2014
Art is art
categories: art
Spurred by a conversation with a friend, I have been sorting through some art I have collected over the past 8 years or so. Sadly, this art is all unframed and stacked unceremoniously in the corner of a back room where the elegant photos are fading in the afternoon sunlight and the corners of intricate illustrations are curling relentlessly inward.
I am a horrible collector.
I am also fairly awful when it comes to matters of decorating and interior design and all of that nonsense. I know what I like, sure, but I have no clue what goes where or how this complements that or where any of it should go. Hell, I can’t even properly frame the art, let alone get it up on the wall.
Here is a small smattering of some things languishing about, waiting for me to get on with it and frame them up. Apologies to: Annie Stephens, Caryn Drexl, Kelly Louise Judd, Jasmine Beckett-Griffith and the lovely illustrator over at beautymarkings, I forget what her name is. These wonderful pieces deserve better treatment than I have provided thus far.
In addition to the above, I have some rather sizeable pieces that I really have no idea how to go about dealing with. Two from mizenscen‘s ‘Bride’ collection (and I’d love to round it out with a third….
As well as this colossal print from Sofia Arjam, I mean wow. This thing is huge.
I am not even certain that I have the wall space for all of these things but as I am covetous and miserly, I just keep collecting more (I’ve got some on the way) and I couldn’t bear to give any of it away!
I’d love to see some framing solutions (the more frugal, the better!) or groupings/displays of art in real people’s homes to point me in the right direction. Any suggestions, thoughts, or ideas?
Lisa says
We've been here since 2012, and I've hung a grand total of three things.
In my house, if it doesn't fit in a cheapola frame from Ikea, it doesn't get framed. I feel kind of stuck because I think that my various beloved artworks deserve fancy custom frames, but I'm too cheap/poor to get that done, so .... it all just sits in the spare room.
One thing I've read that makes sense, especially if you have more art than space, is to rotate things from time to time, take some things down after a while and replace them with other stuff.
S. Elizabeth says
People keep telling me to go to thrift shops to find interesting antique-y looking frames, but trawling through shops for something specific isn't really my cup of tea. I'd rather just find something by accident, serendipity. Otherwise it feels too much like work. Ugh! I wish an interior decorator would just take pity on me and do some pro-bono work.
Shana says
I was going to suggest a thrift store. I have a list on my phone of things I want/need along with sizes and a little tape measure. I have bought interesting and ornate frames that I painted and distressed and made my own and they now house some really cool local art that I had to have.
S. Elizabeth says
Shana - that is a great idea! I NEVER remember the sizes and shapes of the items that need framing, and so when I am somewhere out shopping I either pick up the wrong frames or else I just skip it all together so I don't have to make a return. I will have to start doing this :)
lau says
most of my frames are from hobby lobby (they have 1/2 off sales on them all the time -- wait until one of those), and i was surprised at the price of frames at ikea too. i have a huuuuge grails posters that i want to get custom framed eventually but for now the cheap-o ikea frame works. personally, i like putting my fancy and intricate things in simple and modern frames so that they don't compete. but that could just be me!
my prized ones get custom framed. but woo boy, that gets expensive.