Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art not only unveils fresh works for its annual Small Works Holiday Group Show in early December, but the Santa Fe-based gallery is also celebrating the show's 20th anniversary. Gallery owner Deborah Fritz shares that the show has grown and evolved, and has become a cherished tradition for both artists and art lovers alike. 

Sandra Pratt, The Old Red Barn, oil on canvas, 20 x 20”

 

This year’s edition features a variety of small masterpieces no larger than 20 by 20 inches, presented by approximately 19 of the gallery’s artists, “offering an intimate glimpse into the creative worlds of our artists,” says Fritz. Find small masterpieces by JC Spock, Mary Alayne Thomas, Bruce Cascia, Kenneth Green, Rebecca Haines, Melinda K. Hall, Sandra Pratt and Peggy McGivern, among many others.

Pratt, for example, offers her 20-by-20-inch piece Old Red Barn—showcasing the artist’s expertise at palette knife painting and depicting one of her staple barn scenes. “I used subtle reds to draw attention to a simple subject, transforming it into something visually compelling,” shares Pratt, adding that she enjoys painting in plein air. “I [also] love painting smaller works. “The control and vibrancy that can be achieved is very satisfying.”

Rebecca Haines, And Always Trust Your Cape, oil on panel, 20 x 20”

 

Most important to Pratt is creating a sense of place through “intentional edges, interesting color interactions, and dynamic brush and knife work that breathes life to a painting,” she says. “How edges are created is one of the most important things about painting for me. I like to use both brushwork and a palette knife to create very subtle changes in form, and to add depth and textural interest.”

The show also offers charming beauties like Haines’s rabbit painting And Always Trust Your Cape, titled after the song The Cape by Guy Clark. “I’ve always identified with the lyrics and the story,” says Haines. “I love the idea of a ‘magic cape’ that gives you special powers like a superhero…I especially like the lyric, ‘He did not know he could not fly...so he did.’”

Melinda K. Hall, Blue Jay: A Bit Audacious, oil on canvas, 9 x 8”

 

The artist, known for her portraits of wild animals, likes to ride the line between representation and abstraction. “That tension makes the work more interesting to both me and the viewer,” she says. “My intentional use and placement of color, some vivid and some bright, are paired with more subdued colors, as if they are supporting characters in a play.”

Peggy McGivern, My Pet Goat, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 16”

 

When she began painting And Always Trust Your Cape, as with most of her pieces, Haines simply began making marks. “I didn’t know where it would lead me, and that’s one of my favorite parts of the style I work in. As I was creating the piece, the ‘cape’ seemed to appear on its own... And of course, the song guided me there too. Learning to trust myself better has been a recurring theme in my life and my work, as well as adventuring into the unknown. The course of my life has fit that description. Because rabbits are often viewed as being low on the food chain, I seem to gravitate towards imbuing them with extra powers in my work.”

Find these and many more miniature masterpieces at the Small Works Holiday Group Show, just in time for the gift-giving season. The show hangs December 6 through 31. —

Giacobbe-Fritz Fine Art
702 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501 • (505) 986-1156 www.giacobbefritz.com

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