Experiencing Joy Through Art

   Good afternoon! Once again it is a beautiful day here…I hope your day has been wonderful so far too.

   Today I wanted to give you some quick easy tips for choosing artwork for your room. Whether you are redecorating or just looking to add a little new energy to an existing room, choosing a piece of art for that room can sometime be tricky. If you are stuck, try these easy tips…

1) It's perfectly OK to choose art that matches your sofa! Some people have the idea that art must make some sort of grand socio-political statement about mankind or it has failed. I don’t believe that at all. To me art’s primary purpose is to make the world more beautiful and there are many ways to do that. If a painting or sculpture has colors that go with your decor and it looks perfect, then go for it!

2) Choose a piece of art that really excites you. It’s great when art matches your sofa, but if the subject leaves you bored or even disturbed, you are not going to like it. Choose a piece of artwork that really makes you go “WOW” when you look at it. Whether that is a quiet still life of flowers or a colorful abstract landscape, if it lights you up that’s the way to go.

3) Choose the right scale. The size of an artwork can really make a difference as to how it looks in a room. Choosing a painting or sculpture of the right size is important. For paintings, make sure there is enough space around it to give it breathing room, and yet fill the wall appropriately. A tiny painting in the middle of a huge wall will look funny and get lost. Likewise, a painting that bumps into the drapes and is too big will make your room design feel clunky and claustrophobic. For sculpture, the size should work well with the table it sits on as well as the ceiling height. 

   In the photo below, the painting is appropriately sized for the wall space that it’s hung on. The bowl of fruit on the bookcase helps anchor the painting into the room decor. This is also an example of repetition which I discussed in an earlier blog post.

   Use these 3 quick tips to help you choose art for your room and it should make the process much easier!