The Little Picture: Big Art. Tiny Canvas.

An open exhibition for Inverness Fringe 2026 — and everyone is invited to have a go.

Something small is happening at Oil & Vinegar Inverness.
Very small, actually.

As part of Inverness Fringe 2026, we're turning a wall of the shop into The Little Picture — an exhibition of original artworks where every artist gets exactly the same amount of space:
120 × 120 mm.
Or, to put it another way, the size of the front of a CD case.

The Little Picture opens during Inverness Fringe on 28 September and, rather than disappearing when the Fringe finishes, we're keeping the exhibition on the wall until Saturday 31 October 2026.
And we're looking for the artists to fill it.

Professional artist? Complete beginner? You're invited.

The Little Picture is deliberately open to everyone.
You might be a professional artist who has exhibited dozens of times. You might paint at weekends, take photographs, make collages, draw for fun or have a sketchbook that nobody else ever sees.
You might never have exhibited anything before.

We don't mind.

Everyone gets the same tiny canvas and the same opportunity.
There's no prescribed theme, and almost any medium is welcome — painting, drawing, illustration, photography, printmaking, collage, textiles, digital art presented physically or mixed media.
The important bit is that the finished artwork must fit into the 120 × 120 mm CD-case format.

Why CD cases?

Partly because we had the idea and couldn't resist it.
But there's something rather nice about giving everybody exactly the same physical space.
An established artist could end up hanging next to someone exhibiting their first ever picture. Neither gets the enormous canvas or the prestigious spot on the wall.
They both get a CD case.
What happens inside it is entirely up to them.
As we said when announcing the exhibition:

“If it's interesting, beautiful, funny, strange, clever or simply makes us stop and look at it, we'd like to see it.”

Sometimes having less room gives you more room to think.

A whole month of little pictures

Although The Little Picture opens as part of Inverness Fringe, we're going to keep the exhibition up throughout October.
That gives people much longer to discover the work, gives the artists considerably more exposure and gives visitors more opportunities to buy something they fall in love with.
The exhibition finally comes down after Saturday 31 October — just in time for us to celebrate Oil & Vinegar Inverness's first birthday on 2 November.

How does it work?

You can submit up to three artworks for consideration.
There is no entry fee.
Every selected artwork must be available for sale, but you choose the price, up to a maximum of £100.
And here's the particularly nice bit:

We take no commission.

If your picture sells for £50, you receive £50.
If it sells for £100, you receive £100.
Oil & Vinegar Inverness doesn't take a gallery percentage from the sale.

What about the CD case?

Your artwork should be 120 × 120 mm and designed to fit into a standard CD jewel case.
You can provide your own suitable case, or blank CD cases are available from Oil & Vinegar Inverness for £1 each.
Please don't add an external frame or mount — the identical CD cases are part of the exhibition itself.

How to enter

For the initial submission, we don't need the physical artwork.

Simply send us:

• A clear photograph or digital image of each piece
• Your name and contact details
• The title of each work
• The medium
• Your selling price — maximum £100
• Optionally, a short note about yourself or the work

Email your submission to art@shennachie.co.uk.

You may submit a maximum of three pieces.

Closing date: 15 September 2026

The Little Picture is a curated exhibition, so submitting a work doesn't automatically guarantee that it will be included.
We're aiming to create an interesting, varied and enjoyable exhibition. Selection is about the work rather than whether you have an impressive artistic CV.
Selected artists should hear from us at around 18 September, with physical artwork expected at around 23 September.

Please don't send your original artwork until we've confirmed that it has been selected.

Download the paperwork

If you'd like to enter, you can download everything you need below.

DOWNLOAD: THE LITTLE PICTURE ENTRY FORM — PDF

DOWNLOAD: THE LITTLE PICTURE TERMS & CONDITIONS — PDF

Please have a read through the Terms & Conditions before submitting. They cover the full exhibition rules, including selection, sales, display, photography and collection.
And, importantly, what happens if you forget to come back for your masterpiece.

If your picture sells

All selected artworks will be available to buy during the exhibition.
There is no gallery commission. The artist receives 100% of their stated selling price.
Sold artwork will normally remain on display until the exhibition finishes on 31 October, so people visiting later in the month can still enjoy the complete exhibition. The purchaser can collect their artwork afterwards, or alternative arrangements can be agreed.

The important dates

Entries close: 15 September 2026

Selection notifications: approximately 18 September 2026

Artwork delivery: approximately 23 September 2026

Inverness Fringe: 28 September–4 October 2026

The Little Picture exhibition: 28 September–31 October 2026

Come and be part of it

The Little Picture is intended to be accessible, welcoming and a little different.
No expensive entry fee.
No gallery commission.
No requirement to have exhibited before.
No enormous canvas giving somebody an advantage.
Everyone gets exactly the same 120 × 120 mm.
What you do with it is entirely up to you.

That's rather the point.

Questions?

If there's something we haven't covered, just ask.

Email: art@shennachie.co.uk
Phone: 01463 240073

Or pop into:

Oil & Vinegar Inverness
Union Court, Union Street
Inverness
IV1 1PP