Artistic Hang-Ups

Here's my opinion on artwork...

I can't count the number of times I have liked a print, bought it, took it home, hung it on the wall and then realized that like 5 gajillion other people did the same thing. Don't believe me?

Okay, admit it. Who had this one hanging somewhere in their house? Show of hands...come on, this is a judgement-free zone. I'll go first...this hung in my bedroom when I was in high school. Whew! It felt good to get that off my chest!

"The Kiss" by Gustav Klmit was standard dorm-room issue when I was in college and yep, I had it. In fact, it's followed me to about seven different houses since then. It went from the living room, to the hallway, to the guest room and then to a pile in the garage. Last year, when it didn't sell in my garage sale, I donated it to the Goodwill.

The first time I ever saw the "Cafe Scene in Paris," I had just moved into my first apartment. I wanted it so bad that I spent my entire week's grocery budget to buy it. Approximately six months later, it was everywhere...and on clearance too.

And what about this one? Do you know someone who has it? I do...my mom has it in her dining room.
And who didn't love the cartoon chef with a plate of spaghetti? I know I did and so did the lady who bought it from my yard sale last year.

I'm joking around, but in all seriousness, it doesn't matter if you like something that a million other people like too. As long as YOU like it and it makes you happy then it deserves a place in your home.

But let's face it, we'd all rather have artwork to hang in our home that is interesting, one-of-kind, affordable, and preferably not bought on clearance at K-mart.

Tall order, right? Well, it's not as difficult as I'm making it sound. I have found several good resources for original (or at least unique) artwork that you should check out for your upcoming projects.

Surface View is a company from the United Kingdom that has the rights to reproduce great works of art from British museums like the the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Maritime Museum. They will print them on canvases of all sizes...even large-scale murals. So even if you like the works of the masters, this presents them in a new and interesting way.

CutArts.com is a great site! Renowned silhouette artist, Karl Johnson, will take a standard photograph of you, your child(ren), even your pets and turn them into unique works of art! Each silhouette is an original, one-of-a-kind work of art, signed by the artist...and it's affordable too, around $25!

Photocrazed.com takes your favorite photographs and gives them the Andy Warhol treatment. It's a fun and unique way to show off your family!

Rtist.com and Etsy.com are both online marketplaces for artists to sell their work. Depending on the artist, you can find original works of art for pretty decent prices and just imagine what could happen if you stumble upon the next Pablo Picasso!! A girl can dream, right?

Art.com is another great website that offers a variety of visual art in just about every medium at very affordable prices. I like this site because it's very well-organized and easy to shop. Check it out!

And please share with us any resources you may have found! The best ideas are shared ideas!