Does Size Matter?

"Windswept"
Krys Pettit
Watercolor on Acrylic Yupo Paper
4/12"Hx 3 1/2"W

I once showed a watercolor painting to a friend who has been following my progress with the piece via images sent in emails and instant messages.  His comment when I physically showed him the work of "I thought it was a lot bigger" took me aback for a moment.  And got me to thinking.
Is the size an element of how the artist tells the story with their work?  Because in essence each painting I or any other artist produces tells a story to you, the viewer.  True, an gigantic canvas depicting huge event makes a tremendous statement as you view it in the Louvre -- a little man making it really big -- and crowning himself in the process.  But this was the style then. And if you had the wall space, what an item to show off.

"Coronation of Napoleon"
Jacque-Louis David
20 feet, 4 inches x 32 feet
Courtesy Wikipedia and The Louvre Museum

Wall space is a real consideration for many collectors, not a tremendously romantic notion but a reality we artists must live with.  In an era of downsizing, relocation, and redecorating in an instant that 10 foot canvas you think will look great over someone's couch is not a reality.  So much for romantic notions of where your work hangs!
But the essence of this is that I have always felt small work has a certain intimacy.  If I can get a viewer to come in close for a look, whether it be for the brush strokes or small items hidden in a piece I think I have communicated on a more personal level with my work.  Not unlike the whisper in the ear from someone you love or a knowing glance from a close friend, small gestures can sometimes reach in much deeper than the huge ones.
For me, I will always paint intimately, whether in size or message, hoping I can bring a viewer in close to my work and closer to how feel about it and themselves.
For more information on my nicely sized artwork please visit my website:
https://www.kryspettit.com/