Like many other galleries during the holiday season, Principle Gallery features a diverse showcase of small and miniature artworks—creating accessibility through lower price points. For the gallery’s annual Small Works Invitational,collectors will find over 80 artworks, “ranging from elegant landscapes to expressive figurative studies,” says gallery director, Clint Mansell. “These small-scale pieces showcase the technical mastery and creative range of renowned artists from all over the world.”
Trish Coonrod, 2 Pears, oil on aluminum, 8 x 10 in.
Also on view are impressive still life options, like Trish Coonrod’s 8-by-10-inch painting, 2 Pears. As the title suggests, we see two pieces of the fruit executed in a high realism under stellar lighting. “Pears are a favorite subject matter of mine,” the artist explains. “They have shapes that hint at personality, and when composed with intention, they can suggest human interactions. When I’m beginning a new pear painting, I start with several pears and methodically study how they visually relate to one another. It can take up to an hour or so to decide which two or three I want to use and how I want to compose them. For this painting, I liked how the pears were two different varieties—one with a blush of red, which added more color to the composition. I was also drawn to the tilt of the stems which brought the two objects together.”
Michael T. Davis, Hooded Merganser, 2 Snails, and Ginger, oil on panel, 12 x 12 in.
Michael T. Davis’ 12-by-12-inch show piece, Hooded Merganser, 2 Snails, and Ginger, features a whimsical still life example painted with great detail and impeccable shadow work. Davis often starts with finding items at a local thrift store for his composition ideas. “Still life artists slowly become small time hoarders, and any time spent in thrift shops or antique stores is on par with any Indiana Jones adventure,” says Davis. “Things are stacked and arranged in perfect disorder. It’s then that something will catch my eye and become the perfect subject for the story running through my head. It’s like putting a puzzle together with objects and symbolism as the pieces.”
Angelo Salmoiraghi, Nereide (Threshold), oil on panel, 12 x 9 in.
For this painting, the elegance of the sculpture with the light hitting just right, caught Davis’s attention. “I loved its dynamic contrast in textures—the duality of a perfectly smooth, sculpted duck on the rough, naturalness of driftwood,” he adds. “Two snail shells collected on walks became representatives of time slowing down allowing us to appreciate beauty. Ginger, [my pet mouse], is a recurring character in my paintings, and I’ve always thought in some way, represents me. I’ll sculpt little mice out of clay to place in my arrangements, then look through my photo catalog to find a pose of Ginger that I can use for the details.”
Lastly, we explore the figurative and symbolic piece Nereide (Threshold), by Angelo Salmoiraghi. “The subjects I most often explore are female figures suspended between reality and allegory, immersed in timeless atmospheres where narrative blends with an interior and metaphysical dimension,” explains Salmoiraghi.
Benjamin Walter, As Autumn Slips By, oil on canvas on board, 16 x 16 in.
The artist continues, “Nereide (Threshold) interprets a liminal condition through the myth of the sea nymph, a being suspended between worlds, between depth and emergence, between instinct and consciousness. It is not simply an underwater scene but the visualization of an interior state that is either rising to the surface or sinking beneath it—a moment of suspension. The word ‘threshold’ is central to the entire composition.”
Technically, Salmoiraghi constructed the 12-by-9-inch painting through layered transparencies: floating hair, filtered light, gentle refractions, and the challenge was to create atmospheric depth in a small format. The figure is the result of numerous studies and notes, drawings, experiments and inner imagery that settled over time.
Laura E. Pritchett, Below the Bridge, acrylic on panel, 10 x 10 in.
Experience the entire show at Principle Gallery’s Alexandria, Virginia, location, from December 6, 2025 through January 5, 2026. A reception will be held on the opening day, from 1 to 4 p.m. —
Principle Gallery 208 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314 • (703) 739-9326 • www.principlegallery.com
Powered by Froala Editor
