A home is one of the biggest investments you will make. If you took your time and energy to buy a home the same is said for the art you will choose to be a part of it.  Whether it will hang on your wall or be on your mantel,  here are some suggestions on how to shop and procure  what will fill your home and give you joy for years to come. 

    1. BUY WHAT YOU LOVE!  Unless you are a millionaire art collector; go out and  buy a piece of art that means something to you. If something appeals to you because of the subject matter then, go for it. If you happen to like black and white vintage photos, for example, you could either go to an antique shop and buy some old prints or take some yourself and use some nice frames to put them up on your walls or furniture. It could be as simple as landscapes, abstract or vintage art print posters.  It's your house and you are the one who has to like it.

    2.  ART CAN BE MANY THINGS!  There are many mediums you can find besides paintings. You can use sculptures or gourds or pottery as a focal point on table or mantel.  We happen to be very eclectic and incorporate anything we like since we have moved around to different parts of the country.  We have had this piece of pottery since 1990. We found it at the yearly Coconut Grove Art Festival in Miami,FL. It has also been a mantel piece, as well.

3. GO OUT AND EXPLORE!  Explore your area and the art it has to offer. There are many fantastic artists that are just starting out. There are many art festivals you can visit and see what you like. You can make contact with the artists and then buy a piece later if you like. If you are on vacation, check out the local artists. We once asked our Taxi driver in Jamaica to take us to find some art and he took us to the houses of various artists that lived in Ocho Rios and we purchased 2 paintings. They are the  man with bananas and the women at the farmer's market.  The painting of the horse is named "Mona Lisa" and not the original, of course. I found this painting on a visit to Santa Fe, NM before moving there. This is a portrait of a rescue mare. The artist Sharron Gray specializes in portraits of rescued Mustangs whom she works  rehabilitating in the Utah area. 

4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO GO BIG OR FILL AN ENTIRE WALL!  Look at the walls in your home. Mantels, Living rooms and Dining rooms can easily contain a large focal point canvas. This canvas is from a Haitian artist Audes Saul whose work we followed  from when we lived in Key West and then purchased his work  years later for our first home in Coconut Grove, Florida. As you can see, color and whimsy are welcome here!

5.BE CREATIVE- There are many other things that you can display that you don't have to spend a fortune for.  In this wall I framed vintage maps I purchased on ebay. They are maps of Paris, England ,Europe, The lower half of US and Caribbean, and  Cuba.  You can even pick the mats yourself at Micheal's  and then have them framed.  Another idea are cigarette cards. You can get these on ebay  and etsy about almost anything like dog breeds , sports or history etc. You can then stick  glue the cards on a nice piece of weighted copy paper from an arts and crafts store (they have all kinds of colors and patterns), pick your mat and your frame and you are done. 

Above are Clumber Spaniel cigarette cards I purchased as a set on ebay, then matted and framed.

Below a map of Paris matted and framed.

6. HANG AND LIGHT IT!  The rule of thumb is that artwork should be eye level and 60 inches from the floor. Make sure your lighting contributes to your artwork, letting it stand out so it doesn't look dull.  You can use individual lamps or just have enough lights around the ceiling. 

EXPLORE DIFFERENT MEDIUMS AND LEARN ABOUT HOW IT'S MADE AND WHERE.  A retablo in Mexican folk art (also lámina) is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic  church art in Spain and other Spanish speaking countries. You can find them in the Southwest because of the Spanish influence.  I found  this St. Francis of Assisi retablo at an art festival in Santa Fe, NM. They are mostly painted with vegetable dye and display beautiful bright colors. 

I enjoy the stories on the walls of my home. They remind me of all the different places I have been lucky to visit or live in.