Everybody who knows me knows that I like to draw large. Regardless of the medium, bigger is better. This means that it takes longer for me to finish an etching or a pencil drawing, because I have a large surface area to cover with thin lines. Liquid media like paint or ink can fill large areas much more quickly. Large pieces of artwork can also have other disadvantages in the Japanese market.

A gallery owner advised me that I needed to make some smaller pieces before i started going around with a portfolio. Why? He said that some galleries in Tokyo would not even consider showing my work if I did not have any small pieces. Why? Some galleries are small and do not have much wall space. Some are in older buildings with low ceilings. With sliding doors, built-in altars, and other aspects of traditional Japanese houses, most clients will not have lots of wall space to hang artwork, even if they live in a relatively large house or condominium. Also, many clients probably like to buy more affordable pieces, and those tend to be smaller. It makes sense, right?

I started making some smaller pieces, but they still take a long time. I sometimes feel that they take even longer because I want them to be much larger. The mental frustration slows me down at times. Friends have suggested that I make sketches in the smaller size, but is also frustrating. How can I leave something only partially completed? When you see some of the small ones I have been working on, I think it will be easy to imagine them as much larger works. These are 57 cm x 57 cm.

I have also been trying to do a few that are even smaller, but they feel very restrictive to me. I also have some that are the same size as postcards, but they really are just quick sketches.

I only have one more day to go of posting photos of three pieces of artwork! I think I have surprised myself with how methodically I have been able to do this challenge. That has got to be a good thing, right?