Why I’m Starting to Paint Smaller

andreafryettart
1 day ago
2 min read

Most of my work has always been larger.

Larger canvases, more space, more time to build things up slowly.

So working small, really small, is actually new for me.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with these tiny 1.5 x 3 inch Altoid box mini landscape paintings, and I’ll be honest…they’re a bit of a challenge.

There’s nowhere to hide.

What I’m Noticing

When you work at that scale, everything changes.

You can’t rely on detail. You don’t have time to overwork things. You can’t keep adjusting and refining endlessly.

You have to decide, pretty quickly:

What’s the main shape?
Where is the light coming from?
What can I leave out?

And that’s been the most interesting part for me.

Not that the paintings are easier — they’re not —but they force a kind of clarity.

Letting Things Go

I’ve noticed how quickly things fall apart when I try to include too much.

A few extra marks, a bit too much information, and suddenly the whole painting feels cluttered.

But when I pull back, when I group things into larger shapes and simplify the values, everything starts to read again.

It’s less about describing what’s there, and more about suggesting it.

Why This Feels Worth Exploring

I think a lot of people assume painting is about adding more.

More detail, more control, more refinement.

But working small has been reminding me that sometimes it’s the opposite.

It’s about:

choosing what matters
simplifying what you see
and letting the rest fall away

And that’s a skill at any level.

A New Direction (For Me Too)

This is something I’m still figuring out as I go.

But it’s also something I’m excited to start sharing.

I’ve been putting together a series of small, guided painting sessions based on this idea, simple landscapes and scenes reduced down to their essential shapes and light.

They’re designed to be approachable, low-pressure, and something you can complete in one sitting.

And honestly, I think they’ll be just as useful for me to teach as they will be for someone taking them.

If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to “get it right,” or overwhelmed by too much detail, this might be a really nice way to approach painting differently.

I’ll be opening a few spots soon, and sharing details through my newsletter first.

Sometimes a smaller space is what makes things finally make sense.

Join Thursday Nights at The Tipper East Van to try it yourself

Here are the local scenes we will be working on over the session.

Starting in May 2026 i'll be offering small, guided painting sessions in Vancouver based on this idea — simple scenes, reduced down to their essential shapes and light.

We’ll be working with water-soluble oils (a really accessible introduction to oil painting), and all supplies are included — you can just show up and paint.

If you’d like to try it for yourself, you can see upcoming sessions and sign up here.