Sheila M. Evans

With my first show of the season only two weeks away, I’ve been spending some time on my traditional last-minute activities: framing and miniature pastels. Actually not so much with the framing, as it is not exactly my favorite thing to do. So I’m procrastinating a bit. But in a good way.

Anyone who has been in my booth at one of my shows has probably seen the basket of miniature pastels on my desk. I’ve been making these for a few years now. They are tiny, either 4″ x 6″ or 6″ x 9″, matted and ready to pop into a standard-size frame. I started because I wanted to offer original art that would be accessible to just about anyone. Not everybody comes to an art fair having budgeted for a major work of art, and not everyone has room for one. But if someone walks into my space and likes the art, this way they can take home something handmade and original without digging too deeply into their budget or their wall space. (I did try offering reproductions for about a minute and a half, but this is much more fun.)

So, every year about this time I spend a week replenishing my miniature basket. I love it. The pieces are simple and fairly quick to make. Plus it means it’s almost time to get out there and start the summer!

(Hazy Day, above, is one of this year’s crop of miniatures. It is 6″ x 9″.)