Why Ikea and Home Goods Make Artists Happy

As an artist, framing art is a big part of my business.  At art shows, I create a portable photo gallery to showcase my art images.  When clients purchase prints to decorate their own interiors with, I like to recommend sources for affordable, attractive frames.  Framing your art work nicely can transform a boring, frustrating blank wall into an inspiring photography gallery.

That's where Home Goods and Ikea come in.



I found the frames shown above at HomeGoods.  They caught my eye because their ornate shape is modernized by their matte black finish (and because the price was so reasonable). They make a great, unexpected statement in my modern living room, the black popping off the white walls to accentuate the nature art.



This classic white frame is one of my favorite Ikea staples, a RIBBA frame.  Clean lines allow the fineart to take center stage, especially with the white frame on the white wall.  I find the simplicity of this frame soothing, especially since the picture showcases nature in art.

Do you have favorite sources for frames, particularly those suited to modern photography?  Please share them in the comments, I'd love to add more shops to my list of recommendations!

The Building of a Seascape

Today was an experimental, creative day.  I made a prototype of a new photo concept, based on a sketch of triangles that I drew a few months ago...

cut



and paste



Sometimes work feels more like play.  The next step will be to try with "real" prints, not just quick printouts.

The Art of Aristocracy

While in England in early September, we stopped for a tour of Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke of Devonshire. The historic art, such as the painted room shown below, was awe-inspiring. The wealth of those who commissioned and collected it boggles the mind. I'm happy to say that the current Duke & Duchess are also avid supporters of the arts, and their modern collections make up a good portion of the tour.

Wealth & Splendor

In Between the Raindrops

With a thunderstorm drawing closer and the humidity thick in the air, I ran out to the mailbox before the skies opened up. And today... today was a good mail day. You know what I mean - those days you open that little door, expecting to find nothing but grocery store ads and unsolicited credit card applications, and lo and behold there is something wonderful there, just for you!

My something special today was a package full of prints from the very talented Katie Daisy. I couldn't wait, they went straight up on my inspiration board. (Click the image to see details about my inspiration sources).



Care to share a special moment in your day?

Hump Day Happiness

Ready for.... Hump Day Happiness?? I thought you might be. As always, please feel free to play along.

Today, I'm grateful for:

1) Coffee - so lovely when one hasn't been getting enough sleep
2) Bacon.
3) A working furnace that keeps me warm and toasty
4) Happy people
5) Talented RI artists.... like Rob Rey, who I just discovered on Etsy today:



Source of images: Rob Rey Art

My Artistic Family

The small woodpecker drawing was done by my mother, the photograph of the dogwood blossoms by my grandfather, the owl by me.



I love having my grandfather's photograph. He used to tell me about his enthusiasm for photography, but I never knew he had actually taken this one until after he passed away. It was framed on the wall of my grandparents' bedroom. I don't know if I've ever seen any of the other photographs he took.

Art, Life, and the Wisdom of Robert Frost

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Maybe I'm just trying way too hard?"



I love that feeling of stars aligning, when you don't know why you're doing something but it just feels right. Good things always come of those moments.

I try to remember not to force things, during those times when I'm feeling frustrated or things are moving slowly. It can be hard.

Sometimes we have to let go and let a higher power take over for a while.

"A poem...begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a lovesickness. It is a reaching-out toward expression; an effort to find fulfillment. A complete poem is one where an emotion finds the thought and the thought finds the words." - Robert Frost

Cabin Fever

So I've had the luxury of being able to devote my time almost exclusively to photography for the past 2 1/2 weeks. It's been wonderful, I've been very productive, I've made a good number of sales, and I've really enjoyed the experience. Trouble is, I'm getting antsy. I think I've been spending too much time with myself, you know? Art is often a solitary pursuit, in my case, and I think I'm missing the social connection one usually has at work. Especially since I mainly sell online, so I'm not interacting directly with shop owners, customers, or fellow vendors.

It's something to think about pretty seriously, since one day I hope to make photography my exclusive career. Does anyone have good solutions for keeping the social aspect of work alive?

Changes

Fall is a time for changes - the leaves are turning, students are going back to school...

Some changes are afoot here at D.S. Brennan Photography, too. I've decided to put my portrait work on hiatus while I focus on art photography. Art photography is my true passion. I enjoy taking portraits, but doing so doesn't give me the same feeling of balance and satisfaction as art photography does. And with so little time in life, I need to focus on the things I love to do.

On that note, I've started some new experiments, and here is the first glimpse of what may turn into a series. It feels very Halloween appropriate to me. It's titled "The Forest People".