In Small Packages

Krista Van Nostrand

We can sometimes feel small and powerless and the world can seem incomprehensible, and frequently overwhelming. The natural world is fragile, and requires careful stewardship. Small things are easily lost or broken, and so we are moved to protect and care for them. If our world were smaller, would we take better care of it? The miniature world is a place of refuge: it is ordered, meditative and serene, a place outside of time.

In this series of paintings I explore the many possibilities to be found in working in miniature. I intend each of my paintings to be an invitation to slow down, to look closely, to treasure the beauty of the natural world.

Decades ago, I discovered a dust-covered box of antique piano keys in my grandparents' attic. Starting with these keys and the hundreds of others which I have rescued by dismantling antique piano keyboards, I create intricate miniature watercolours. Many of these paintings are less than two inches long. Working in such a small scale requires a steady hand, an unbelievably tiny brush, magnifying lenses and quite a bit of patience.

My love of antique decorative arts, especially Japanese and Art Nouveau, has been the catalyst for works I create not only in watercolour on ivory and vellum, but also in mixed media with gold leaf, silverleaf, and scrimshaw. Painting on vellum and ivory appeals both to my love of natural and handmade materials, and of centuries old painting genres. Because the watercolour paint remains on the surface of both ivory and vellum, I am able to achieve the particular luminosity I am seeking.

For this show, I have explored new possibilities not only for composition, but also for techniques and materials. Here, I have expanded on my use of incorporating multiple keys to create a single, individual image. With your magnifying glass in hand, I invite you to step into a delicate, meticulously painted world in miniature.

Blue Flag Irises Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano key tails Image: 3 1/8 x 3 7/8; Framed: 9 3/4 x 10	Great Big Sea Scrimshaw, ink, gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 1 15/16 x 1 13/16 Framed: 9 1/2 x 9 1/8	Plight of the Bumblebee Watercolour, gold leaf, shell gold and India Ink on antique ivory piano keys Image: 1 7/8 x 1 13/16 Framed: 9 1/2 x 9
Pitchers in an Exhibition Watercolour, 23k gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 9 7/16 x 1 13/16 Framed: 9 5/8 x 9 5/8	Water Nymphs Watercolour, 23k gold leaf and shell gold on antique ivory piano keys Image: 3 1/8 x 3 7/8 Framed: 9 3/4 x 10	Jiggs and Reels Watercolour, scrimshaw on antique ivory piano keys Image: 2 15/16 x 2 1/16 Framed: 9 3/4 x 10 1/8
Fruit of Paradise Watercolour and 23k gold leaf on vellum Image: 3 1/8 x 2 13/16; Framed: 10 1/2 x 9 1/2	Golden Rain Against a Majorelle Sky Watercolour, 23k gold leaf and India ink on vellum Image: 2 1/2 x 3 9/16 Framed: 9 1/8 x 11/16	Icebergs by the Light of the Silvery Moon Watercolour and silverleaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 7/8 x 4 1/16 Framed: 8 5/8 x 11 1/4
The Day the Boys Gave Up Squiddin' Scrimshaw on antique ivory piano keys Image: 2 13/16 x 7/8 Framed: 10 1/2 x 8	The Golden Hour Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 1 3/8 x 1 13/16 Framed: 9 1/8 x 9	Newfoundland Lynx Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory game piece Image: 7/8 x 1 5/16 Framed: 8 5/8 x 8 1/2
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 2 13/16 x 7/8 Framed: 11 x 8 5/8	Golden Chain Blossoms in a Lapis Lazuli Sky Watercolour and 23k gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 2 7/8 x 1 7/8 Framed: 9 1/2 x 8	Smooth Sailing Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano key Image: 1 7/8 x 2 7/8 Framed: 8 1/2 x 9
Winnowing Blueberries (1) Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 3 5/8 x 1 7/8 Framed: 10 1/4 x 8	Winnowing Blueberries (2) Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 3 5/8 x 1 7/8 Framed: 10 1/4 x 8	Winnowing Blueberries (3) Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 3 5/8 x 1 7/8 Framed: 10 1/4 x 8
Winnowing Blueberries (4) Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 3 5/8 x 1 7/8 Framed: 10 1/4 x 8	Spout Cove Watercolour on antique ivory piano key Image: 2 7/8 x 1 7/8 Framed: 9 1/2 x 8	Noble Fleet Scrimshaw on antique ivory piano keys Image: 2 13/16 x 7/8 Framed: 10 1/2 x 8
Sunlight Shines for Us Above the Clouds Watercolour and gold leaf on antique ivory piano keys Image: 2 13/16 x 1 7/8 Framed: 10 x 9 5/8