Jeff Swim
Jeff has always been a maker. As a young boy he made many Revell model kits, paper and basswood airplanes, erector set contraptions and Radio Shack electronic kits. He dabbled with rock tumbling, jewelry making, screen printing and many other crafts. Much to his parents consternation he was always taking things apart and putting them back together to see how things worked.
In 7th grade he discovered he had skills in drafting and drawing. He also had a woodworking class that he first fell in love with wood and power tools.
In High School and a number of years after he was heavily involved in theater and learned much about construction when he designed and built numerous stage sets.
In the early to mid ’90s his young daughter wanted a dollhouse. He purchased a kit from a local craft store. After it was put together and they started looking to fill it up, he was disappointed with the quality of furnishings that were available locally. Having no idea at the time of the wider miniature world, he learned to make furniture himself using only a Dremel table saw and a few hand tools.
By the mid 2010’s, Jeff had a sophisticated workshop and spent some time making fancy cribbage boards with exotic woods. In 2019, he pivoted to making dollhouse miniatures again, which allowed him to use the many different skills he learned throughout his life.
Betsy Van Die
A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in sculpture, Betsy has been an artist since she was old enough to hold a crayon! She has exhibited and sold her collages, paintings, and photographs in more than 50 juried art exhibits throughout the United States and abroad in the last four decades. Her work is in public and private collections.
Betsy’s original miniature paintings depict eclectic subjects, including flowers, still lives, portraits, cats, dogs, and wildlife. In the process of looking for inspiration, she discovered an impressive number of 16th-17th master still life painters, from the Netherlands, France, and Italy, including several female painters. The beautiful frames are designed and hand crafted by Jeff in an array of exotic woods and hand finished by Betsy.
Betsy has painted dogs and cats by commission in the past, although not miniatures. She is open to accepting miniature pet painting commissions, so please inquire if you’re interested.