Changing scale

12.5x8.5 watercolour and gouache

Yesterday Jazz Green asked in comments why I would want to work on a smaller scale (thank you for stopping by and giving me feedback on these,) and I thought I would reply in a post. I do normally work in a variety of sizes and I do love to work on large scale pieces but there is something that appeals to me about trying to portray something as huge and magical as a thunderstorm on a small scale whilst still retaining the sense of power. My aim with these small pieces is for the viewer to feel the wind, rain and noise (or lack of it in the seconds before the storm breaks). With a smaller scale I hope the intimacy created between the viewer and the painting makes a connection to their own experiences.

It's also a bit of a challenge, how small a format can I work in before the sense of scale that I want to show is lost? Another challenge.... how to achieve a sense of the depth of field without the use of motifs like yachts or headland to put the scale in context? This is what I am exploring at the moment.

Something I am finding is that although the size is smaller, I work on these more intensely.