I mentioned in another thread a little while back that I wish advertisers would come up with a strap line that would encourage people (in the style of the old Ikea advert - chuck out your chintz) to replace the tired pictures which may be hanging on their walls with some new (and of course handmade!!) art.
I’ve started this chat off on my FB page too - www.facebook.com/textiletreasure and wanted to get some momentum on this subject as I’m genuinely very interested in why and when people decide they want to buy a new picture (for obvious reasons as I make pictures).
So i’d be really interested to find out when YOU last bought/ next want to buy a picture, and what made you decide to do so.
I’ll start off, as there’s an artist whose work I admire massively - Anna Mason - and she creates the most beautiful flower paintings. I haven’t bought yet as I have no free wall space, but sitting in my study today, I see there is a wall space which has framed certificates hanging on it. If I filed away said certificates (yes I’m proud of them but actually they really don’t need to be on my wall!!) then I would have room for a good sized framed print!!
This would transform the room and add some vibrant colour!
Great thread Heidi, being an artist I am very interested in this topic too.
I buy new art for my walls when I see something that sings to my heart. A new piece has to have enough interest for me to look at it many times and see something different each time - colours, depth, interesting brush strokes etc.
I would never chuck out old paintings - it’s all original art and it would be a crime to throw it out!
That’s a real quandry isn’t it - how can anyone ever chuck out handmade stuff!! Still, I always think there’s so much mass produced stuff out there that we’ve plenty of opportunities to promote our own work lol!!
If I see a piece I really love, and can afford to buy it, I’ll find a place for it somewhere. Sometimes I rotate my artworks, so new pieces get a chance, but I would never throw out something I still love. I suppose it depends why people buy art - some buy prints and pictures just because they match their decor, so might replace them when they redecorate, but my purchases are usually for life
As Artists we obviously love the idea of people covering their walls with art pieces of every variety.
Even though most of our own work is hung in our home we do buy other people’s work.
It has to capture our souls and make us think.
It needs to make us admire the technique and thought that has gone into it’s creation
And it never, ever needs to match our sofa
As to winging older stuff that we have fallen out of love with, which doesn’t happen often, we bequeath these to the charity shop.
You’d be surprised how many people have picked up pieces of mine at art/craft fairs and said ‘I love it…but it just won’t go with my living room walls’. I usually politely suggest they might want to repaint the walls
I make pictures with photo editing. I have to admit I design what I like, things with an ethereal feel.
I was sat in a waiting room the other day and they had the most depressing pictures on the wall, just blocks of colour, so dull (to me) I prefer an image with interest in it, something to makeyou look, or daydream about the landscape. I dont think a picture should be bought just becasue the colours it has in it matches the rest of the rooms decor.
We buy art when we see it and love it, it could be large or small, if we love it and can afford we buy and find a place for it.
There is an artist whose work whom Hubby and I admire. We would love to buy a large one of his paintings but and its s big but the price, he does do limited edition copies and unless we win the lottery that will have to do. Still saving up for a piece of his work I refuse to buy it until the new bedroom is finished. We are renovating the attic, a long term project.so it could be a while.
Well my partner owns a gallery. He specialises in WWII aviation, ships and steam mainly. It is realy interesting as you’d think it would be quite bloke focused but the wives see the nostalgia of steam in particular. His limited edition prints have the signitures of the squadron of the plane and this mesmermises many because they have a direct contact with history. Neil won’t keep the Titanic, despite the huge market for it and neither will he keep battle scenes as he simply can’t understand why anyone would want them on their wall - but that is HIS choice rather than the consumer!
As someone who loves all things hand made, hand crafted and hand painted its hard for me to admit that the only original piece of art I own is one of my daughters that was given to us as a gift.
I am beginning to look for artwork to hang though but I am a complete fusspot when it comes to art. My house is very much Scotland themed ( old maps, metal wall hangings and resin plaques ) oh maybe I do have artwork after all the metal hanging was hand cut and the resin plaques are hand made from the Forres area
Painting wise though I’m on the lookout for a landscape which is a true reflection (in my eyes) of what Scotland is or looks like.
I like the idea of rotating artwork - that would definately keep an interior fresh and storing the pictures wouldn’t be to much of an issue for most people I guess.
I heard exactly the same thing at the weekend craft show I did - a lady was saying - I really like that picture but it needs more purple to go with the walls!! I think people are a bit nervous about having different or contrasting colours in their rooms. They don’t always realise a contrasting colour can bring a room to life and make the other existing colours look even better!
@Textiletreasure Heidi Maybe you should tell that to Premier Inns. I have stayed in many hotels in their chain and I think they only have 3 pictures all in purple.
The last picture I bought was a black and white one of a lampost in a cobbled street and it is hung in my hallway. I don’t know why but I was just so drawn to it I had to have it…and I don’t usually react like that to pictures. X
For me as a customer (but also a lover of art) I simply buy what I like. Never have I looked at something and even slightly thought ‘this won’t go with the walls’ because that’s not what art is for in my opinion.
All of the artwork in my house is original and every wall is covered…I picked up a lot of paintings when travelling in South East Asia years ago and it’s only grown since then…and to be honest, if I don’t have any room left on the walls (which I don’t) I’ll still just buy what I like even if it means it will be standing against the wall for a while.
Nothing in my house matches anything else, but it means all my artwork fits, it’s all there for a reason. I love it!!
I have never thrown any art out, but that’s because I love everything I buy. I will always be able to find room! But if I really did need to get rid of a piece, then I guess I would see if anyone I knew wanted it first, then if not I’d take it to a charity shop.
I don’t think this is how everyone thinks though. My mum is one of these people, who when redecorating the living room for example she will go to Next, Wilko’s or similar and will purchase mass produced “art” because it will go with her new colour scheme in the room…not realising that a lot of handmade art is often just as inexpensive and a lot more thought has gone into it.
But then…a lot of people simply don’t realise the work that goes into a piece of art…they can’t see the difference between a canvas of a flower in Next and an original oil painting.
But totally agree with Heidi…my mum for one is scared of anything that will stand out and bring a bit of contrast to a room…unless she’s seen the same layout in B&Q…
I may be quite biased…but art should be purchased and hung because it’s admired for whatever reason, for simply what it looks like, the content, for the work that has gone into it etc…not for it being a suitable colour to go with a sofa and a wall.
Had a lady buy a couple of my handmade greeting cards at a craft fair last year and six months later, out of the blue, she phoned me and said she was having this big extension built, really liked my cards and wanted one as an acrylic print bigger than A2 in size. I wasn’t prepared for that.
My partner and I tend to buy specialist glassware and ceramics, and display them. We don’t have many pictures up in our house, even though I make specialist abstract and other photo-based prints and cards to sell. We even give some of our framed pictures as Christmas presents, but one has to be careful matching the picture to the recipient’s taste, not always easy to judge. We are rapidly running out of shelf space for the ceramics and glass. Need to move !
But if I really did need to get rid of a piece, then I guess I would see if anyone I knew wanted it first, then if not I’d take it to a charity shop.