Beth Freeman-Kane: Hudson Valley Wildlife in Miniature

We're excited to announce the opening of a new exhibition “Hudson Valley Wildlife in Miniature – Works by Beth Freeman-Kane” in the Gallery. This important exhibition will run October 15, 2016 through January 15, 2017 along with a special Master Class and Open House during the weekend of October 15.

In this special exhibit, Ms. Freeman-Kane presents a 1/12th scale miniature scene depicting life both sustained and renewed by unique ecosystem provided by the mighty Hudson River. Her piece features a Belted Kingfisher and a pair of Pectoral Sandpipers resting atop the waters of the Hudson while beneath the water level live various indigenous tiny fish, crabs and frogs. The scene also features several Dragonflies very often observed in the Hudson River Valley, home to the largest number of different dragonfly species in the US.

A lifelong resident of South Africa, Freeman-Kane (a fellow of the International Guild of Miniature Artisans and signature member of the Miniature Artists of America) creates miniatures utilizing sculpture, painting techniques and mixed media elements that offer a unique view of nature. Her miniatures and vignettes are often humorous, whimsical and even surreal, but always portray wildlife in its purest and most basic form.

Her work serves to remind us of our responsibility to admire, preserve and protect elements of nature that surround and sustain us. “Little things matter!” she says. “My artwork celebrates the significance of small things most often overlooked in nature and I invite the viewer to reinvest attention in the seemingly unworthy or unremarkable.”

Ms. Freeman-Kane will teach a master class in 1/12 scale wildlife on Saturday, October 15th in the workshop at D. Thomas Fine Miniatures and will present samples of her signature works at a special Open House and Reception on Sunday, October 16. Her works will remain on exhibit and for sale through January 15, 2017.

For more information on the exhibit, to register for the class and RSVP for the open house, please visit www.DThomasFineMiniatures or call Darren T. Scala at 914-231-9871.

Photo: Courtesy of the artist

ABOUT D. THOMAS FINE MINIATURES

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures is an online and in-store retail destination featuring artisan dollhouses and top quality collectibles including 1/12th scale furniture and accessories. The shop also offers workshops and classes taught by master artisans.

The concept, designed to appeal to collectors, crafters and enthusiasts at all skill levels and abilities, was created, in part, to raise awareness of miniatures as a decorative art form and to introduce the discipline not only to a new generation but to those who may just be discovering it!

The shop also features a gallery space showcasing works in miniature by well-known artists from all over the world.

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures is located at 579 Warburton Avenue in the village of Hastings-on-Hudson NY. Gallery and shop hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from Noon to 5:00 pm. Evening hours are available by appointment.

For more, follow D. Thomas Fine Miniatures on: Instagram Facebook and Twitter.

Bishop Jones's Parlor by Robert Off in the Gallery

Join us in the Gallery at D. Thomas Fine Miniatures through Oct 14 for a viewing of Bishop Jones's Parlor, a room box created by miniaturist Robert Off.

Absalom Jones was born into slavery in 1746. He taught himself to read, worked by day and attended an all-black school at night.

He was an active member of St. George's Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia before meeting Richard Allen who he joined forces with to create The Free African Society/The African Church. He was one of the foremost leaders of African decent during the Post Revolutionary period and became the first African American ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church of the United States, in 1804.

Bishop Jones's Parlor, earlier work by Mr. Off, is a 1/12th scale representation of a fictitious space which may have found Bishop Jones himself occupying sometime in the early 1800's. The piece provides a view to a cozy sitting room through a central foyer which is lit by a pair of brass sconces. A portrait of Absalom Jomes hangs over a fireplace mantle while a teacup and saucer wait quietly for a lift.

About the Artist

Robert Off has been building miniature architectural boxes for personal enjoyment since 1998. He was inspired by the miniature architectural boxes designed, The Thorne Rooms, created by Mrs. James Thorne and Eugene Kupjack and are now part of Chicago Art Institute's permanent collection. Before he started making boxes, he painted miniature, 54 mm, soldiers. He continues to collect and maintain a strong interest in the field but also collects 19th century American fine prints and is an active member of the American Historical Print Collectors Society.

Mr. Off is a retired commercial real estate investor and broker. Earlier in his career, he worked for the United States Government at the State Department and at The White House during the Nixon and Ford Administrations. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and dog, a yellow lab.

Photo: Courtesy of the artist

ABOUT D. THOMAS FINE MINIATURES

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures is an online and in-store retail destination featuring artisan dollhouses and top quality collectibles including 1/12th scale furniture and accessories. The shop also offers workshops and classes taught by master artisans.

The concept, designed to appeal to collectors, crafters and enthusiasts at all skill levels and abilities, was created, in part, to raise awareness of miniatures as a decorative art form and to introduce the discipline not only to a new generation but to those who may just be discovering it!

The shop also features a gallery space showcasing works in miniature by well-known artists from all over the world.

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures is located at 579 Warburton Avenue in the village of Hastings-on-Hudson NY. Gallery and shop hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from Noon to 5:00 pm. Evening hours are available by appointment.

For more, follow D. Thomas Fine Miniatures on: Instagram Facebook and Twitter.

"Sapper" by Thomas Doyle in the Gallery at D. Thomas Fine Miniatures

Drop by the Gallery at D. Thomas Fine Miniatures and view "Sapper," which is recent work by contemporary artist Thomas Doyle. “Sapper,” a vignette in 1:87 scale, is representative of Doyle’s perspective on anxiety, fear and isolation in the domestic and family dynamic.

Mr. Doyle creates highly stylized and intricate narratives with psychological implications through small scale, mixed media environments and miniature settings in 1:87-inch scale or smaller. His vignettes often focus on suburban life, portrayals of the classic American Dream home juxtaposed with the interaction of man versus the forces of nature, the contemporary struggle of man against man, and man against his own personal fears.

His work compels us all to think, wonder, interpret and question not only his art but ourselves. The physical use of small scale enables him to transport us from the vastness of our real world and society into a smaller more intimate world and creates an immediate escape into the narrative.

In “Sapper,” we are transported to one moment in the life of a family and the complex miniature world of their suburban high ranch home. We are drawn into a series of interactions that include two brothers dribbling a ball in the driveway while their parents are immersed in a possible marital conflict in the backyard.

Beneath these interactions, tunneled through the bedrock foundation supporting their home and private world, are seven World War I sappers immersed in a defensive operation, seen through a cross-section trench or sap.

“Sapper” provides Doyle’s insights and commentary on everyday domesticity; at any time conflict equal to a well-executed military operation may exist together with the calm space provided by the American Dream home. It moves us to consider the anxieties that both exist and invade everyday life and how these fears motivate us to either further engage or retreat from the resulting danger.

This showing coincides with Doyle's exhibition "If the Creek Don't Rise" at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY (through May 8, 2016).

About the Artist

Thomas Doyle, born in Grand Haven Michigan, is now a long-time New York resident. He has shown his sculptures at galleries and museums across the United States, and in London, Los Angeles, Florence, Seoul, and Beijing. "If the Creek Don't Rise" is Thomas Doyle's first solo museum exhibition.

All Photos: Courtesy of the artist

ABOUT D. THOMAS FINE MINIATURES

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures is an online and in-store retail destination featuring artisan dollhouses and top quality collectibles including 1/12th scale furniture and accessories. The shop also offers workshops and classes taught by master artisans.

The concept, designed to appeal to collectors, crafters and enthusiasts at all skill levels and abilities, was created, in part, to raise awareness of miniatures as a decorative art form and to introduce the discipline not only to a new generation but to those who may just be discovering it!

The shop also features a gallery space showcasing works in miniature by well-known artists from all over the world.

D. Thomas Fine Miniatures is located at 579 Warburton Avenue in the village of Hastings-on-Hudson NY. Gallery and shop hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from Noon to 5:00 pm. Evening hours are available by appointment.

For more, follow D. Thomas Fine Miniatures on: Instagram Facebook and Twitter.