Hi, I am Pete Labyak. It's a thrill to be a part of this new site, as I think it is going to be a tremendous aid to those wanting to getting involved with miniature art. One of the exciting opportunities is that the size of miniature works allows for them to be shipped, relatively cheaply, to miniature art shows both in the US and abroad. For artists, just entering the field, that can be a difficult decision as they are faced with so many questions and concerns, both about the quality of their work and the show itself. I really believe that this site has the potential to serve the purpose of not only listing all the shows available, but provide the kind of information that even the show's prospectus does not provide and allow the artist to make a more informed decision.

I am a retired US Navy Captain, having served 30 years in a career that has literally taken me to every state, every ocean and every continent. I also have spent five years as a middle school teacher before deciding to retire and pursue more aggressively my lifetime hobby of oil painting. In 1999 I entered my first outdoor show, emphasizing "small works" as I felt they just were not present at shows and I desired to offer the public affordable original art, which also would fit into today's decorative schemes of groupings, vice large works. In 2002, my works were noticed by a very prominent artist from Annapolis, MD who said that I needed to enter into miniature shows and he gave me the address of an annual show in Baltimore. I was honored, but just felt that I did not really understand what a miniature was yet, and "feared" boxing up some works and sending them to an "unknown venue". ...so, I didn't! Because I own a family home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I discovered an annual miniature show at a local gallery and entered. For the past five years I have entered and have been able to look, study and compare....as the show has about 600 works from about 200 artists.
That experience alone helped me develop both techniques and courage(especially since my works were selling), with the end result that in 2006 I had entries accepted into the top two US shows, MSGPS and MASF. It is my hope that this site will provide the same kind of support to others.

On the personal side, I live in Virginia Beach, but with my second home only 90 miles away....I spend about 30% of the year in the Outer Banks. I have been married for 43 years, with three children and four grandchildren. My passionate hobbies, besides painting, are golf, gardening and cooking.