How to Evaluate Fine Art

A couple of months ago when I visited my cousin in Ohio, I came home with cat art--one drawing done in three different colors. I thought the three pictures would look cute in my workspace but turns out there is a thing as too much cat stuff in any one room. Who knew? The upshot being the pictures needed to find a new home. 

Naturally, we left them sitting in our in-box, hoping they would miraculously hang themselves. When that didn't work out for us, I took charge this past Sunday and decreed it "Find A Home for the Cat Pictures Day." 

We walked all over the house, holding the pictures up to various walls and getting progressively more angry at one another as we continued to reject each other's wall choices. Finally, we found ourselves in the rear hallway, me holding up the pictures against the wall over where we keep the litter box. The litter box (and wall) in turn are directly across the hall from our guest bathroom. So as Bath on right, wall on left with picture frame just barely visibleyou exit the bathroom, you are directly facing the wall. 

"See? It's kind of funny," I said. "Cat pictures... litter box..." 

"I'm not sure," said Blair. He walked into the bathroom and stood in the doorway, his back to me. "Okay, I'm in here, I've finished peeing, I'm coming out--" He spun around and stared at the pictures. 

"You are a freak," I said, laughing. Then I thought about it. "Here, you hold these up and let me try it." 

So we took turns pretending to exit the bath, deciding whether orWall of fine art not we wanted to see balancing cats upon exiting. We decided yes, we do. The cat pictures now hang there, happy in their new home. 

If any of you need help evaluating your fine art and where to hang it, Blair and I are available for consultation.

Cheers!

Decorating Diaries: High Falutin' Art

"New Found Friend" I'm embarrassed to admit how little I know about art. I can't identify periods or painters, and I'm one of those people who in the past has looked at abstract art and sniffed, "I bet you could put a five-year-old's finger painting up against this and no one would know the difference." 

So I felt a little shy when my friend Melanie asked if I'd like to stop by her office to look at art for our newly painted hallway. Melanie is the owner of Molee Fine Art, soon to be known as Lucky Fish Gallery. We were flipping through framed art and I was commenting, "Oh, that's nice. That one's kind of pretty," when all of I sudden I froze and shrieked "KITTY!"

I had found the painting of my dreams. I don't care what you think of it. I adore it. I burst out laughing when I saw it and even though it's just sitting in my writing room at the moment, I grin every time I glance over at it. I can't wait to hang it in the hall. I lu-uh-uh-uve this painting. 

Even better, Blair feels the same. I wondered if this might be a little too much "cat" for him, but he had the same reaction I did. Our rule is never pass by something in life that makes you grin. It's pretty much why we got married.

So this is the start of our hallway art collection. The painting is called "New Found Friend." Don't feel intimidated by my high falutin' art. I'm still a regular person, just like you. 

I just have a totally cool cat painting in my hall.

Cheers,

Dena