A chance to see dramatic landscapes, still life, figurative and other subjects reduced to miniature, one-foot-square proportions, is offered by a free preview of Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition’s 12 x 12 exhibit.

Containing 31 works by a small fraction of the some 150 artists who will be represented in the fundraising show later this month, the preview exhibit is on view through Sept. 23 at Leadership Square, 211 N Robinson.

Liz Roth, of Seattle, supplies us with an expansive view of blue-purple shadows encroaching on the sunlit orange formations of the “Grand Canyon (at) Dusk” in a superb small oil on board.

Rivaling its impact are Oklahoma City artist David Holland’s oil of a giant “Mountain Storm over Taos,” and Carol Beesley’s oil canvas of a red mosaic of rocks forming Oklahoma’s “Glass Mountain.”

Excellent still life compositions include Tulsa artist Margaret Aycock’s oil of a “Fruit Stand,” and Yukon artist Becky Way’s pastel of a red persimmon, “Sittin’ Pretty,” on a stack of dark brown plates.

A blue bird enjoys a “Fall Breeze” and golden leaves, seemingly perched on the round frame of a three-dimensional constructed painting by Oklahoma City artist Nick Bayer.

Among other well-handled animal subjects are a partly abstract acrylic painting of a mare and colt by Kristin Vails, and a mixed media collage of a wild-looking dog about to attack us by William Struby.

Intriguing, too, is Michael Wilson’s encaustic on panel painting of a “Mockingbird” which may be dead or about to test its wings.

A black-and-white photo by John Seward directs our attention to a Volkswagon sculpture “Near Lexington on Hwy 77,” and an acrylic painting by Diana J. Smith divides a dog’s face into expressive planes of color.

Carla Houston captures the downcast glance of a young woman wearing a pink dress in an oil portrait called “Solitude”— one of the preview show’s better works.

More cartoon-like and satiric is Norman artist O. Gail Poole’s “Maybe Tomorrow,” a flatly painted oil of a young woman whose stylized red hair seems to be trying to escape from the picture.

In “Live Long and Prosper,” Trent Lawson contributes a very accomplished acrylic on black velvet painting whose dark subject looks a lot like Leonard Nimoy wearing one of Dracula’s extra capes.

Amounting to a sculptural wall painting, composed of strips of wood, painted red, accented with thinner green sticks, is one of the works from Edmond artist B. J. White’s powerful “Habitat Series.”

The small preview show is well worth attending during its run through Sept. 23 as a warmup for OVAC’s annual 12 x 12 Art Fundraiser, which will held at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 at 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway.

Available at OVAC and a number of outlets, tickets for the major, Sept. 28th fundraiser, which raised $65,000 and was attended by more than 1,000 people last year, are $30 in advance and $35 at the door.

Those interested in the event may visit the website at www.12x12okc.org or call OVAC at 405-879-2400 for information.