tiny gems from tanya bond

copyright tanya bond, reproduced with artist's kind permission

This buttery, glowing oil pastel is the work of Irish artist Tanya Bond. She has created a sizable body of work, much of which portrays animals both everyday and more fanciful (her charming and funny Paddy the Rat is a great example of the latter). Now, as you get lost in those green eyes and that oh so soft fur, I want you to know that this work is in truth a tiny 2.5" x 3.5" ACEO (Art Card Originals & Edition). To execute that level of depth and detail in such a space - I find that masterful.

Bond often works in such a size, as she says: "I'm a self-taught artist working in various media, primarily in oil pastels. Most of my paintings are tiny ACEOs - miniatures the size of a credit card which are quite tricky to paint, but the end result makes it worth the extra effort. When I paint animals I always intend to place them in some cosy or humourous surrounding, something that would put a smile on your face."

The intimate scale of these works lend themselves well to a happy little gift of an image, the sort of art that centuries before our own would tuck into a snuffbox or a locket to cheer a person in an ordinary moment. You can see many more of Tanya Bond's animals and her other selections if you'll head to her Etsy shop and to her blog, tanyabond.com, in which she often talks about good practical solutions for various art challenges.