This blog was my ten year old Ben’s idea – he wanted me to write about our pictures. We’ve collected, in an opportunistic way, for years, and lots of them have local and personal connections. This digitally drawn map of the neighbourhood is by local artist Alice Clarke (yes it is on a rug, but there were too many reflections in its regular home under the kitchen skylight).
Some of our collection is ‘proper’ art and lots of it isn’t, see Art in the Bath(room). Wrapping paper aside we’ve got a mix of originals, prints and junk store finds. Pretty much anything can look good, the secret is in the hanging (or propping).
In our bedroom I’ve got a couple of small pieces propped against a wall, where larger things wouldn’t or couldn’t go. This tiny flower picture helps pep up my dressing table, and the small tree picture on the radiator helps bring the eye down, rather than fighting with, or drawing attention to, the a/c unit above.
On the wall they should be hung at eye level to be properly seen and enjoyed. And framing is important too. The darker walls of our sitting room provide their own frame for this small oil painting and let the colours sing. By contrast, I picked a bright frame (after much agonising at our very patient local framers) for this delicate print, to ensure it could hold its own in the hallway against the bright colours of the front door.
Last House But One 