By Noma Faingold

Ceramicist Terrie Raphael, 77, who lives in the Outer Richmond District, does not like marketing herself.

She has a website called The Curious Potter, but she does not sell her inspired and tasteful mugs, plates and vases on it. In fact, she admits she rarely updates it. She also has an Instagram account. Her last post was in May.

“Social media creates its own energy, as long as you feed it,” she said.

A couple of local shops and galleries carry Raphael’s pieces year-round and she welcomes customers into her studio, located at Ruby’s Clay Studio and Gallery in the Castro.

“I try to find non-tech ways of getting my work out to people,” Raphael said. “I’d rather spend my time creating than on social media. If I could, I would be in my studio eight days a week.”

Raphael is grateful that Studio Gallery, which exclusively showcases Bay Area artists, has again included her in the annual, well-promoted “tiny” show, now in its 20th year. It opened on Nov. 8 and runs through Dec. 23.

The “tiny” show features more than 225 artists and more than 300 pieces. All works are required to be under seven-by-seven inches, a nod to San Francisco’s 49 square miles. The show is accessible to the public because all of the art, whether paintings, mixed media, ceramics, sculpture, photos or prints, is priced under $500. Many pieces are in the $200-$300 range and several are under $100.

“It’s great for people who have never bought original art before,” co-owner Jennifer Farris said. “Almost anyone can squeeze a five-by-seven painting in their home. For new buyers, it’s like getting your first dress, which would not be a wedding dress.”

Unlike most gallery shows, customers who make purchases can leave with the art. Farris and her husband, co-owner and painter Rab Terry quickly replace the sold art in the gallery with pieces they have in reserve. They also sell the “tiny” art online. According to Farris, the gallery sells hundreds of works during the event. Simultaneously, on display through Dec. 23, is the studio’s “HUGE” show, consisting of several large-scale works, providing a visual contrast in the Polk Gulch space.

“The show evolves over its duration and is different every day,” Farris said.

The “tiny/HUGE” presentation typifies Farris’s and Terry’s commitment to Bay Area artists, which has been their mission since they opened Studio Gallery in 2003. Many of the artists chosen are well established, while this year, 39 artists are making their debut in the space.

“This event is a good way to keep in touch with artists and discover Bay Area talent,” Farris said. “It really anchors us in the community.”

Raphael submitted mostly functional objects to the “tiny” show in the last few years. This year, she selected wall collages, such as one with purple ceramic disks attached to a square black wood panel.

At non-profit Ruby’s – Raphael’s home away from home – she has her own studio space, which she finally earned through seniority and nearly two decades of being on the board and volunteering. She is surrounded by shelves of vases, mugs, planters, bowls and platters with a variety of glaze color treatments and an assortment of forms. Most are successfully completed creations. But there are also a few experiments that did not quite work out.

The retired cultural anthropologist, who spent much of her career in health care planning for older adults, likes to use the potter’s wheel, as well as make items by hand.

“It’s very satisfying to work at the wheel. Once it goes around, the world kind of narrows to what’s going on right in front of me,” Raphael said. “My hands are working in total coordination.”

Heather Robinson, 50, who lives in the Outer Sunset with husband Jaye, brings seven vibrant abstract paintings to the “tiny.” Her signature style is colorful, layered work, influenced by textile design and architecture. However, what locals have responded to in past “tiny” shows is her quirky series called “Sutro in Fog,” with the focal point being Sutro Tower.

“She takes a theme and explores it,” Farris said. “She elevates the city scene with imaginative elements and great colors.”

Web designer Robinson, who goes to Arc Studios and Gallery in SOMA five days a week, describes her larger scale paintings as “optimistic.” Geometric patterns share the canvas with unpredictable shapes and free-form brushwork. She uses stencils as a foundation for most paintings.

“But a lot of the other layers are unplanned and imperfect,” Robinson said. “I don’t know how they are going to turn out. Each painting is a little snapshot of my mental state at the time.”

Using bold colors does not just draw art lovers to her paintings, they often uplift Robinson’s mood.

“My work helps me feel that I have a place in the world,” she said. “It’s partly why I paint with cheerful colors.”

The “tiny/HUGE” show runs through Dec. 23 at Studio Gallery, 1641 Pacific Ave., Thursday through Monday, noon-6 p.m. Learn more at STUDIOGallerySF.com. Facebook: studiogallerysf. Instagram: @studiogallerysf.

Links to explore more work of the profiled artists:

Heather Robinson: heatherrobinson.com, Instagram: @hnrfineart, Facebook: heatherrobinsonfineart.

Terrie Raphael: thecuriouspotter.com, Instagram: @thecuriouspotter.