tiny art on display at Three Graces and Nahcotta

Liz Tran painted a number of house dresses on wire hangers, each labeled with a woman’s name, such as “Greta,” “Eleanor” and “Ava.” Elaine Ware assembled a variety of tiny copper boxes. Lindy Carroll contributed a number of monotype nature scenes with titles like “Violet Couds” and “Ice at Low Tide.” Stephanie Young created “Funky Fish from Murky Depths,” a collection of small fish with human faces frozen in various expressions. Tiffany Torre offered a series of works titled “Doll Legs,” consisting of several assortments of, well … doll legs.

All these pieces are on display at Portsmouth’s Three Graces Gallery as part of “The Teeny Tiny Art Show II.” The gallery on Market Street hosted an opening reception on the evening of Friday, Feb. 8, exposing guests to the work of some 38 artists from around the nation. Around the corner, on Congress Street, the Nahcotta Gallery held an opening reception of its own for “The Enormous Tiny Art Show III.”

Both galleries were packed on Friday night as art fans poured in to explore fine but affordable art. “It’s a pretty amazing thing to be mobbed with people on a cold February night,” said Nahcotta owner Deb Thompson.

Thompson conceived “The Enormous Tiny Art Show” last winter and held the first exhibit in February 2007. The first show featured 26 participating artists with a total of approximately 100 pieces. She was pleased with the turnout—and the sales.
“We got a great response to it,” she said. “With smaller size, typically, comes a smaller price tag, so it’s more accessible.” 
Nahcotta hosted a second “tiny” exhibit in September. Three Graces owner Kim Ferreira, a close friend of Thompson, asked if she could hold an identically themed show at the same time. The dual exhibits were a resounding success, and both gallery owners committed to hosting another tiny show this month.

Ferreira said collaborating with Thompson has been fun for both artists. With just one level compared to Nahcotta’s two, Three Graces has a smaller space, offering a different atmosphere. Both owners strive to make the displays fit their spaces.

“If I get something that I think would be more appropriate at (Thompson’s) gallery, I’ll forward it on to her,” Ferreira said.

Ferreira tapped into a vast online network of artists to recruit participants from around the country. While many of the featured artists are local, there is a solid showing from people in the West and Midwest. At Nahcotta, where 388 pieces from 42 artists adorn the walls, pieces came in from Oregon, California, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and, of course, New Hampshire.

Ferreira said small pieces of art offer a number of advantages over large pieces. They are easier to ship and fit more easily on the gallery walls. And, because they are usually cheaper than bigger works, viewers feel less intimidated about shopping. Ferreira said some people have purchased their very first pieces of fine art during “Teeny Tiny” exhibits.

While many artists prefer to work on smaller pieces, some are accustomed to doing much larger work. Some artists who participated last time around, Ferreira said, felt restrained by the size limitations and opted not to contribute anything this year. “Not everyone can switch like that,” she said.

But, 17-year-old Chloe Feldman Emison is one of the artists who thrive on small artwork. Emison, who lives in Lee and is home schooled, showed her work at Three Graces during the “Teeny Tiny” exhibit in September.

“It was great. I was really happy to do it again,” she said.

Although she is still a teenager, Emison has been painting all her life—and it shows. Her evocative watercolor paintings depict human scenes that imbue distinct moods. In “Far From Fiddler’s Green,” a boy gazes morosely at the sea from a small sailboat. In “The River From the Red Moon,” a woman and a boy sit in a canoe on a river. The woman holds a baby reaching for a cat on the riverbank, while an eerily red moon looms in the background. In “Mirror Reflection,” a woman holds a young girl’s hand as she stares into a mirror. The child looks away.

Emison said her ideas are spontaneous, and although her paintings showcase a uniform style, there is no consistent theme in the messages.

The exhibits at both Portsmouth galleries display diverse offerings, from paintings to jewelry to porcelain bowls and bottles. Both exhibits will remain on display until March 9, and the owners plan to hold similar shows in September. 

The Nahcotta Gallery is located at 110 Congress St., 603-433-1705, www.nahcotta.com. Three Graces Gallery is at 105 Market St., 603-436-1988, www.threegracesgallery.com.