About the miniaturist:  Fran Sussman

As a small scale miniaturist, Fran draws inspiration from things you see around you every day. Picture stonework on a building façade in a old main street, the fabulous pastries on display in a neighborhood coffee shop, aging wood in a winery tasting room, a hallway with a table and flowers, the children’s section of a toy store, a shop display of plants and cut flowers, or a tray of cookies just out of the oven and a soup pot bubbling on the stove.

Miniatures transform what we see or imagine into a tiny world that freezes time for a moment and captures the imagination of the viewer.  In building her scenes,  Fran draws on her professional experiences as an economist, using her skills in modeling, math, analysis, and research.  She learns about the history behind her scenes, and continually hunts for new ideas and better techniques. 

Come into her world, where the flowers are unchanging, the sidewalk always gritty, and the shop expectantly waits for the next customer. …..

You can see Fran's work at the Guild Show (September in Hartford, Connecticut) and the Tom Bishop show (Spring in Chicago, Illinois).   And if she's not standing behind a sales table or teaching, she's likely to be found at these and other shows wandering around talking!

Developing a class takes a huge amount of work -- every class requires new techniques and tools and careful attention to detail. As a result, Fran only teaches a class every year or two.  To see what's on the horizon, or take a peak at past classes, visit Classes.