Ready to start again

Having had a break for most of this year I am now back in the workshop, already got some commissions to go at, ideas for new miniatures are in the planning stage and should hopefully be ready for sale in early to mid October.

I have during the past six months or so been visiting lots of National Trust houses, have taken lots of photographs and these are giving me the inspiration to get going again.

One of the reasons I have been quiet is that I have got back into the hobby of photography and you can see what I get up to with the cameras here.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dave-Williams/972510472773133?ref=hl

Also here is the link to my miniatures page.

https://www.facebook.com/harvingtomniniatures?ref=hl

They are both facebook pages but you don't have to be a member of fb to view these pages.

New miniature work beckons

I have been very quiet the past few months, with a nice Summer we have been out and about, couple of holidays and lots of trips to National Trust houses, lots of ideas from those places and now the darker nights are back it's time once again for miniatures.

The table below is from the wood you can see in my previous post, over a hundred years old and it's very nice to work with.

 

This a tudor style table, have distressed to give it a nice aged look and finished with a thin coat of beeswax.

 

This is currently listed on ebay

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_ipg=50&_sop=12&_ssn=smallartist&LH_PrefLoc=2&_arm=1&_armm=63&_ruu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fm.html%3F_ipg%3D50%26_sop%3D12%26_ssn%3Dsmallartist%26_arr%3D1

Am also back into painting again and hope to get a few watercolours listed on ebay very soon.

 

That's it for now but expect an update very soon.



Interesting lot of really old mahogany.

See the picture below, I was given this by a friend who was working near an old cottage, the workmen who were renovating the cottage were ripping out old beams and throwing them in in a skip!

Fortunately my friend Trevor knew how good this wood is so got some out for himself and has given me some offcuts for which I am very grateful.

Don't know how old it is but guessing a couple of hundred years old, it is mahogany and in wonderful condition, no holes and beautifully matured.

Good job he didn't bring me a beam as I would not have been able to cut it down.

Not sure what I am going to make from it yet, definitely some miniature turnings and if I can cut it down ( a lot of it is quite thick) and possibly some wood panels for my next project which could be a tudor room box.

This morning I made a Tudor style grindstone from a small piece of the wood, quite pleased with it, have stained it dark oak and the finish has come out nice, stained mahogany is much better for miniatures than plain white wood.

 



Yes the grindstone does turn with the handle, even surprised myself that it worked!

It is removable from the table as can be seen below.

 

Not been posting much lately due to a lot of selling on ebay, but now is the time of year for me to experiment and play a little, so watch this space.

 

Have already started shaping some of the wood for a couple of settles, which I will show here when completed.

 

Any suggestions for what else could be made from this wood, then please post below.



smoking!

 

 

And for something completely different to my normal turnings, well perhaps a lot of them aren't normal!

This is a Hookah, originally it came from the Persian empire, then it became popular in Egypt, now it is known the world over, sometimes known as a water pipe or shisha, although many substances can be used it is know for flavoured tobacco, the vapours are passed though a water basin or bowl.

I have turned this from a lovely piece of a new hybrid material.

All my turnings are miniature, this hookah for example measures just under 2" tall.

Below is a tobacco jar and pedestal, I say tobacco but could be used to hold many different things.

The last of today's turnings is below, an incense burner, again this could be used for any purpose you wish.

 

The Tobacco jar with stand and the incense burner are both turned from Maple eye burl, this has a lovely finish, tops are removable and the bowls are hollowed out.

Now I need to start racking my brain to see what other ideas I can come up with.

and there's more!

Still playing with the new material that I have, this is a pedestal with a lidded container, could be used for anything, I just love the colours in this piece.

The miniature below is a flour barrel, turned in Thuya Burl, the grain and marking in this piece is lovely, one of the nicest pieces of wood I have used to date, the photo does not show how shiny it has come up, sanded down to 12,000 grit and lacquered.

 

Finally the piece below is the start of an idea I have, wonder if anyone can guess what it will turn out to be!

Again I have used thuya burl, got to be careful now as I don't have much of this wood left.

Will post more photos soon.



 

Got to get a lot more turnings done now as I will be featured in the June edition of the American Miniaturist magazine, which is due out on May 10th.

 



new material

 

                                        

 

  Have now bought some new material to play, sorry work with!

It is a resin that has been coloured and injected under very high pressure with a burr wood.

Very nice to turn and already have lot of ideas to use it for.

 

As you can see from the photos this pedestal and vase/jardinière has a nice contrast between the wood and the resin and it polishes up lovely, have to keep sharpening the tools though as anything that is slightly worn will chip the material.

The one above is a pedestal fruit bowl, obviously can be used for many different things, this has an array of wonderful colours blended in, could even be used by a witch, but now wondering if these items could be used as art deco or arts and crafts.

Was hoping to add my latest painting (a panorama) but have got yet another cold and I feel horrible so that will have to wait for another day to finish it off.

More turnings in exotic woods.

 

Well I managed a couple of hours in the workshop this morning and have managed to turn some containers using an exotic wood called Thuya Burl, I just love working with burls as you never know how it is going to look, so many variations, the two above and two below are all from the same piece of wood.

The piece below is a hat stand with shelf which I have turned from Mexican kingwood, these take a bit longer to make than a lot of the other miniatures I make, but very satisfying when finished.

The stoneware/earthenware is the end product of some turnings I did in wood, I have then made moulds and cast them in a plastic resin.

 

And last but not least some more hand turned bottles, this time for the witches out there.

Dead Man's Port, Bat's eye whisky etc etc etc........

 

 

The article about my various turnings is going to be in American Miniaturist and is due to be in the June edition, also other turners are to featured in the article and I look forward to reading it.

 

Coming soon......... panoramic paintings, I have just finished making a mould for my latest frame and all being well will have a painting to put in it soon, but for now back to working on my commissions.

New turnings

Pleasant few hours on the lathe this morning, the set above is turned from Cocobolo which is an exotic rosewood. Three lidded containers, mixing bowl, mortar & pestle and a couple of plates.

This has some lovely figure in the wood and ideally suited for miniature turnings.

The tallest piece is approx 1/2" high.

Could be used as an apothecary set, or whatever you fell like it could be used for.

This three piece set is turned from ebony, hardly any signs of grain and is almost jet black.

Suited for an apothecary set.

Below is a honey pot & dipper, the honey pot is from coolibah burl and the dipper is from cocobolo.

 

 

My new hub for the broadband seems to have now removed the problems I was having before when creating and looking at other blogs.

So all being well I will be posting more blogs from now on.

 

If interested in any of the miniatures I post here then please contact me at smallartistan@yahoo.co.uk otherwise these items will end up on etsy, my shop name on there is smallartist.

I'm back

Been having problems with my blog for several months now, but thanks to a new super duper broadband hub I am back in action, so expect to see me posting again.

 

Not been idle, been working with the oil paints for a change, the painting is after Diego and is called 'The Toilet of Venus'.

 

Working on lots of new things but mainly on my wood turnings, my turnings are to be featured in the June edition of the American Miniaturist magazine.

 

Also now listing on etsy.com, my shop is called smallartist, lots to be added as time goes on.

 

 

new website

Hope everyone has had a nice Christmas and all enjoy a Happy new year.

 

Personally I have had a bit of a break from miniature work, but going to get back in the workshop again.

 

I've not been entirely idle, I have been working on my new website, something I have been meaning to do for a long time, anyway it is now almost finished and can be seen at

 

www.miniaturepaintings.co.uk

 

 

Any comments or suggests will be welcomed.

Antique Ernest Rinzi Miniature Watercolour

I bought this several years ago from an antique shop who described it as a circa 1880 miniature with brass frame.

It is a beautiful watercolour which has been painted on vellum.

The artist is Ernest Rinzi and titled 'Augusta', 9cm tall by 7cm wide.

This is a society artist of high repute, he has two of his paintings in the Royal Collection.

This artist's work rarely goes on sale.

The painting is housed in one of the most beautiful frames that I have ever seen.

 

I will be selling this at a fine art auction in the UK, they have so far given me a pre auction estimate of £600-£800, could be worth more, more research is currently being undertaken by the auction house.

If anyone is interested in making a direct purchase from me then please email me at harvingtonminis@gmail.com

I can send more photos if needed.

 

As for my miniatures, I am currently having a short rest from painting but will be back at the easel very shortly.

My miniature paintings will have a slightly different look in 2014 as I am just putting the finishing touches to a new range of frames, some of which will be finished in

 24carat genuine gold leaf.

Still wetting the brushes

 

Not much to report on work from the workshop, am experimenting with a few things, my time is heavily occupied right now with my paintings, the one above is 'Tuscan View' and measures 2-3/4" wide, a bit different to the cottage scenes I have been doing lately and really enjoyed doing this one.

 

The one below is my last spookeeeeee painting of the year, 'The Cemetary Gatehouse' but now is the time to move on to other subjects, a few castles and stateley homes are on the drawing board.

 

I am also dabbling with some full size paintings, something I have negelected for several years now, if things work out well I will post a photo here.

 

Back with the painting

 

Been absent from the miniature world for a few weeks, needed a break by the sea.

 

Painting above is of Windsor castle and is approx 3" wide.

 

Painting below is of Beatrix Potter's house and this is a tiny one, actual painting is approx 3/4" wide, both frames are made by myself, I have a few more tiny ones planned, keeps the eye muscles active!

 

 

Am about to embark on a lot of miniature turnings and also have a few new ideas I want to try in miniature, photos to follow if the ideas work out.

Stop Press; my old website has now gone, currently building a much smaller one which is
www.harvingtonminis.co.uk


Mythical Mode

In my mythical mode at the moment, a Unicorn horn in miniature, said to hold magical powers, there's only one way to find out, this would look great in a castle or a witch's house.

Few more miniatures of a difference going on in my workshop at the moment and will be posting new photos as and when they are ready.

I was going to show my latest painting, but can't find it, that's one of the problems of painting in miniature!

Nessie

My latest miniature creation, the head of the Loch Ness Monster, found on the shore of Loch Ness by Hamish McDonald circa 1830.

 

Not been up to a great deal in the workshop lately but hope to back in there firing on all cylinders very soon and will post a few photos when I get chance.

Back into action

Been a bit quiet lately, had a small break from miniatures, but back to it again now.

Have just finished the church font which is pictured above, lots more projects now on the go, which includes a few very unusual ones.

 

My website harvington.com has now gone and is slowly being replaced by harvingtonminis.co.uk, with a saving of over £200 a year it had to be done.

 

I am no longer attending Miniature Fairs and this will be the case for the forseeable future.

All my miniature work is now on sale in America, am only selling in the UK via commissions.

 

Two of my paintings are featured in the current edition of DH&MS magazine and I am busy painting a few more ready to send to America.

 

Hopefully I will now post here a bit more often.

This is a tobacco jar which I have turned in amboyna burl and I have turned the table from impregnated exotic wood.

 

Now in the USA.

Been a while since my last post, been busy with lots of other things, we exhibited at the Wolverhampton Fair last week, we did okay, but have done better, wasn't many collectors through the doors though, never mind, these things do happen.

This Sunday the 14th April, the Harvington Miniatures roadshow will be at the Knights Hill Hotel in King's Lynn. A popular venue, one of our favourites and is run very professionally by Dolly's Daydreams.

The following weekend we will be at another Dolly's fair in Kettering.

Due to various reasons we we will not be exhibiting at as many fairs as we had first planned, check our website for further details.

www.harvington.com

A new product is now available, a lighthouse ornament which stands at just over an inch tall, looks like I need to get some practice at painting this sort of miniature, it's a bit different to painting on a canvas.

I have also got some new church/tudor plaques, plaques with quite a difference, but to see these you will have to visit our stand, the plaques are rather unique.

And finally due to the Post Office putting their prices up by ridiculous amounts yet again, for the time being I no longer sell on ebay. As most of my online sales go to America I now have someone selling my work over in the USA, her user name on ebay is prenupt she has an excellent reputation in the world of miniatures, so if you live over there and want to buy my work then you will now find the shipping costs are a lot lot less.

Jardinire tables

Been a short while since my last blog post, have been concentrating on my mainstream minis for the upcoming fairs and only three weeks now till Wolverhampton and then quite a few on the trot.

More or less got the stock made that I wanted to and can now concentrate on one off miniatures, such as the ones above, a jardinire table in 1/12th, one in the middle is 1/24th scale (just over an inch tall) and a cake stand/table.

Been slowed down as well due to finding out the hard way that table saws and fingers do not go together!!

The throbbing now eased off and slowly getting back in the workshop again, but going to be a few more weeks before I am back to full strength.

More new items on the way soon, head still full of new ideas and the sketch book is overflowing.

New mirrors

Not a lot to report, been busy fulfilling orders and making stock for the next few shows, thankfully my next show isn't till April, still need more time to work on stock making and rebuilding the show stand.

The photo above shows my two latest miniatures to come out of my workshop, couple of fancy mirrors, 1/12th scale (2-7/8" diameter) and 1/24th scale (1-1/2" diameter), am very pleased with the way these have turned out.

 

Am also currently working on a new range of miniatures, something which I have not seen anyone else selling, these will be ready in time for the Bantock House fair in Wolverhampton fair on April 7th, am hopeful they will prove to be a popular addition to the Harvington Miniatures range.

 

Bantock House is going to be popular again, I've been told that there is now quite a waiting list and they only charge 50p per family entrance fee, now that is a bargain!

 

New Church Miniature

Even though it was cold I still managed to venture into the workshop this morning and still on the Church theme I managed to make a font, this is 100year old mahogany and Indian rosewood and finished with sanding down to 12,000 grit and then laquered and resanded several times.

This measures 73mm tall.

 

The fair at Stratford on Avon went reasonably okay despite the horrible weather, very cold and pouring with rain all day long, what a vile day.

Well done to all who ventured out.

On a plus I enjoyed two beautiful bacon sandwiches, I did try to pay for them honestly, but I was told to take them for nothing, now I was not about to argue with that, was I!

 

Now got almost two full months for creating some new miniatures before our next fair which is at Bantock House in Wolverhampton, going to be some good makers there and I hear that there is already a lengthy waiting list, if it anything like last years event, it will be a cracker.