Buy Some Damn Art is my brand new site that will host weekly sales of original art from $200 to $500! The first show is a series of work inspired by the concept of wabi-sabi by MICA grads and close friends, Becca Stadtlander and Yelena Bryksenkova.
Curious to know how Buy Some Damn Art works? Every Tuesday at noon a new sale will open but the artist featured (as well as the artwork) will only be revealed at the launch. So if you want to stay on top of the shows as they launch I recommend signing up for the BSDA mailing list. I’ll be sending out one email a week to let you know that the sale is live. Go check the site out (it was designed by the very cool ladies at The Dye Lab) and, yes, I have to say it, BUY SOME DAMN ART!
Uprise Art is a NYC art collectors’ club that just opened its doors that focuses on contemporary local photography ranging from $1,000-$7,000. Members pay a monthly subscription to take home artwork, and if they later decide to make a purchase their subscription fees go toward the purchase price. Founder Tze Chun plans to hold collectors events and facilitate long-term relationships between collectors and artists. Pretty cool, huh?
I recently received an email from a young collector who wanted to get some advice on how to think about home design and art. This is one of those question that comes up time and again so I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my thoughts on the topic.
Devon wrote, “I’m moving into my first ‘grown up’ apartment and as I accumulate furniture and everyday detritus I also want to start collecting art… I’ve noticed that a lot of pictures of interiors feature art that matches the decor… that seems kind of trite to me, but I’m new to this. I also noticed on your blog that you talk a lot about how certain art ‘goes together’ because of color, use of space, form, etc…so I guess my question is, are there rules to follow when accumulating/placing art? Does it have to or should it ‘match’ decor? Should I look for commonalities?”
A very ‘matchy’ but still very modern bedroom
The answer to this question starts with the vision you hold of your ideal home. Knowing what you’d like to accomplish with your home is perhaps the biggest challenge, but once tackled really informs every subsequent decision you make. Below I answer the three big questions Devon is tackling:
No. 1.
To match or not to match? Well, do you want to live in a space that looks like it’s right out of a glossy magazine or do you prefer a more lived-in or bohemian feel? In other words, how much do you want your things to match?
To draw a comparison, the bedroom above is a very modern, minimalist-leaning bedroom with a lot of matching. By contrast the bedroom below has a very eclectic look, mixing what looks like flea market finds with a few modern drawings and some very bold prints. They both work really well and show there’s no “right” answer when it comes to matching; it’s really a matter of personal preference.
A lived-in, eclectic bedroom via The Selby
If you’re going for a very specific or “done” look then that will likely influence what kind of art you collect. You will want to ask yourself if the bright-red painting you fell in love with will really work in your very Scandinavian white and wood living room. However, if you’re taking a more laid-back approach of mixing and matching then by all means buy art as it strikes you. With this kind of organic decorating part of the fun is experimenting and seeing what works with what.
A mix of small drawings framed as a group via design*sponge.
No. 2:
What role should art play in a space? This may sound opaque but really what it means is this: do you want your art to blend in with your space and give it a little warmth? Or do you want your art to be really bold and grab your attention? Bold can mean big and graphic (like in the black and white bedroom), it can mean lots of contrast (color or stylistic) and it can also mean bold as a collective (like in the second bedroom).
Smaller, more subtle art accents the room via Apartment Therapy.
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Bright, graphic art sets off modern furniture via Apartment Therapy.
No. 3.
Should an art collection all “go together?” Your art does not need to have a common thread, and you shouldn’t be weighted down by the worry of how each new piece will “go” with the others. Quite simply art is special because it’s unique so it’s important to keep that in mind. On the other hand themes or commonalities across art create structure and really help a space look more polished and put-together. Themes can be much more subtle than an artist or a medium; a theme could be a mood, geography, era, influence, etc. It can be anything you conceive of and can be as wild or conceptual as you want.
A series of stark landscapes creates a clean look. Elle Decor via Stephmodo.
A grouping of simple, graphic art that plays off of the graphic textiles via design*sponge.
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Just one example of being creative with mixing and matching art. via whitetapestry.
Note: What to avoid: art that really, truly doesn’t go in your space will scream out at you. If it’s way too big or too small, too contrasting or too stylized you will probably sense as much. If you question your judgement, invite some honest friends over to give you an opinion.
It’s been a really exciting week for me! First I was an unexpected guest on sfgirlbybay where I debuted new photos of my apartment and art, and as if that wasn’t enough of blast, I am also a guest curator on Etsy.
As I’m sure you’ve heard me say before Etsy is an awesome resource for affordable art buyers. There are really talented artists who I uncover on Etsy all the time, but I am often shocked to find that some of the most talented of these artists are not getting much exposure. So my article is called Eight Etsy Artists You Should Know and features the artwork of the following talented Etsy artists who deserve to be recognized.
1. Becca Stadtlander // 2. Ariana Couvinha // 3. Jessica Lucas // 4. Terrence Payne // 5. Estibaliz Hernandez de Miguel // 6. India Richer // 7. Katy Smail // 8. Michelle Ramin
See the rest of the artwork I featured over on Etsy.
I also provided some of my own personal tips and tricks for researching and discovering great art…ds
Tips for Finding Art on Etsy and Beyond:
- Take a few seconds to bookmark things that catch your attention when you first see them. Those few seconds can save hours when you need to go back to something you saw. I personally like delicious, hearting items on Etsy, Favoritizer (which uses the Etsy API) and Evernote.
- Your favorite design, fashion, decorating, and lifestyle blogs are great resources for art, so don’t overlook them. Anyone whose aesthetic you admire is a potential link to art you’ll love. I’ve found a lot of really great art on two of my favorite design blogs: Pawling I Print Studio and Seesaw.
- Take advantage of tools and sites like Etsy circles, Pinterest and Svpply, which leverage the collective sifting of many, many people. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to look through it all yourself!
- Sign up for the mailing lists of your favorite artists and galleries so you’ll be informed as soon as new work becomes available. Then make sure you manage your mailing lists over time, unsubscribing from those that no longer interest you.
- Be on the lookout for friends and family. If you come across something online that you think they’ll love, send them a link and hope that they return the favor someday
Today I have the absolute pleasure of being an unexpected guest of Victoria of sfgirlbybay. I’ve always been a fan of her aesthetic and loved how honest, real and warm she comes across. She features interiors that are inspirational but real. And it’s always rooted by a genuine personal interest in the people who live there. Yes, I have a bit of a blogger crush on Victoria.
Going back a bit, we moved into our current apartment in Brooklyn a year and a half ago, and I’ve spent the past six months really pushing hard to get the space to where I wanted it. We’re super lucky to live in an inviting space that gets a ton of light, but it was still a difficult ongoing process figuring out how to arrange it to best fit our lifestyle and aesthetic. I’d love to say that it all came together effortlessly but that would be a total lie! Along the way there were many iterations of furniture layouts and art hanging.
Take a peak at the finished product below but be sure to check out more (including an interview) over at sfgirlbybay!
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Styling by Katherine Hammond and photography by Elizabeth Felicella. Photo collages by sfgirlbybay. Curious about the artwork? There are details over on flickr.
February 9th, 2011 · 4 Comments
Recently I’ve been tackling the big, brick wall above my desk… transforming it bit by bit into an inspiration wall. I have to say, this has been one super fun and CHEAP art project! At some point in the near future I will post photos of the completed inspiration wall but for now just wanted to share a taste.
Print by Yuko Murata – wallpaper in New York Spaces – Farrow and Ball paint – Detail of Chilli con Carne Recipe by Sarah Illenberger – Antelien by The Maple Ridge
I’ve been collecting all sorts of images – small pieces of art, cut-outs from fashion and design mags and even clippings from some of my art books. Yes, I know some people frown on this but the way I see it I’d rather have the art where I get to look at it on a regular basis!
In case you’re wondering what became of my beloved Singing Cat by Ashley G it landed in what seems to be the perfect spot. Don’t you love when that happens?
