Tiny Gems

Collectorʼs Focus: Western Small Works & Miniatures

By Michael Clawson

We make the observation in these pages that small works are great for gift giving and holiday presents. Yes, that is true, these make great gifts. But we’re also sort of winking at you: “Go ahead and get it for yourself. No judgment.”

Whatever your motivations, small works are part of a wonderful tradition in the art world. The price point is always appreciated, especially for novice collectors or those on a tight budget. These works will frequently be available at a fraction of the cost of a larger work by the same artist, which makes acquiring them easier on your wallet. But it also goes beyond price. Some collectors don’t have room in their homes for large art, so small works are the only pieces that will fit. Others just have unique spaces in their homes or offices that won’t fit an epic 84-inch-wide painting, so something smaller scale is a requirement.

National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Pilar Homestead, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 in., by Brad Price.

Another thing that seasoned collectors will frequently say is that it is neither price nor size that attracts them to a small-scale work, but simply the limitations that the artist had to work around. Given 30 by 30 inches (that’s 900 square inches), an artist will make a series of choices around composition, color, form and detail. But if you were to reduce the painting size to, for example, 8 by 10 inches (80 square inches), that artist will have a whole different series of challenges laid out in front of them. The composition changes, as does the detail level and much more. There are qualities in those pieces that simply don’t exist on a bigger scale.

And it should be mentioned that this applies to sculpture as well. Small bronzes can achieve different goals than larger and monumental pieces. Like paintings, the effects are more intimate and more personal. Small works can have an immense impact on viewers, and in ways that large works will never be able to unlock.

Maxwell Alexander Gallery, Study for A New Season, acrylic, 8¼ x 6½ in., by Eric Bowman.

If you needed further persuasion on these little gems, consider that almost every major art venue has a show dedicated to small works. This includes the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, home of the Small Works, Great Wonders exhibition every November, and also Maxwell Alexander Gallery, seen here through the work of Eric Bowman, which offers its Black Friday show full of small works.

As you browse these small gems, consider adding one of these magnificent little works to your collection.

At Altamira Fine Art, located in Scottsdale, Arizona, the gallery believes small works carry immense power, or condensed expressions of the American West that invite collectors to look closer and linger longer. “These works embody both restraint and intensity: a sculpture that captures the raw sinew of spirit; a bloom that reveals resilience in arid soil; a brushstroke that abstracts monumental canyons into bands of vibrant memory,” says Kimberly Duncan, gallery director. “Small works offer an invitation to connect personally, to live with Western art in a way that is approachable, versatile and deeply moving. They remind us that even the grandest of subjects, when distilled, can radiate with intimacy and clarity. When collecting small works, trust your instinct for resonance. The best small works feel larger than themselves and will continue to reveal depth each time you return to them.”

Top: Altamira Fine Art, Sundown Break, oil on panel, 11 x 14 in., by Jivan Lee. Bottom: Altamira Fine Art, Search, bronze, ed. 11 of 21, 18 x 12 x 5 in., by Stephanie Revennaugh. Bottom: Altamira Fine Art, Life in the Rain, acrylic on panel, 12 x 12 in., by Rocky Hawkins; Legacy Gallery, Teal and Green, oil, 11 x 14 in., by Rebekah Knight.

Also in Scottsdale, Legacy Gallery features astounding small-scale examples among its impressive collection. Artist Rebekah Knight presents a 14-by-11-inch painting Teal and Green, featuring a duck in water. “I choose to paint wildlife not only because I grew up exploring the Missouri outdoors, which led to my innate love for nature, but also because I believe that animals, particularly wild ones, are nature’s masterworks, and are the ultimate display of beauty, creative expression and life,” says Knight. “By immersing myself into the animals and their habitats, I can escape the daily pressures that come with the self-aware human mind.”

Also find Huihan Liu’s 12-by-12-inch oil Navajo Cloud, a portrait of a Native American figure set against a desert landscape, and Tom Browning’s 9-by-12-inch painting, Ready for Action. Browning began drawing horses, wildlife and Native Americans at age 7, and after five decades of painting and studying the work of Charlie Russell, James Reynolds and Haddon Sundblom, Browning never tires of finding exciting ways to express this subject matter. Find these works and many more during Legacy’s Holiday Small Works Show,opening December 11.

Top: Legacy Gallery, Ready for Action, oil, 12 x 9 in., by Tom Browning; Legacy Gallery, Navajo Cloud, oil, 12 x 12 in., by Huihan Liu; Gallery Wild, Paint Brush Dance, oil on linen, 12 x 9 in., by Patricia A. Griffin. Bottom: Gallery Wild, Elk Sketch, graphite on Strathmore paper, 10 x 10 in., by Doyle Hostetler; Gallery Wild, Mini Red Repose, bronze, 3½ x 6 x 5½ in., by Jeremy Bradshaw.

Carrie Wild, owner of Gallery Wild in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, shares, “I love when collectors discover the power of small works. These pieces often carry the same artistic voice and emotional weight as large-scale works, but in a way that feels intimate and approachable. Jeremy Bradshaw’s Mini Red Repose is a perfect example—an eloquent, downsized version of one of his celebrated large bronzes. It allows a collector to bring that same sense of wit and sophistication into their home on a scale that works for almost any space. Doyle Hostetler’s elk sketch offers something equally compelling: a rare glimpse into the artist’s process. Preliminary drawings are windows into how an idea takes shape, and owning one is like holding a page of the artist’s creative journal. And then there’s Patricia A. Griffin’s Paint Brush Dance—a finished painting distilled to a smaller format. It’s vibrant, complete and perfect for those in-between spaces that simply need a spark of beauty. Together, these works remind us that collecting isn’t always about size—it’s about finding pieces that resonate and enrich our daily lives.”

Robert Steiner, Zion Canyon – The Watchman, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16 in.; Robert Steiner, Many Glaciers, acrylic on canvas, 9 x 12 in.

This November 7 and 8, Santa Fe Art Auction’s Signature Live Sale presents expansive offerings of historic and contemporary fine art, classic Western art and Native American art. The sale will include more than 300 lots and proudly features some of the most influential artists of the 20th century. Among these lots are many small treasures from key names in Western art. Robert A. Daughters’ Santa Fe Fall, 2006, is a beautiful, gem-like work by the artist, and its intimate size highlights the artist’s signature brushstrokes and color choices. From the Tyrone Campbell Collection, this work allows for a truly unique viewing experience and connection with the viewer.

A further highlight is an intimate oil painting by Elanor Ruth Gump Colburn, Untitled (Cowboy and Bathers), which will be offered from the Gregory Warren Nelson Collection. Colburn’s nuanced, whimsical brushwork provides the viewer a glimpse into her painting techniques and the act of creation. Gerard Curtis Delano’s Young Shepherdis another beautiful study, and the medium of watercolor provides a unique visual record through which the artist seeks to iterate his subject. “Always of keen interest to seasoned collectors,” says Gillian Blitch, auction president and CEO, “small treasures such as these give an insight into the artist’s process and add depth and dimensionality to established collections.”

Robert Steiner, Glacier Dawn, acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16 in.

Artist John Meister is a contemporary Southwest oil painter who, more recently, has been drawn to capturing botanical subjects at an intimate distance. He considers them the performing actors in his paintings, set before bold, solid backdrops. His years of careful observation of his subjects, by painting in plein air, have given him an appreciation of the little details of living things. He hopes that his collectors come to know these ‘individuals as more than just plants, and begin to see character traits in each of them. His small-scale works include gems like Western Blessing, measuring at only 10 by 10 inches; and Morada Morning, measuring at 16 by 12 inches. Meister is represented by Legacy Gallery (Scottsdale and Santa Fe) and Manitou Galleries (Santa Fe).

Top: Santa Fe Art Auction, Young Shepherd, watercolor on paper, 7¾ x 9½ in., by Gerard Curtis Delano (1890-1972). Estimate: $6/9,000; Santa Fe Art Auction, Untitled (Cowboy and Bathers), oil on board, 121/8 x 16 in., by Elanor Ruth Gump Colburn (1866-1939). Estimate: $1/2,000 Bottom: Santa Fe Art Auction, Santa Fe Fall, 2006, oil on canvas board, 9 ¾ x 7 5/8 in., by Robert A. Daughters (1929-2013). Estimate: $3/5,0000; John Meister, Western Blessing, oil on linen panel, 10 x 10 in.; John Meister, Morada Morning, oil on linen panel, 16 x 12 in.

Robert Steiner has had a highly distinguished career in a number of painting genres, including landscape and wildlife. He particularly enjoys the scenery of the American West because of the interesting rock formations. He calls his style “romantic photorealism” and considers his work a hymn to the beauty of creation. Dramatic skies and lighting are important elements of his style.

Steiner’s smaller works like Glacier Dawn, 12 by 16 inches, and Many Glaciers, 9 by 12 inches, are set in Glacier National Park. “They represent an amazing morning I experienced there,” he notes. Zion Canyon – The Watchman is set at sunset in Zion National Park, and measures 12 by 16 inches.

Steiner is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and has received the Childe Hassam purchase award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has been awarded two commendations from the governor and state senate of California. He has also won numerous awards from the International Guild of Realism, the American Artists Professional League, and other painting organizations. —