VENETIAN GLASS - OSWOA Series

OSWOA (Original Small Works of Art Movement)

I have recently blogged about miniatures which are very small paintings and for the last two months I've been focused on painting as specific kind of miniature called ACEO. 

There has been a resurgence in interest in small works of Art in the last 10 years. The internet has been a big factor, as well as the introduction of Ebay auctions and the Daily Painting Movement. Artists have made their work more affordable by cutting out the middle man, which also means they must dedicate more time to marketing. In order to complete a painting each day and develop their business, Artists must paint faster. One way to speed up is to reduce the size of the canvas. Therefore the standard size for daily painters became 8" x 10" (19.5 cm x 24.5 cm).

However, Speed forward a few years and times have changed.  

The current recession means buyers can't even afford 8" x 10" originals. However, Art lovers still have gifts to buy and homes and offices to decorate and most would prefer originals if they were within their price range. This has made miniatures popular, but for artists who can't conceive painting that small there is a larger type of small painting called OSWOA which stands for "Original Small Works of Art". OSWOA are too large to be classed as miniatures but they are popular because they save on framing costs by fitting a standard photo frame.

To be considered OSWOA, Art must comply with a set of standards:- 

1. All pieces must be original
2. The piece must measure 4" × 6" or 6" × 4"
3. The finished work must fit into a standard photo sleeve or 4 x 6 frame.

An original can be any 2D medium which makes photos acceptable but only the first print is considered original, the rest are classed as reproductions. To keep standards high, the suggested starting price on Ebay is not less then $9.95.

OSWOA is not a big Art movement, in fact, most artists are not familiar with the term and don’t use it. Searching for OSWOA on the internet will bring up the Artists who do use the designation, or you can try "4×6", "6x4" or "original postcard". EBSQ used to have a separate gallery for OSWOA but it has unfortunately been changed to any small art.

Below are some of my OSWOA. 

Cat # 12035 - Sweet Mystery
Cat # 12082 - Cootamundra Wattle
Cat # 12104 - Parisian Walk
Cat # 12031 - Popping Out
Cat # 12080 - Profusion
Cat # 12110 - Lamplight
Cat # 12106 - Le Fromage
Cat # 13056 - Venetian Aqua (Top and Collection)
Cat # 12081 - Fields of Gold   
Cat # 12107 - Un Festival De Fraicheur