Some of the artists, like Michael Salter of England, always work in this highly detailed style.

The saying, great things come in small packages, conjures up the image of a tiny beautifully wrapped package holding a pair of diamond earrings or some other little treasure. But it can also refer to the little art jewels found in The Left Bank Gallery's "Little Picture Show" held annually during the month of December.

The gallery puts out a special request to its leading artists to submit four or five original works measuring 8x10 or less for this special event. Many of the painters involved are more at home on a larger scale, but enjoy the challenge of containing their creative energies to a limited space. Others, like Michael Salter of England, almost always express themselves in the small format.

Salter, a frequent visitor to the coast of Georgia, is the recipient of numerous international awards for his miniature watercolors. His subjects are diverse, from tiny abstractions to three-masted schooners, to lovely detailed depictions of the coastal scene, its shrimp boats, waterfowl, beaches and marshes. Some of the pieces are only 2x2 inches, yet extremely realistic and exact in every detail. It is amazing that these miniature artistic gems are created without the aid of magnification techniques.

The history behind miniature paintings is interesting. The term "miniature" as it applies to art is derived from minimum, the red lead pigment that was used for lettering manuscripts during the Middle Ages. Through this association it became used to describe illuminated manuscripts, and later miniature portraits.

In the West, the art of illuminating text with art expanded greatly throughout the 15th century. Great pains were taken to make an object, such as a feather or flower, look so real that the reader would try to pluck it from the page. Miniature portraits, which appeared within initials in the manuscripts of this time, soon left the written page to become art forms in their own right and began appearing in lockets and frames.

Hilliard, an important Elizabethan miniature portrait artist, once said in reference to miniature art that it was "fittest for the decking of princes bookes or to be put in jeuuels of gold." There was an important association with jewels at this time and the artists even used jewel names to identify their palette, like amethyst for purple or emerald for green.

The popularity of the miniature art form began to wane with the advent of photography in the mid-19th century, but it has noticed a revival over the past 25 years. Miniature art associations and exhibitions are now widespread and there is a growing appreciation for the special talent it takes to create on a small scale. In the United States, a true miniature is one measuring no more than 4 x 6 inches with an image no greater than one-sixth the actual size.

"The Little Picture Show" will showcase true miniature works by Salter as well as slightly larger pieces by other artists. Whatever the size, this is a showcase of fine jewels perfect for holiday giving.

For further information, contact Left Bank Gallery owner Mildred Huie Wilcox at 800-336-9469 or 912-634-0609.