April 9, 2012.
Many of the materials that litter my studio have a beauty of their own, and all they lack is scale and a vitrine. Spools of twine, and rolls of metal have warmth and colours that create minimalist still life compositions.
Long Series #1071.
This 12×12 inch Long Series painting is built from scraps of torn and cut papers. Some of the papers are artist quality, and some are more craft quality.
I find myself wondering why I like this format so much, and for whatever reason I keep thinking maybe it’s because it’s such a humble size. I once went to an exhibition with a friend, and as we stood in front of a massive canvas he said, “its big…it must be art.” I think I know what he meant. It sometimes seems that the bigger the object the more impressive it is, the more gravitas it has. But on the other side of the coin can it not be said that smaller artwork can be more personal, more intimate? I love to get close to small works and look into them, and spend time with them. It seems as though it’s just the viewer and the art, and the large stuff is open to everyone at once. Maybe that’s why I like to work small.
Painter's Progress 