MASTERWORKS NM

Melinda has been busy wracking up honors again. This year, she prepared three pieces for the Masterworks NM show, all miniatures, and all accepted! Their definition of a miniature: "Fine art on a small scale with minute attention to detail, details which can sustain close inspection or magnification without loss." The rules are very particular, and as she put it, the goal is to "portray a sense of 'miniature,' as opposed to a 'small picture.'" Given her success at last year's show (selling two pieces), we think Melinda's up the challenge – and the judges appear to, too. All three of her submissions were accepted!

Massive Sky, Sandias | 6.5" x 1.5" On Arches, 140lb. Hotpress | (7.5" x 2.5" framed)

To make the piece entirely miniature, she placed it "directly in the frame as if it was an epic grand-scale landscape in oil. My impression of massiveness carried through to the title in the end - I really loved the idea of naming this tiny piece 'massive.'"

Catch a Flying Star, DT | 4" x 2.5" On Arches, 140lb. Hotpress | (4.875" x 6.25" framed)

Maybe what's most impressive about these three pieces is their variety. Content and style, traditional to urban, they each speak differently of some form of miniaturization.

Bandelier, No.2 | 3.75" x 5" On Arches, 140lb. Hotpress | (7.5" x 6.5" framed)

Masterworks NM opens April 1 (tomorrow night!) at 5PM. The awards ceremony starts at 7:00. It's open to the public and admission is free (though ExpoNM charges for parking). If you're in town, get out your magnifying glass and go congratulate her, among the many others at the show. If you're lucky, you might be able to pick up one of these little beauties before someone else does.

More information on Melinda's process, and some backstory on each piece, is available at her illustration and design blog.