The 5x5 Collection was inspired by the following story:

"A ceramics teacher announced on the first day of class that he would divide the class into two groups. Everyone on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work produced, while everyone on the right side would be graded solely on quality. His method was simple: on the last day of class, he would bring in his bathroom scale and weigh the work of the 'quantity' group: twenty-five kilogram of pots would earn an 'A', twenty kilogram a 'B', and so on. Those being graded on 'quality,' however, needed to produce only one pot — but it had to be perfect — to get an 'A'. When grading time came, a strange phenomenon emerged: all the highest-quality work was produced by the group being graded for quantity. It seemed that the 'quantity' group was busily producing piles of work — and learning from their mistakes — while the 'quality' group sat theorizing about perfection, with little more to show for their efforts than grand theories and a pile of dead clay."

Inspired by this story, the idea arose to create a series of small-format paintings on five different themes. Several goals were to be achieved with this. First, the small format helps reduce the fear of producing an unsatisfactory painting. This can also prevent the common ‘artist's block’. Second, the concept provides an opportunity to try new subjects, such as landscapes or animal paintings - topics I had not previously explored due to lack of subject matter familiarity. It also invites experimenting with different techniques, such as realistic versus impressionistic styles or the use of brushes versus palette knives. At the same time, these paintings form a cohesive collection of works with related themes and motifs.

Each painting is painted with oil paint on 15 x 15cm (5,9 x 5,9 in) cotton panels