Size Matters

From what I’ve seen in the “art world,” for years it has been the battle of big paintings. Surely, size can dictate impact. In college, one teaching point along the way was, “If you can’t make it good, make it big or red.” That stinks. In the early two thousands, as I abandoned oil paint for acrylic, I made countless small paintings as I studied glazing techniques. The intimacy was valuable. The scale resembled a book, and holding a piece of art in hand demanded attention.

Over the last twelve years, I have mostly worked on larger paintings. Last year, I began building what may end up being a huge series of small symbolic paintings. There are thirty in process right now, and they land all around my studio desk, stacked on paint jars and any other flat surfaces. Their scale invites closer inspection and intimacy… that’s plenty.