Small in Size, Big in Moxie

All across the country, the end of the year is the season of the small works and miniature group show. This is not coincidental.

One of the key selling points of small-scale works is that they tend to be more affordable than their largeformat counterparts—so what better time to shine a spotlight on the genre than the holidays? But that’s not the only reason: It’s also a chance for galleries to show offtheir stable of talented artists and host an inclusive group exhibition to celebrate them. In that same spirit, RJD Gallery is presenting BIG ART,

Small Canvas, featuring works by their top-tier artists that will prove that bigger isn’t always better. Working in small format is Jantina Peperkamp’s specialty.

Her largest painting in the past 10 years measured just under 12 by 12 inches. She enjoys the technical challenges of working within the size contraints and how small pieces draw the viewer in. “I love the intimacy they exude,” she says. “To perceive everything properly, you have to look at a small work of art very closely, creating a very intense moment between artwork and viewer.”

 The two oil paintings in BIG ART, Small Canvas are from Peperkamp’s series Ode to My Models and deftly captures the essence of these young women on a canvas a hair over 6 by 6 inches.