I've been told that I have to document everything I do, even the stuff I give away. Sorry that I don't have any trace of the hundreds of paintings I already gave away, but here's a start. I break them off according to size: business card (3.66" x 2.8"), postcard (roughly 4" x 6"), and anything larger. They're all mixed media, but mostly acrylic paint. I usually title everything I make, and it will be noted if there is one. I'll also try to keep track of where these things are going, and if there are any stories behind them.
There are a few reasons behind doing this. One is simply to create business cards that people are less likely to throw out. They are, in fact, miniature works of art that people might want to hang on their fridge, or on their wall somewhere. Then if they or someone they know is looking for some superfly art in the future, all they have to do is look on the back of the piece to find out where I'm at. This same philosophy applies to the postcards which can actually be used as postcards, or I've also used them as invitations. Although its a lot more work to make each one individually than to get some printer to make up a bunch for you, it's a lot more personal, and meaningful to get handmade stuff instead.
Another reason is to explore different compositional and media mixing techniques on a small scale before applying them to larger canvases. These works I spend anywhere between 5 to 20 minutes on as opposed to trying to work out the same problems on a larger scale, spending hours on end trying to solve. I leave a lot up to chance with these smaller ones, and allow for more unintentional marks which might enhance what I'm capable of doing, or to just replace my hand. For instance, I've made a series of wooden stamps that I utilize when making these, but I would have to carve a big chunk of wood in order to create the same effect on canvas, linoleum won't cut it. In that respect, this scale sometimes offers me more possibilities than what's available in the larger work. Then of course, its easy to manipulate color and find some new color harmonies that I can apply later.
I can also fit a stack in my back pocket, ready to hand out or place somewhere when the opportunity presents itself. Sometimes, I'll just leave one of these around somewhere for somebody to find, or to get thrown out.