Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Pretty as a Picture

I have been perusing Etsy lately with a specific item in mind: prints for my gallery wall. I have been collecting art from art fairs for about 15 years now and some of that art has been prints; photos, paintings, photographs, paintings... and drawings. My mom and I had a deal that I could pick out one thing at every art fair we went to; with at least 10 in the Saint Louis area yearly, this has been quite a lucrative "deal". Lucky for me, she still does this! (She also still pays for my cell phone. I know, I am spoiled rotten!) I have the best mom in the whole world!

Anywho, only two of the prints out of my whole collection have been deemed acceptable for the LR wall. Some don't have the right feel, some are the wrong colors, and some are just plain strange. Like these guys, for instance:

 

My boyfriend at the time smoked and our house was decorated in a very New Orleans, Marie Laveau style. I thought it was funny and it matched the decor. Not so much now. I still think it's funny, but it definitely does not go in my pretty pink LR. It will go upstairs in the Library whenever I get to the second floor.


This one is a Xavier Nuez photo of a house... designed... decorated... well it's art of art, basically. There is a resident in Detroit who goes into terrible areas and "art's them up". You can read Nuez's version here.

There is a lovely Mooey Vuitton that made the cut, as well as a rendition of The Scream done in pastels called The Squeal that I have had since I was 12. I am also going to put up a few photographs I took in high school and college. But I still need to fill in the blanks. I want to do the whole wall, similar to this:

 

or this:

(Domino Mag) *sniffle*

But more, the whole wall, with the television in the middle surrounded by a frame. Which Mister is working on as I type this. I know, I am terrible right? He is working his little butt off to make me a ginormous frame, while I am sitting on my butt typing and socializing. I am spoiled by everyone I love... I am a lucky, lucky girl...

So far I have ordered this:

 
and this:


I also ordered these:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=41216752

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=40468277

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vt_related_1&listing_id=40468322

which won't go in the LR, but I couldn't resist their voodoo charm. I think I may suffer from a slight case of design schizophrenia.

Today I found Sharon Montrose and I LURVE her animal photos! I think I may buy two or three prints from her. Mister loves donkeys, so I thought this one would be especially fitting:

and I think this porcupine may be one of the cutest things I have ever seen:


I think this is a pretty funny take on a trend:


I like this guy, but I think $10 for shipping a piece of paper is a bit insane:


How about you guys? Any advice on the gallery wall? Any personal experience with your own? What about any prints/photos/art you think I shouldn't miss? Should I mix it up with a few mirrors? I want to do a couple of round/oval frames, but I think it's a bit intimidating to find something that fits well in the frame.