Unexpected and Interesting Large Scale Art, or, No More Ugly Prints!

The last post about choosing appropriate art and hanging it in the right place generated some questions. Here, I'll address the first: Art is expensive. How do you find art big enough to fill the wall over the sofa that doesn't cost more than the sofa? Please don't hang overpriced prints of Van Gogh paintings and vintage absinthe ads on your walls! Think beyond the tired art selection at Bed Bath & Beyond and consider these options. That crap costs between $50 and $100, and most of these options do too--but they're so much more special! And many of these have a DIY element, so no one else will have a piece quite like yours.

A large piece of framed fabric functions as art. From Inspire Bohemia

I'm so crazy about the bold black and white textiles with mint green walls and red accents!
Use a mirror instead of art. You can always spray paint the frame to make it match your room.
From House Beautiful

Easy DIY for music lovers... Your favorite song lyrics + wood stain and paint = art! From MeOhMy

Aww, look at the little birdcage! Wall decals make a huge statement.
They're cost effective, too. This big one is only $42!
Tree Decal with Birds by annaandnana on etsy

DIY Abstract Art - This blogger spent $70 on this project, and I think it looks soooooo high end.
. From Oh Happy Day

I LOVE metal wall art. Jonathan Adler's Curtis Jere reproduction sculptures like this aren't cheap.
But if you lurk eBay, you can find a vintage Curtis Jere for under $100. I promise. From Freshome

See? It's true! I paid $24 for this 1972 Curtis Jere. It's smallish, but I LOVE it.
Sorry, I couldn't resist sneaking my own home in here. *tee hee*

Rasterize! Rasturbate! Whatever you want to call it, enlarge an image and hang the pieces individually.
I used to think of this as an amateurish college technique, but it can look good if you hang the individual pieces nicely.
Joe's tutorial explains exactly how to pull it off.

If DIY is for you what plants are for me (I kill aloe plants!), and you absolutely must avoid a do it yourself project, frame a few of your favorite band's posters or travel prints from a place that is special to you, and call it a day. At least it's more personal than one of those tacky vintage liquor ads! Just be sure to hang more than one if you're trying to fill a large space on the wall. Check this out...

Tennessee Renaissance Festival 2012

Ahoy, ye brave knights and lusty wenches! Keith and I spent the day at the Tennessee Renaissance Festival, and this weekend's theme was Pirate Invasion. We enjoyed a gorgeous day at Castle Gwynn!  We watched a joust, a bawdy troubadour, and serendipitously found ourselves in the middle of a fairy picnic. Keith threw knives, and I bought a beautiful new charm for my bracelet. We saw rescued birds of prey and ran into lots of friends. The locally brewed beer and shepherd's pie were tasty, and it was a fantastic day!

Coin belt! *jingle* *jingle* *jingle*

I thought he was a gorgeously detailed piece of art... until he opened his eyes and stuck his tongue out at me!

Axel the Sot

MOOSE

They had a fantastic selection of Elizabethan paper doll books and academic texts on Medieval history.

I bought a beautiful phoenix charm from this booth. 

So many more pictures under the cut...

Don't Hang That On Your Wall! Or, Considering Scale and Proportion When Choosing Art

One of the most common decorating mistakes I see--and one of the easiest and cheapest problems to fix--is art that is too small for the wall, or hung too high. Tiny, too-high art is to interior design what high-water pants are to fashion. It can ruin an otherwise attractive room!

A large, wide wall calls for large art, and a small, narrow wall calls for small art (Thank you, Captain Obvious). Art, furniture, and other decorative items should come together to create a cohesive visual composition. When the art is too small, the furniture beneath it looks graceless and bulky. And when art is hung too high, there is an awkward gap between the art the the nearby furniture, so that the pieces look separate and strange. These are the rules:

• Hang art at eye level. The center of the piece should be approximately five feet from the floor.
• Art should be approximately as wide as the furniture beneath it. It can be a bit narrower, but no wider.
• If you're hanging more than one piece together, don't hang them too far apart!
• Large walls need large art, and small walls need small art. I can't emphasize this enough!

Hang your art like these folks, and receive compliments from all your friends:

The DIY ribbon garland is just the right size to hang over the bed.

The large, square paintings over the sectional are perfectly proportional.
But I'm not sure why there is a huge buckeye in the middle of the floor?

The single piece of art over the two chairs creates visual cohesion.

The group of four paintings functions as one large piece of art, and fits perfectly over the bench.

These folks got it wrong! Images are not attributed, to protect the dignity of the clueless :

Book Review: Savvy by Ingrid Law

As a librarian, I feel I should be more aware of Newbery Honor books, so I picked up Savvy by Ingrid Law. Forget Hogwart's and everything you know about magic-meets-coming of age stories; Savvy is different because it's an Americana-flavored tall tale in the manner of Paul Bunyan, NOT a story of wizardry set in a European castle. Instead of meeting giants, warlocks, and dragons, readers will meet a controlling preacher's wife, a shambling Bible salesman, and a down-on-her-luck diner waitress. Expect to go on a road trip in a pink schoolbus, play pranks in a cheap motel, and meet the arch-nemesis in a trailer park. How very American!

But what is the story about? The members of the Beaumont family first experience their magical power, or savvy, on their thirteenth birthdays. Each person's power is unique: Rocket generates electricity, Fish's emotions control the weather (don't make him mad!), and Grandma captured radio waves out of the air and kept songs in Mason jars. A new savvy can be troublesome, and each Beaumont must learn to scumble--or control--his or her savvy.

Ask the Amateur: Asian Inspired Bedroom

Kat asks: "I want to redecorate my bedroom with an Asian theme, but I'm not sure where to start. I know I want a simple platform bed and I want to use wall sconces for the bedside lighting. I might like to make my own upholstered headboard. Do you have any advice?"

The Amateur says: "An Asian look relies on minimalism, so begin with a blank slate. Pack away your knick-knacks or display them in another room, and send the things you no longer use to Goodwill. I wanted to avoid an over-the top, in your-face theme, which can make your home feel like Disneyworld, so I chose items that suggest the theme but don't scream it..

Asian Inspired Bedroom Design by stuffjendid on polyvore.com

The Amateur Continues: "This Asian-inspired look relies on black furniture with clean lines and a color scheme of red with pale green accents. The boxy bed and dresser are balanced with a round mirror and bedside tables. I incorporated bamboo in the area rug, wall decals, and plant. The red cushions behind the bed indicate how an upholstered headboard might look, and I'm crazy about these Art Deco-does-Asian wall sconces!"

Bamboo Tree Wall Decal Stickers from Amazon - $28.99
JLA Green Satin Pillow from Target - $24.99
Design House Monroe Oil Rubbed Bronze Wall Sconce from Home Depot  - $47.97 each

Baxton Studio White Round End Table from Lowe's - $224
Red Retro Clock from RetroPlanet (Wall clock shown as bedside clock) - $9.99

Fantasia Bamboo Rug 8 by 10 feet from Natural Area Rugs - $225  

South Shore Classic Platform bed, Full size, from KMart - $195

Pavilion Black Six Drawer Dresser from Crate & Barrel - $1,199

Loft Round Mirror in Ebony from Room & Board - $799

Fabian Perez New Geisha Painting, 24 by 32 inches, from NonPrints - $130.87

Cherry Blossom Photography, 8 by 8 inches, from TraceyCapone on etsy - $30

Kat says: "On second thought, I might prefer a dark wooden headboard instead of an upholstered headboard, and lamps rather than wall-mounted sconces. What should I do?"