Art doesn’t have to be expensive.

Al, a painter I know, asked me yesterday about the size of my works. He’s friend to another artist who is enjoying commercial success with large abstract paintings, which he sells to interior decorators. Al wondered whether “size matters.”

I prefer to paint, I told Al, on 10-by-8 inch canvas boards. That’s about the size of cereal box. My choice is based on a blend of practicality, convenience, and—not unimportantly—aesthetics.

As I see it, small canvases:

• Can be affordable and kind to your wallet

• Circumvent the dilemma, “But will it fit on my wall?”

• Never overwhelm a room, like large canvases can

• Feel more “collectible,” less “one and done”

For my own purposes, small canvases

• Allow me to paint in my garret-like studio

• Work wonders for my productivity

• Allow me to paint alla prima—the method of Monet, Van Gogh, and Sargent—and my favorite way to paint

• Convey intimacy with quotidian objects—one of my primary goals as a realistic painter

• Align with the glorious Intimist movement

• Comport with current movements like Simplicity and Tiny House; and—not a trivial matter

• Are easy to ship by FedEx

Of all the reasons I prefer to paint on small canvases, from your standpoint, the first one listed is paramount.

Large paintings are commanding—and rightfully command stratospheric prices. But small ones like mine provide an earthbound route to art collecting.

Small is beautiful—and inexpensive.

So what are you waiting for? Shop now.

Above: Two Tomatoes. Oil on canvas board. 10 x 8 inches. $140.