such as agate, and with the use of a small gilt image appears three-dimensional – very impressive. The art work of ethereal paintings on stones is a high quality jewelry.
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Smoke-painted miniatures in a bottle

Smoke-painted miniatures in a bottle

Maple leaves. Bottled smoke art by Jim Dingilian. Smoke-painted miniatures in a bottle

Smoke-painted miniatures in a bottle by Jim Dingilian

Smoke inside empty glass bottle can create unusual pictures, of course, by the hands of a talented artist. It is the American artist Jim Dingilian, who tells his black-and-white stories about life in the suburbs, through his miniature bottle art. The author tried to give something magical to unusual paintings of very ordinary suburb. In the haze, which appeared through smoked glass (for the artist uses a candle), simple-minded landscape began to look more mysterious. Dingilian was born in York, PA. In his childhood he had lived for seven years in Waterloo, Belgium, then returned to the United States. He graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology receiving his MFA in photography in 1996. Dingilian is represented by the McKenzie Fine Art Gallery in New York.
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