Artist Jamie Lee Gentile creates what I would call teensy paintings. I have quite a collection of tiny paintings, which average about 4″ in size, but Gentile’s work is even smaller. She calls them Paintings for Hummingbirds, and they’re every bit as charming as they sound. And as an added bonus, she uses metallics in delicious ways to highlight her beautiful creations. Here’s how she came to paint on such a darling, minute scale.

“My partner, Baron, and I… moved into a little ‘76 Ford Motorhome (only 11’ of living space) with our newly adopted 50 lb Waffle dog. It left VERY little space for general movement. Everything had to shrink, art included! I traded my bulky bag of oil paints, and big brushes for a little box of Winsor and Newton watercolors. I swapped my liquin, galkyd, linseed oil, and turpentine for a shot glass of water. My canvases and about 100 pounds of wood were replaced by a small stack of 2″ x 3” watercolor paper, and I started to paint tiny.

“There’s something about miniatures that seem precious and fragile. That’s what I see when I spend time in the unobstructed outdoors, a fragile system filled with wonderful animals who are helpless to their own fate. The well-being of the world is in our hands, it seems appropriate that these paintings should fit too.”

– About Paintings for Hummingbirds

I adore little things because they’re little, but it’s been a real revelation to learn that they’re also better for the planet. Of course they are! It so impresses me that the diminutive scale of Gentile’s art was a direct response to her desire to reduce her carbon footprint. Also, before moving to the tiny house she describes above, she and her partner both worked for a company called Earthship Biotecture, which is so fascinating in its own right, it’s getting its own post on Tuesday of next week.

You can follow Jamie Lee Gentile on the Paintings for Hummingbirds website and on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Tiny art forever!

@paintingsforhummingbirds

Shimmering up some fishes 🥰 . . 🩵 . . #watercolorprocess #tinypainting #tinyart #bettalove #bettafish #arttok #bettatok

♬ original sound – Dastan

@paintingsforhummingbirds

Leo | Regal Radiance ♌️ Available in the shop at 11:00 am PST today!!

♬ Outlaw for Your Love – Mon Rovîa

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Virgo’s Bloom ♍️ Original piece is painted with @winsorandnewtonwatercolors, embellished with color-shift paints from @iuilewatercolors

♬ Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) – Bossa Nova Covers & Mats & My

@paintingsforhummingbirds

I’ve gotten a lot of requests for some embellished astrological pieces.. here we go! I’m starting with Libra because it not only happened to be on top of the pile, but it’s my sun sign ☀️ The color-shift paints I’m using on the embellishments are from @iuilewatercolors ✨ . . ♎️ . . #libra #libraart #astrology #watercolor #watercolorprocess #tinyart #miniaturepainting #miniaturewatercolor #tinypainting

♬ Left Bank Two – The Noveltones

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Family Portraits | Some more color-shift embellishments with @iuilewatercolors ✨ There will only be 44 of these available, they’re listed in the shop now! 🦋 Song is an instrumental version of Bug Collector, seemed appropriate 💛

♬ The Bug Collector – BEN SCOTT

@paintingsforhummingbirds

Replying to @arod384 Pisces | Mystical Reverie ♓️ Original piece is painted with @winsorandnewtonwatercolors, embellished with color-shift paints from @iuilewatercolors

♬ Real MR – mosey riles

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Replying to @Keira 🫶 Gemini | Vibrant Voices ♊️ Shimmer Embellished Astrology pieces will be available tomorrow, January 1st at 11:00 am PST 🩵✨ Base painting is done with @winsorandnewton watercolors, shimmer embellishments are painted using @iuilewatercolors

♬ Sugar Plumbin’ – Reece Taylor

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Aquarius | Dreams Of The Deep ♒️ Shimmer Embellished Astrology pieces will be available January 1st 🩵 #aquarius #tinyart

♬ Living in a Haze (Instrumental) – Milky Chance

@paintingsforhummingbirds

Taurus | Delicate Stance ♉️ Shimmer-embellished Astrological pieces will be available January 1st! 🩵✨ Original piece is painted with @winsorandnewtonwatercolors, embellished with color-shift paints from @iuilewatercolors

♬ Taurus (Instrumental) – BLVKSHP

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Sagittarius ♐️ tis the season.. Squeezing this one in before it shifts! Original piece is painted with @winsorandnewtonwatercolors, embellished with color-shift paints from @iuilewatercolors Song is “Forget Me Not”

♬ Forget Me Not – Say She She & Piya Malik