One of the world’s finest miniaturists, Frank Magsino, grew up among the broad vistas and rugged mountain scenery of San Jose Mindoro in the Philippines. Born in 1937, the grandchild of pioneers who settled there and built a ranch in the wilderness, Magsino was always more attracted to art than to ranching. Fortunately, his parents recognized his natural talent and encouraged it. They saw to it that his education had an art emphasis, which continued throughout his studies at the University of Santo Tomas and later at the San Francisco Academy of Art.

Magsino began to exhibit and sell his work in 1968. However, in 1971 after a period of travel, his style underwent a major change. He began experimenting with miniature painting, and soo...