The World of Tiny Art

A Different Perspective

Growing up, Mickelle Farnsworth was exposed to traditional art mediums in her school art classes, but her true passion lay in watercolor. Her childhood family friend, Sally, gave her painting lessons once a week, where they would listen to show tunes and learn new techniques. However, Farnsworth decided to pursue a degree in landscape management instead of studying art in college. She continued to make art as a hobby, and it wasn’t until she encountered miniature art shows in Provo and an art gallery specializing in tiny works in Washington D.C. that she became inspired to try her hand at creating small-scale paintings. “I’ve always had an affinity for mini things,” she says. “So I said ‘You know what? I want to see if I can do this!'”

Since starting her tiny art journey in 2020, Farnsworth has created over 450 1-inch-by-1-inch designs and gained recognition on her Instagram account (@micks.art.goods).

A Series of Creations

Farnsworth’s first series of paintings depicted various national parks, gaining significant attention on Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, she has painted mini city skylines, animals, birth month flowers, galaxies, food, houseplants, and other themed series. She says she never worries about running out of ideas and is always working on a new set of mini paintings. Her most recent series includes six Spokane-based designs, such as the Parkade and the Garbage Goat. “I’ve always got a couple different series in the works in my mind,” she says. “I wanted to do my tiny food series for over a year before I finally did it. I’ve wanted to do cat and dog breeds forever, so that will come soon enough.”

A Tiny Studio

Farnsworth’s studio is just as small as her art. Tucked away in the downstairs laundry room of her South Hill home, the space works perfectly for her tiny art. The walls are decorated with small prints from local artist Nicole Hauge, a neon sign that reads “Tiny Art,” and a tiny wooden shelf on which some of her tiny paintings reside. “I don’t really need that much space,” she says. “A tiny studio for tiny art!”

Farnsworth prefers small-scale painting to traditional sizes, citing her perfectionism as a reason. She can complete each painting in about an hour and a half, and each series takes around two to four weeks to finish.

Creating Tiny Masterpieces

Farnsworth uses regular watercolor paper, a small palette, gouache paint, and super-thin paintbrushes to create her tiny paintings. She doesn’t use any special materials to make her art unique. For those interested in purchasing one of her petite paintings, Farnsworth drops new series on her website (micksartgoods.com) every so often and attends local art markets throughout the year.

A Tiny Art Nook

In addition to her miniature art and studio, Farnsworth also runs a tiny art nook located at the corner of 34th and Pittsburg on Spokane’s South Hill. The nook is filled with free tiny art, including pieces from Farnsworth herself, her son, and submissions from other artists. Farnsworth accepts submissions from artists worldwide, as long as the piece is 4-by-4 inches or smaller. She also hosts “events” within the Tiny Art Nook, such as themed nooks for holidays like Halloween.

A Future in Tiny Art

Farnsworth often receives questions about whether she will continue making tiny art forever. She shrugs, saying she really loves it and thinks it’s a good fit for her. She has explored other mediums, such as tiny linocut prints, tiny oil paintings, and even tiny pottery, but for now, she is content with creating tiny watercolor paintings. “I really love tiny art,” she says. “I think it’s a good fit for me.” ♦

“I’ve always had an affinity for mini things,” says Mickelle Farnsworth. “So I said ‘You know what?

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