Beyond Words

Same Georgia; same.

Rams Head and White Hollyhock and Hills. Georgia O’Keefe

I recently visited San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. The town is extremely popular and charming in many ways. Beautiful churches. Wonderful food. Colorful architecture. Friendly natives. Hilly streets. Lots of hilly, windy streets. I think we saw all of them as my four girlfriends and I went from store to store, market to market, and shopped til we dropped. I liked much of what we saw, but being a New Mexican native and a Texas resident for nearly 40 years, some of which were near the Texas-Mexico border, I’d seen much of it, purchased it in the past, or rather than fill my suitcase with what I saw, I knew I could buy almost all of it back home.

But, the art. The fabulous art. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Here is just a sampling of some of my favorites that I remembered to photograph, including art as a chair and a street! I love how the dots on the black-and-white horse spilled into the bottom of the frame too.

As I mentioned, I’m from New Mexico, Santa Fe to be exact, so I’ve been surrounded by and educated about art my whole life. Make no mistake, I have zero artistic ability but I love art. I love those little “Paint and Sip” classes but as much as I enjoy them, I’ve come to discover I have no room or need for the finished products at home.

“Yeii.” Original by Ronald A. Chee

I love a home that’s filled with art and I’d have more of it up if it weren’t for my husband who insists on some blank walls. I’m not talking expensive or collectors-type art, but original nonetheless. He’s onto something though I must admit because you never want every wall in your home over-flowing with art or any wall to have too much.

Jim Vine via Bunny Williams

All of this is why I was so enamored by a recent article in “Elle Décor” that asked, “When decorating one’s home; what comes first: the art or the room?” I know many who have furnished their home then found art to go with it. Most designers agree however, that decorating is easiest and best when a client owns the art from the get go. In truth, maybe it’s a balance between the two.

Cade Design

I adore the above painting as well as Designer Billy Cotton’s quote that one should be “wary of designing around it too closely as that turns the art into decoration.” Boom! Love that. Art should not be “decoration.” It should be, well, art. Cotton goes on to say that “Art is so personal. It really doesn’t have any function aside from beauty.”

Yes, you can go to any store, scroll online, and find art. A lot of it actually really pretty and/or cute, like the above print of Andrew Wyeth’s “Master Bedroom” that hangs in our master. It’s always been one of my favorites and a print of it is just fine for me in this case. My heart however, wants original art. My dream would be to own an original Monet or Remington, but I am satisfied with original pieces of art painted by maybe not famous artists but those whose work is original albeit more affordable.

“Longboat Key Steps” by Laurie Hatch

Art fills our home and fills my heart. One of my most treasured pieces is the above painting our dear friend Laurie Hatch painted. I gave her a photo of my husband and our daughter walking the beach and she worked her artistic magic from there. We also had her do one for my mother-in-law, and upon her passing it now hangs in our daughter’s home. The right art is always a keeper.

Does the art in your home need to be of all the same style? Nope. Feel free to mix and match but keep it clean and avoid the impression you live in a museum. Gallery maybe. Museum no. Your art should be personal and tell a story and if that includes something western-themed near a silhouette of a vase of flowers like the above “Red Vase” and “Dinner Reservations” by Terry Crump, so be it. Enjoy it. And buy it. I will forever regret not buying “Red Vase” when I originally saw it many years ago.

Amado Pena original

There’s no arguing that art is an essential element in any well-decorated room but what if you don’t have an eye for it or on a budget and can’t afford a designer? I would suggest research, discover what you love, consider your home’s style, and go from there. If you have the art you want to hang and are building a home, even better as you can create custom spots and architectural designs to accommodate it if possible.

Mark Rothko at Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Another tip I gleaned from the article and kinda already knew was to never put art in the service of a design scheme. In other words, if your beloved Rothko consists of his signature bold blocks of color, don’t jump to furnishing a room to match it. Better yet, allow it to make a statement and keep in mind that placement is important.

Unless you’re dealing with the masters or extremely formal areas, a little whimsy can go a long way. Take for instance the above colorful rubber ducks and toothbrushes for a guest bath, an original sign I had made for another guest bath, a treasured piece purchased on our honeymoon in Jamaica that hangs in our laundry room, and a ceramic deer head draped in pearls. So fun and so easy to replicate. Not every piece that’s up needs to be museum-ready. Sometimes they just need to be loved.

Veranda

The Nester

Groupings are also a good idea and create a more playful and whimsical pop of art. These groupings can be anything from the above copper molds in a kitchen, transferware, cowboy hats, some of my mom’s Santa Fe churches collection, the Brittany Fuson originals above the very desk I’m writing this on, or the simple buildings seen in the home we stayed in in San Miguel. Cluster those collections you have tucked away and you’ll be surprised how much joy they bring you and how many conversations they start.

Lastly, art that’s often overlooked is photography. The above photo is one of my all-time faves. Not sure whose it is but would love to own it! I also love Gray Malin’s photography with the above “Prada” being one of my faves. The Wall Street sign pictured above? That’s an original of mine that happened as I quickly crossed the street in New York and didn’t even know I’d created it until I got home. I still love it. Photography is often more affordable then original art and can make a bold statement all its own.

So, while I’ll never own a Michelangelo or Picasso, I am the proud owner of the above “original” piece by our daugher when she was little and while I don’t have a home big enough to house everything I like and own, I will continue to appreciate the art I have and discover both nearby and in faraway places. Even if it’s in a market in Mexico. Ole!

One more thing and just for fun: check out Photographer Stefan Draschan’s “Art Matches People” exhibit online. It’s amazing!

Here are few of affordable artists whose work I own and love:

“Heal Through Hope” by Deannart

Tricia Robinson

Kathy Womack “Women and Wine” series

Renee Bouchon

“First Snow” by Tom Bojinowski