A little Sea-Scape

Painted in oil on a specially prepared card, this little seascape was a freehand piece to continue my experiments working on a miniature scale.
It measures in at approximately 35mm X 23mm, and was intended as an exercise in painting a different subject to the portraits I've done up to now. I also wanted to play with some richer colour and broader brush strokes (as much as you can on such a small scale).

I wasn't entirely sure how I was going to present this, if at all. I had some miniature dolls-house picture frames that I originally planned to use, but in the end I mounted it in a velvet-lined gift box which formed a nice frame in its own right. ​

Close-up you really start to see the tiny indentations on the surface, some of which are formed by the brush-strokes, others micro imperfections on the ground. 
You start to appreciate why the old masters developed their techniques working on fine surfaces like vellum and polished ivory. Such materials are harder to come by these days but I'm gradually developing some favourite surfaces of my own, like the heavily primed card which I then finely sand and polish with emery papers.


If you're interested in finding out more or wish to have a miniature of your own then it's easy - fill out the form on my 'commission' page and I'll get back to you directly.

Daniel Rose