I have been enjoying experimenting with new formats from paintings I've already done by cropping square images in Photoshop from some of my larger, rectangular paintings. I can get an idea of whether a portion of the painting would work anew as an entirely different painting in a square shape. I decided to work in acrylic on paper for these "Tiny Squares" and matting them very attractively in a wide, square mat with a black core. The black core frames the painting with a fine black line and then expands out to the cream colored mat. I've been trying 4", 5", and 6" squares.

There's something about a tiny size that is highlighted with a wide expanse of mat (e.g. a 5"x5" or 6"x6" in a 12"x12" mat), that is both dramatic and charming. It throws me back to my fascination as a child with miniature furniture and food items for dollhouses.

My original reason for trying these tiny paintings was to be able to offer some less expensive work to the viewers at fund-raisers and holiday shows that I enter during the Winter months. Artists are offered the possibility of showing framed and unframed work. These pieces are matted but not framed.

I've decided to post them on my website as well as showing them at local shows. I'll keep them in a new Collection and call them Tiny Squares.

What I've found from doing these small paintings is that I now want to try some of the new squares as larger squares in oil on canvas or panel to see what they look like as big paintings. I definitely have my work cut out for me.