Who was the first miniature artist to blow your mind?

[Althea]

Howdy folks!

 

I was wondering who was the first miniature artist that really made your jaw drop?  Made you say "no way, that CAN NOT BE REAL!  Do you remember?  The first miniature artist I ever met was Marcia Backstrom.  Since I was making clothes, I thought they needed dolls (I don't feel that way any more) and when I saw her work in a book I bought "The Dollhouse Book" by Stephanie Finnegan, I had to write her!  I had never been to a dollhouse show or shop and I knew next to nothing about what was good and what was "a fluffy kitten made from a Q-tip."  What I did know is I wasn't much of a pretty porcelain face doll kinda gal and I thought Marcia's characters were wonderful and unusual.  She and I struck up a lovely relationship that lasted until her untimely passing--she made two custom dolls for me which I treasure and I made many a sweater or accessory for her dolls. 

 

So...who got your motor revved or inspired you?

 

~Althea

[PJPickard]

Bill Robertson, hands down. 

[ElgaKoster]

When I started making furniture in 2010 I quickly realized that finding period correct hardware was always going to be difficult and that I will somehow have to learn to make my own. It just so happened that I was going to Castine for the first time in 2011 and the one class that caught my eye was Bill Robertson's hinge class, at that stage I haven't heard of him before so when I did an internet search...wow, I was amazed and blown away by the quality and variety of his work and signed up for the class immediately.

And have since taken more of his classes each year, especially the ones that deals with metalworking, I have learned so much each time from Bill that I can apply in my own work and he continues to inspire me to keep on improving my skills in making fine miniatures.

[oz9ny]

John Davenport. Author of he first book on real miniatures I found in the library many years ago. Citation from his book "Miniature furniture" Keep the pink at the ends of your fingers behind the sharp edge of your tools.

 

Barry Hipwell. Magnificient intarsia.

 

James Dorsett. The Scale Cabinetmaker

 

/miels

[Bill Hudson]

In order by time frame that they came into my life:

From 1958 − 1976: Ivan Collins: Master builder of model horse drawn vehicles. His collection is now housed at the Oregon Historical Society Museum in Portland, Oregon. He taught me to look for the detail. He started me off on this very high detail journey.

1988 - present; Linda laroche, influenced me it the finer detail with her wonderful and beautiful wood carving skills.

From some time in the early 1980s - on going. Bill Robertson. Appreciation of finer things in miniatures and of tools. Very high influence in improving my work quality with lots of support and encouragement. And a all around good friend.

And Gearold Windgrove books.

[Wm. R. Robertson]

For me it has to be Paul Runyon, I learned the whole basis for the way I do things in my one afternoon visit to his shop.......

And there are so many other people I have learned from, they won't be know to most miniaturists but they are important to me..... Some of them are.... August Crabtree (caver & shipmodelbuilder), Daniel Brush ( jeweler & Artist ), Robert Baker (restorer ), Ted Crom (collector) , Gerald Windgrove ( car modeler) through his books only.

And Barbara Marshall who taught me so much.....

[WhiteHorseStudio]

Jamie Carrington! I first met him at the Guild Show many years ago right about the time I was getting frustrated with pre-cast porcelain dolls. I'd never seen dolls with so much character! He was amazingly willing to share tips and techniques and the next thing you know, I was taking classes from him at workshops and then Castine.

 

After that, the next had to be Kirsteen Haley, a maker of miniature western saddles. She works in 1:9 scale, but was also more than willing to let me pick her brains on working leather in miniature.

[Guy Gadois]

Bill Hudson!

[WeekendMiniaturist]

Bill Robertson's Rollers Skates were most amazing with a working key...when I was at the Chicago International show, oh so many years ago, how in the world did he do that????!!!  It was a pivotal moment... that made me pay attention and to figure out how to get to Guild School.

 

Tamra/Indiana

[Althea]

Wonderful lists everyone, thank you!  
 
Okay so this guy boggles my mind...
 
http://www.finewoodworking.com/AudioSlideshow/31688/index.asp?slideshow=31688

 

 
Honestly, that architects room was something I saw in a magazine while I was still home bound with triplets and unable to get out and see anything in real life.  I had to keep reading the article to make sure what I was looking at was NOT full scale.  It was a definite jaw dropper and a moment of inspired awe.  Who knew that years later Bill and I would become friends and even though I have seen him make this stuff in person, it still boggles the mind!  
 
My first knitting mentors were Sue Resseguie and Annelies De Kort--love these ladies!
 
So many other artists that inspired me but these were among the first I can recall.

 
Bill, I looked up Paul Runyon...I can see why he was an inspiration (picture attached).

 

 

[Elizabeth Gazmuri]

For me the very first was Pete Boorum who introduced me to power tools and encouraged me to look into going to the Guild school at a local event about a month after I was introduced to the world of miniatures. Linda LaRoche's work always blows my mind.

[ernestobaldini]

Kerry Pajutee talent is perhaps tne one jiniaturist that made my brain explode higher. I' msure she holds her breath while working, otherwise, her creations would go freely after finished, lol!

[Catherine Soubzmaigne]

I have to write down names in no particular order...I discovered miniature in the 80's and changed my life

Eugene Kupjak through the Thorne rooms, Denis Hillman, Barry Hipwell, John Davenport, John Hodgson, the Turners, Daphne and Ivan, Ken Manning and his wonderful musical instruments, Bill Robertson of course, in France Pierre Mourey ( I call him "the French Bill Robertson" !)...

Daphne Turner is probably the one who gave me the strongest emotion, she was a little old lady, probably in her 70's when I met her, she was so modest and neither Ivan or she sold any of their pieces ( they donated them to a museum near Bristol, UK)

She was then stitching on silk gauze #84 a medieval tapestry to go with her husband's furniture. She had had cataract but explained me that a with good magnifying and good light, you could do it...well ! SHE could...

[MissyBoling]

Funny you should ask, Althea - I think in my case it was you.      I joined the miniature knitting and crochet group and the petitpointers group at about the same time, when I first discovered miniatures, and that was about the time you were first starting your micro knitting.  I don't think I had heard of Bill Robertson yet at that point, but my next brain explosion came when I saw pictures of his architects' classroom.

[Althea]

Thank you Missy!  Catherine, I have recently come across the Turners work and I must say the tapestry she made of the Noble Amazon (have only seen pictures) totally blow my mind!  And Ivan's marquetry work is exceptional. Their work certainly deserves to be in a museum. I have also recently discovered the work of Mourey and was very impressed.  I have attache a picture of a piece he made that I LOVE (found it in a Miniature Collector Mag).   

 

Thanks for sharing.  I really enjoy looking up names I don't know and learning about other artists out there who make wonderful things. 

 

~Althea

[Gee]

Barry Hipwell, his work is so so beautiful

Jens Torp, no room is really complete without a Torp in it

Debora B. member of this forum, stunning work

 

There are more people who's work I am in awe with, but because of these people I really got a fondness of miniatures.

I saw their work for the first time all in one day, I believe. Hard to tell now -it was years ago- who was the first I noticed.

So to be fair I mentioned all three of them.

[a2zmom]

Unlike most who post here, I am solely a collector.

 

These are the people who blew me away when I first started in this hobby, long, long ago:

 

Ernie Levy

Sharon Garmize

Obidiah Fisher

Barbara Rahab

Noel Thomas

Linda LaRoche

 

The vast majority are either deceased or no longer making miniatures. I was lucky in that seeing their work right at the beginning of my collecting passion, I knew exactly what artistry miniatures could attain. 

[Teresa layman]

Noel and Pat Thomas. In the late 70's I saw a couple of their buildings at a shop in Seattle and I couldn't believe the amazing details they put into their work to make those buildings look weathered and lived in. Their buildings are amazing in their complexity, but mind blowing in their details. That was it for me...14 years old and hooked for life. 

 

 

[dollcreator]

The one person that has blown my mind is Maarten Meerman (http://nanotray.com/). Not that I do any woodworking myself, or do anything that small, but what he does is absolutely amazing!!!

But as far as any of my needlework is concerned, my biggest influences are Helena Bleeker, Althea, Sharon de Vries, Annelies de Kort, Frances Peterson, Nicola Mascall and several others... 

[Doppy1973]

Hi,

 

Barry Hipwell. It was amazing what he did with wood.

I had the opportunity to be in two of his classes he teached in the Netherlands.

 

And now there are so many more artists!

 

Gr.

christa

[tovepalm]

I  May 2001 my husband and I went on a gardening tour in England.  After looking at many magnificent gardens we came to Leonardslee Gardens and I saw a building with a sign "Behind the dollshouse".  I had just discovered the miniatures world, so I went inside. (My husband preferred the café).

 

It was a mindblowing experience - how on earth was it possible to make all those buildings, gardens and persons so lifelike and so small. I still remember at boy on a bicycle, who clearly was in a hurry. The whole display was made by Helen Holland.

In the shop I saw my first copy of Dolls House World. A magazine totally devoted to miniatures!

From that day I was hooked - and I have had a lovely time ever since.

Helen Holland has made a book about "Behind the dollshouse". It will be the first item I buy in Kensington November 29th.

[Gary]

For me it was Bill Robertson's architect school room, followed rapidly by his tool set. Probably the reason I got into scale.

[Bob McGinnis]

For me it was also Bill Robertson. I saw a photo of his 1/48th scale Bardons &Oliver Turret Lathe in Guy Lautard's " Second Machinist's Bedside Reader" in 1991. WOW !! AMAZING. I never thought I would get to see it for real. But nine years later thru a mutual Antique Tool Collector friend of Bill's , Ken Kranzusch, I got to know Bill. I was invited to a special Antique Tool Exhibit that Bill was hosting in Kansas City and Bill was so kind as to let me hold, study, and admire that precious little Work of Art. Thanks, Bill

Bob McGinnis

[CarolynDenning]

Pete Acquisto. Before I was into miniatures, I went to a show in Houston with my sister who was rather new to miniatures at that time. I remember walking around the show being amazed at all of the perfect tiny items for sale but at the last display next to the door was the most beautiful silver items I had ever seen. I just stood there staring at this exquisite tea service. It was years later after I got into minis myself and attended numerous shows that I realized that Pete was the person who's work was the one I remembered from so long ago. Several years ago I took a class from him in Castine. That gave me an even greater appreciation for his incredible talent.