A Small Work, Chosen by Feeling

What is a "Small treasure"?

Sometimes it's a postcard-sized painting.

Sometimes it's a strange figure with an unusual gaze.

And sometimes it's just one touch of color that feels exactly right

In this post, I want to share what makes a work a "small treasure."

A small treasure is like a short poem that moves more than an entire novel, not because it's small but because it's precise.

It doesn't try to impress – it's simply there, present, felt.

It's not the physical size, it's the presence, the energetic power, the originality, and the ability to stop the eye – and the heart.

The poet Charles Bukowski wrote:

“Some moments are nice, some are nicer, some are even worth writing about.”

The same goes for a work of art – not every moment is dramatic, but there are small moments that are worth hanging on the wall.

A small work of art doesn’t shout. It whispers. If you get close to it, you’ll discover that this whisper is talking about you. Maybe you’ll smile. Maybe you’ll feel nostalgic. Maybe you’ll suddenly remember something old. More often than not, it’s the “tiny” works that leave the deepest impression.

A small treasure isn’t chosen based on how it fits the curtain.

It’s chosen based on a gut feeling. It’s something you can’t explain – you just know when it’s in front of you.

Paul Klee, an important modern painter, once said:

“Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”

Small art does not reproduce reality – it reveals it. Sometimes, precisely through simplicity.

As an artist, I create from inner listening and intuition. Not meticulous planning, not calculation of composition, but attention to flow. When I feel that a painting has “settled down” – even if it is small, strange, or almost unfinished – I know: it is a treasure.

We can create an entire wall of small treasures – and build a personal, intimate gallery wall that reflects us. We can also combine a single work – on a shelf, above a nightstand, between books. A small treasure does not take up space – it gives presence. It is not decoration. It is a silent conversation with ourselves.

Ultimately, for me, a small treasure is a reminder of something about ourselves, of a feeling we forgot, of an inner place that is important to us. Small art treasures connect us to the home through art. They bring real life into the walls, and connect us – a little more – to what is important - our soul.

Reading recommendations: Small, intuitive, meaningful art

1. The Art of Noticing – Rob Walker

A lovely book about paying attention to the small details around us, and how you can develop a sensitive eye for unexpected beauty. Although it does not directly deal with plastic art, it is very relevant to an intuitive approach to creation.

2. The Shape of Content – Ben Shahn

A classic essay by an artist who spoke about freedom of expression, about art that stems from inner contemplation, and not from external instructions.

3. Wabi Sabi: for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers – Leonard Koren

A beautiful book about the Japanese philosophy that celebrates the simple, the transient, and the imperfect. Perfect as a conceptual basis for small, present art.

4. Kandinsky – Concerning the Spiritual in Art

Kandinsky’s spiritual classic, which talks about how colors, lines, and shapes can carry inner meaning, regardless of physical representation.

5. Seeing Is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees – Lawrence Weschler

A biographical book about the artist Robert Irwin, which talks about the experience of viewing, abstraction, and presence as the center of artistic creation.

Artists who practiced minimalist, intuitive, or small-scale art

1. Agnes Martin

A minimalist painter who focused on fine lines, grids, and inner silence. For her, creating was an act of meditation.

2. Paul Klee

Created thousands of small, symbolic works full of a playful and philosophical spirit. He considered art a way of seeing "beyond the visible."

3. Joan Miró

Intuitive, almost childlike art that conveys feelings through very simple forms.

4. Yayoi Kusama

Her repetitive, repetitive works express inner worlds through small but penetrating colors and patterns.

5. Ellsworth Kelly

Large minimalist works, but based on one simple idea in each piece – just one color, shape , or line.

6. Frida Kahlo

Although not a minimalist, most of her works are relatively small, very personal, and intuitive in the sense of raw emotional expression.

In conclusion:

A small artistic treasure is like an "artistic whisper." What makes a particular work a "treasure" is not its size, but its content, its power, and the feelings that the work evokes.

Want to see examples?

You are welcome to take a look at my collection – maybe you will find the small treasure that speaks exactly to you.

🔗 Link to collection / https://www.tal-stoobik.com/all-products