Willard Wigan began fiddling in the sand making little houses for ants at a young age. He had dyslexia and learning difficulties and could escape an unforgiving world by making his own "little" world.
He went on to create figures made out of thread, dust, and tiny particles found in nature. His paintbrush is made of an insect's antennea. He's used spiderwebs and tiny pieces of thread in his work. His work is so small that it can only be seen with a microscope. He usually displays his figures on the head of pin or in the eye on a needle as seen below in the "Owl" and "Elephant". His contemporary display "cabinet" consists of a globe with a magnifyer lens and light attached which looks down upon the tiny figurine.
Willard works during the wee hours of the night. Before he sits down to work, he induces himself into a deep meditative state to reduce heavy breathing and hand tremors. Any vibrations caused by traffic or natural ocurrances disrupt his concentration and steadiness. His figurines are on exhibition and only a limited amount are available to the public. One figurine takes 3 months to complete. Famous collectors such as Prince Charles and Elton John are fortunate enough to own one which can cost upwards of $40,000.
USA Exhibition Dates
Online Store & Williard's Book
Lefton,
Joseph,
Hagen Renaker,
Homco,
Rio Hondo,
Goebel,
Enesco,
Nippon,
Beswick,
Blue Mountain Pottery,
George Good,
Wade,
Takahashi,
Boyds,
Napco,
Lenox,
Leo Ward,
Fitz and Floyd
Mexico,
Germany,
Occupied Japan,
Japan,
Taiwan,
Brass,
Pewter,
Bone China,
Glass,
Wood,
Celluloid,
Cast Iron,
Chalkware,
Metal,
Ceramic,
Miniatures
Birds,
Domestic Animals,
Wild Animals,
Reptiles & Amphibians,
All Categories
Glossary ~
Porcelain
Usually white or light gray in color, porcelain is the highest quality of ceramic ware there is. Composed of clay, feldspar and flint, it is very durable despite the fact that it can appear quite delicate, and is fired at a very high temperature
Bone China
Bone china is a type of porcelain made from clay mixed with bone ash and is characterized by its strength, translucency and warm white color. It fires at a lower temperature than true porcelain.
China
Also known as kaolin, is a white soft clay derived from the decomposition of granite. China clay stands up to high temperatures in the kiln.
Ceramic
Made by shaping and then firing clay, a nonmetallic mineral, at a high temperature in which it produces a hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant product.
Back Stamps ~
Limited edition (LE): A decorative collectible may be limited by a specific, announced number (such as 5,000 or 10,000) or by time period. Limited edition items typically show two sets of numbers, usually on the base of the item. The higher number indicates the total number produced while the lower number indicates which one you have. Limited editions often come with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
Firing limit: Companies such as Avon, Bing & Grondahl, Bradford Exchange, Franklin Mint, Danbury Mint, Hamilton Collection, Knowles, and Royal Copenhagen and others can choose to set a firing limit, meaning that they only make an item during a specified number of firing days. A series of items with a lower firing limit typically has fewer items produced, which often makes the item more desirable to collectors.
Annual edition: are produced for one year.
Open edition: are not limited and could still be in production
2 comments:
Wow these are amazing. I can't imagine the amount of concentration that is required.
I know! I couldn't believe what I was reading ~ and some collectors are wondering how long he can keep this up, lol.
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