Abend Gallery will present close to 400 works in its 32nd annual Holiday Miniatures Show—so much art that the exhibit will spill over into its second location in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood. 

Featuring approximately 100 artists, Abend’s annual exhibit has grown considerably since its humble beginnings in 1991. “The ‘Mini Show’ has always showcased many affordable small works with a large group of participating artists,” says gallery owner Chris Mileham. “But the one thing that has evolved the most is the scope of the collectors buying the work. When we first started, we were selling to local collectors, which has since expanded to include collectors worldwide. In addition, the show’s artists and work are of a higher caliber than in the early days, which attracts collectors from a diverse number of locations.”Dana Hawk, Witness, oil on panel, 6 x 6”With size being the only constraint, a small works show is open to a wide spectrum of mediums, genres, styles and subject matter. And because they are smaller in scale, there’s room for more of them.

Artist Dana Hawk, whose painting of a tornado threatens to burst out of its 6-by-6-inch panel, likes to play with contrast of a subject matter’s size and that of the canvas. “Witness was one of those instances of me portraying something very large on a small panel,” Hawk shares. “A huge tornado barreling across a plain with a sole cow as its witness loses a bit of its horror while sitting on a small, cute space. I find the contrasts of size and emotional weight intriguing.”Irene Georgopoulou, M is for Monopoly, pastel on paper, 6½ x 9½"Irene Georgopoulou paints predominantly small-scale works with an intent to make her subjects appear real enough to reach out and touch. Her piece M is for Monopoly speaks to her affinity for choosing subject matter tied to personal experiences and memories. “This painting is inspired by the classic board game and also depicts a combination of my children’s toys and of toys I enjoyed as a child,” says the artist. “It brings back sweet memories of childhood playtime, which is such a fascinating and magical period of our lives.”Kelsey Bowen, Woodcutter’s Daughter, ceramic, underglaze and mixed media, 15 x 7"While JC Spock does create larger pieces, she finds smaller works much more satisfying to make. 

“I’m freer to make intuitive painting strokes and creative decisions on smaller works than larger pieces and I also feel that my unique layering process with vintage ephemera and paint has greater impact on a smaller scale,” Spock says. Her mixed media piece Gas incorporates acrylic paint, photography and vintage ephemera like ledgers, gas receipts and stamps to capture the Americana aesthetic of bygone days. JC Spock, Gas, mixed media on cradled wood panel, 12 x 12"

Even as a child, Marina Dieul painted and drew on a small scale. Painting mostly life-size Trompe l’Oeil of animals—her favorites small ones like mice, cats, rabbits and birds—she lets her subjects determine the final size. “Le Festin is part of a series where I play with the infinite possibilities of storytelling between a predator and a prey,” Dieul explains. “Time is suspended, and nobody know what’s going to happen. The viewer is free to imagine the end he or she likes better.”Susan Mcdonnell, The Chorus, oil on panel, 14 x 11"

Marina Dieul, Le Festin, oil, 10½ x 6"

Although it’s easy to get lost in the detail when working so close to the canvas, for Susan McDonnell, painting miniatures is like entering another world. “There is a feeling of the magical in miniatures,” she says. “I think of small paintings as being very intimate, the viewer comes in close to look, blocking out the world around them.” About the show piece featured here, McDonnell says, “When I came upon these crows on a walk, a Greek chorus came to mind. In the painting I brought that idea forward. The crows are carefully perched with what could be seen as a theatrical backdrop. The crows are observing and ready to give commentary on the narrative the viewer is offering.” Bryan Mark Taylor, Piazza San Marco, oil on panel, 9 x 12"These are just a handful of artists and a small fraction of the works that will be featured at Abend Gallery’s Golden Triangle and Cherry Creek locations for much of December, providing ample opportunities for collectors to view and purchase high-quality artwork.Judd Mercer, Passing Clouds, oil, 5 x 5"“What makes the ‘Mini Show’ so magical is the caliber of talent across such a variety of subjects and mediums,” adds Mileham. “While the work is limited by scale, the artists bring their specific vision to life in landscapes, portraits, surreal renditions and even more.” —

Abend Gallery
1261 Delaware Street • Denver, CO 80204 • (303) 355-0950
303 Detroit Street • Denver, CO 80206 • (720) 551-4044
www.abendgallery.com 

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