Raise your hand if you love Home Goods! Me too for items such as accessories, pillows, blankets and even the occasional small piece of (rarely used) furniture.  If you are using them or a similar store to choose artwork, however, let’s talk.  Why?  Art is so much more than decoration.  It’s an expression.  A lesson. A gifting by God given to a select few for the rest of us to enjoy.  If you are only buying art as a decoration, read on. 

I was working with a client recently who unrolled an assortment of oil paintings he acquired while visiting his home country of Nigeria. One was a cityscape of his hometown. Its bright splashes of color and movement invigorated the casual viewer; I can only imagine what feelings it evoked in my client’s heart. 

Interestingly, another of his paintings was darker.  It, too, was acquired in his home country but this one was of a warrior who, I later learned, led the destruction of his village.  I was really surprised that he would want a constant reminder of the man who led to so much devastation.  He said it was a reminder that you could have so much conviction about something that it leads you to do terrible things.  It was a lesson to him and his children to keep their convictions in check.  Wow! My client chose one piece that evoked fond childhood memories and another that evoked humility.

If you were to move through the spaces of my home, you would see a cornucopia of art pieces that represent different life experiences, travels, or periods of our life.  Like my client, some are deeply meaningful but others are there purely because they make me happy.  Or, as Picasso would say, they “wash away the dust of everyday life”.  For example, there is a black and white surreal block print in our powder room that will forever remind me of my husband. 

A block print is where the artist hand-carves an image into a block of wood, lays the ink over the block and stamps it onto a substrate.  While perusing the Evanston Art Center, one of these prints grabbed me immediately for its humor and whimsy.  It’s of a man scuba diving while riding a bike with a cat perched on the back.  If you knew my husband, you’d know why this reminds me of him.  The fact that they were all juxtaposed together makes it funny and interesting which I also happen to think represents his personality.  Perhaps this piece doesn’t move anyone else.  That’s ok!  I love it and it will always adorn some room of my house for the rest of my life. 

Small art galleries such as the one in Evanston is one place to find affordable, unique artwork.  Here are some other ways to acquire fine art that will hopefully have a stronger hold over your heart than something anyone could buy at a retail chain:

• Local art fairs– Even if this isn’t normally your jam, I encourage you to give it a try- especially if you are in need of some updated artwork for your walls.  Not only will you walk away with a unique piece, but you will likely have met the artist and supported a small business owner as well.
• Antique or vintage stores– Store owners have an eye out for what is valuable and what will sell so you can easily view what is available and make your purchase or quickly move on if nothing grabs you.
• Thrift stores– I don’t normally recommend thrift stores for most things, HOWEVER, I’ve been intrigued by the number of articles I’ve read recently where someone paid $10 for a painting, sculpture, or vase which later went on to sell for thousands.  Check them out here, here, and here. 
• Estate sales–  These items are priced to sell and you never know what kinds of treasures are hiding away.  Purchasing from an estate sale helps the seller’s families and keeps more waste out of our landfills.

---

---