The art of miniatures
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Nov 17/00) - Bonnie Fournier paints small, very small. She specializes in miniatures.
"I think it started with portraits," says the artist about the history of miniatures. In fact, the genre was popular hundreds of years ago, beginning will illuminated texts. Capital letters were enlarged and included intricate scenes of daily life, portraits of saints and angels, or Biblical scenes.
The art form evolved into miniature portraits of rich merchants and royalty. These little works of art were used much like snapshots of loved ones are used today.
Fournier doesn't paint kings and queens, choosing, rather, beloved local landmarks as her subjects. Places like the Wildcat Cafe or a woodyard cabins are depicted on wood blocks about 3 X 7 centimetres. "These being small, they're something tourists can carry off, they're portable, rather than a large painting," explains Fournier.
"I started to do things for friends," she says, adding that local artist Francois Thibeault (T-bo) laughed when he heard she was only charging $25 per painting.
"He's really helped me out. He helped me get professional about it."
Fournier adds that until Thibeault's move to a location further off the average tourist's beaten track, he displayed her work.
"But it's my love for Old Town," she says about what she paints.
"It's just so colourful down there."
Evidently the tourists concur, since Fournier hasn't been able to keep up with the demand for her small pieces depicting Old Town buildings such as the Wildcat Cafe.
"People have commissioned me to do their cabins. And I'm fascinated by the houseboats too."
Fournier says that she can't paint on large canvases, adding that her pieces are less detailed. But anyone can take a good look at any one of her miniatures and loudly object. One scene, showing Old Town in the foreground and downtown's highrises in the background, has so much detail, one can't help but wonder if she paints with the point of a needle.
"A very fine brush," she corrects.
All through November, Fournier's miniatures can be seen on the walls of Javaroma.
