Miniatures

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Miniatures

What is a Miniature?

The word miniature has Latin and Italian roots which mean rubrication or, the marking or emphasising of headings of manuscripts and ancient books, usually in red.

As far back as the 13th Century, these embellishments included tiny examples of graphic art. The meaning of the word thus moved away from red towards small. Over time, a miniaturist was called a limner; one who illuminated a manuscript, often with very small works of art. Limners also provided portraits and reduced versions of large paintings for their patrons to take with them on their travels.

For a while printing and photography eroded the demand for the miniaturist's skills, but today there is a renewed interest in their work. They are presented in many styles and range from traditional to contemporary and even include digital art. The traditional mediums are complemented by the use of graphite, acrylics, coloured pencil, inks and collage.

Mellissa is currently a member of The Australian Society of Miniature Art (Qld.) Inc.