ok. Here it is: Can you got to Artwalk and support local artists by finding and purchasing a piece of artwork on a budget and make it look fantastic in your own home? This question was posed to me a couple of months ago by an artist friend of mind, Doug Eng (www.dougengphoto.com), who patiently listened while I lamented how I attend Artwalk faithfully but rarely see anyone purchasing anything. So he said: ” Ok, Mrs. Interior Designer, why don’t you prove you can? Show us how” ……and with that he threw down the gauntlet!! I was both challenged and inspired. (Did he just give me permission to spend money on art every month? )
So I will attempt to do just that! And with a monthly budget of $100 for artwork, lets see what I end up with at the end of 6 months and what I can do with it. I feel very confident that I will be wildly successful! If I follow my heart & buy what I love how can I go wrong?
The basic assumptions I will go on as I will embark on this challenge are:
1. That I have $100/mo. to spend on artwork (when you do this for yourself it should be out of your entertainment budget, don’t forego the mortgage!! Although that IS tempting!)
2. That I will trust my gut and only buy what I love, not worrying what other people think about my purchase. If I love it then IT IS GOOD!!!!
3. That I love my home and what I buy will fit right in. True: everything at my house is not perfect, after all I am human, just like you. There are always the spots that need repainted, the chair that needs recovering or replacing, an outdated kitchen or bathroom, but the fact is I live there and am supposed to feel more comfortable there than anywhere else in the world. Its mine and it reflects who I am and how I like to live and shouldn’t look like anyone else!
Holding these assumptions as truths I am excited to begin this challenge and with an Artwalk right around the corner I am saving toward my $100 budget now. I can’t wait to hit the streets and see all the exciting new things that artists are creating RIGHT NOW AS I WRITE THIS! I only hope I can stick to my budget and not go crazy buying tons of stuff!!
(Post Script: The image shown is a small 12″ x 12″ painting I purchased in 2007 from a local artist named Franklin Matthews II at a local show for $75! It is such a wonderful little piece and makes me smile every time I look at it! www.studio1077.com)
