Decorating: Finding Inspiration in Original Art

by Shannon Southway

You're thinking about redecorating, or maybe you've just moved into a new home or office. Wandering through the same chain stores looking for wall art won't spark any interesting ideas. Instead, try looking at original art. Art can appeal to anyone's taste and is often surprisingly affordable. Not only will it look great, it will create a unique conversation piece and amazing focal point able to pull together an entire room. Finding great art isn't hard, and can actually be a lot of fun. Here are a few places to start looking:

1). Go online. Use major search engines to search by keywords such as "modern sculpture" or "floral pastels". If you'd like your art purchase to represent a favorite subject or place, search for that at Froogle, Google's shopping network. At www.froogle.com, a search for "Rosebud Lake" finds beautiful photographic prints as well as original oil paintings of the famous lake. If you'd like to look at objects of interest while learning a little about the artist who created them, many artists and craftspersons have their own websites. You can find listings of artist websites at an art directory such as Art-Bridge.

2). If the Internet is not your cup of tea, then take a walk through an art show to help you decide what your inspiration piece might be. You might find yourself drawn to a watercolor for over the mantle. Your inspiration might be a Raku or porcelain vase for the bookshelf. Being able to view the actual piece will let you appreciate the colors and textures, key elements when designing a room's décor. This is a great time of year to enjoy public art fairs where you can browse artist's work at individual booths. Some of the best of the season are still to come: The Metris Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis, MN boasts 385 participating artists, the Plaza Art Fair in Kansas City, MO features 230 artists and the Des Moines Arts Festival (http://www.desmoinesartsfestival.org) in Des Moines, IA showcases 150 artists.

If it sounds like a great idea but you're a little intimidated by a bold outcome, start with decorating a child's room. Children's rooms by nature inspire color and creativity and can make for a great way to get your feet wet. At Artists' Heaven), an art emarketplace, you will find a variety of original pieces by talented artists including hand-painted pieces of heirloom children's furniture. At Quilt Shops.com, an online directory featuring over a hundred independent quilt shops, you might find an original fiber art piece such as a fine, hand-made quilt to hang on the child's wall.

Whether you prefer to browse through galleries and street fairs or prefer to sit comfortably in your warm and cozy (but still boring and uninspired) home at the computer remains your choice. Just remember when embarking on your next project that some of the best decorating inspiration can be found in original art and fine crafts.

Shannon Southway is the Director of Strategic Relations & Quality Assurance of E-Integration, Inc (www.e-integration.net). Artists' Heaven is an art emarketplace owned and operated by E- Integration, Inc located at www.artistsheaven.com. Shannon can be contacted at shannon@e-integration.net.

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