About Edward Dyas
Although my work in the field of fine art miniatures is best known internationally, it is not everything I do, or have done or plan to attempt in the future. It is for this reason I have assembled an eclectic collection of pieces on this site to illustrate the versatility of a creative ‘all-rounder’.
My art heroes include Boldini, Caravaggio, Degas, Sargent and Rockwell. They have vastly different styles but they are all principally figurative and portrait artists whose work was narrative, realist and detailed. Detail attracts me to miniatures. I loathe that term but my work fits all the criteria. Some of the topics I choose to portray have been criticised as ‘too dark’ for this form of art as the word ‘miniature’ almost always invokes mental images of conservative subjects. Working in graphite, pastel and oil, all on paper, I never feel the size of the piece should dictate the image and the emotion I wish to express. Alcoholism, sadness, isolation, abuse and depression are depicted sensitively along with more conventional themes. I would like to see tiny works accepted more into mainstream art and to this end I truly feel the miniature tag is a hindrance.
Larger pastel works are often my escape from the precision of miniatures but they are still very realist in style. A greater use of special effects is possible with pastels in a fraction of the time it would take to paint the same images. It is a delight to render ‘action’ with this medium, to show the movement of bodies and fabrics effectively, the bristling of animal fur and blurring of bird wings in flight. Very dramatic light effects are also achieved with a few well placed strokes. I work comfortably up to 3’x 4’ (90cm x 120cm) with oils, usually on board. The process is exhausting as I under-paint the entire image in acrylic first. This helps to achieve a greater depth when applying the washes of oil over it. The finished piece has a stronger 3D quality. Only 2 or 3 such pieces are produced each year and I hate to part with them!
For almost a decade I designed and made elaborate ‘wearable art’. Creations that incorporated many techniques with materials I love using such as textiles, painting and paper sculpture. This work also extended to non-wearable masks inspired by the art of various tribes in different nations. As a compulsive scrounger and hoarder, with a home bursting at the seams with raw materials, I envisage returning to this field of creative expression in the future (or face one of the largest clean-outs in modern times!)
Born and raised in Tasmania, I returned to this island state of Australia 4 years ago after a 30 year absence. Along the way I lived in Auckland (NZ), London (UK) and Melbourne (Aus). Home is now a dwelling nestled beside a forest section on this 25 acre property. My canine ‘kids’ generously permit me to share it with them! The surroundings of ferns, streams and towering trees have inspired some nature studies and landscapes recently. For someone who swore he would never paint so much as a blade of grass it is certainly the beginning of an evolutionary curve. The local wildlife is not exempt either as paintings of birds are filtering into the portfolio.
Listing art awards always seems very egotistical but a few are worth mentioning. Scooping the Royal Miniature Society (UK) Memorial Gold Bowl, arguably the highest award in miniature art, with my first attempt at the RMS exhibition was a shock not only to me but no doubt many others. Fortunately it wasn’t a ‘flash in the pan’ as I collected Best of Show at the Miniature Art Society of Florida a few months later. Winning Best of Show at the ASMA (Qld) international miniatures exhibition in 5 consecutive years wasn’t a bad innings either.
I sincerely hope you enjoy browsing through the images here. Originals and limited edition prints are available for purchase where indicated. Maybe an existing sold work will inspire you to commission a similar piece? Purchase and information enquiries are welcomed. Other work is available exclusively at the representing galleries linked to this page. New work will be added to this site as soon as it is completed so regular visits will give you the viewing and buying edge.
Yes, the art world is a struggle, but when I step back and look at a finished piece and see it as you do, not as the artist, it makes the eye strain and body aches worth it.
My motto is: We create a paradise by how we see, not what we see.
Warmest wishes,
Edward Dyas (and the kids!)