our art collection
Collecting and making paintings is David’s (for the lack of a better word) passion. Before I met him 9 years ago, I could enjoy art, but I didn’t know much about it and certainly didn’t own any of my own. This quickly changed after we met and moved in together. All of a sudden, most of my new friends were artists and as they were only a year or two out of college, they would trade in art ALL of the time. I say all of this to explain that while we have bought some of our art, a lot of it was traded for one of David’s paintings years ago.
I get a lot of questions about where our art is from, so I wanted to share who made the pieces we have, as well as share where I like to look for artworks now. Original art can be pricey, but I think having even one or two original pieces of art and then mostly prints (or photos or wall hangings, etc..) is important to create your own unique home style and also for supporting independent artists.
I get asked about certain pieces often, so I thought I would walk through our most asked-about pieces and give you the info on each. If there is something I missed that you want to know about, comment below!
No. 1 / David, my fiance, found this large frame abandoned on the street (jackpot!) so he came home and painted a large scale watercolor based on this Matisse painting.
No. 2 / people often think this is a print, but our Happy Birthday piece is actually a painting! It’s by Kansas City-based artist, Amy Kligman, and yes, David did gift it to me on my birthday. Though it just happened to say “Happy Birthday” aka it wasn’t a commissioned piece.
note: the print behind the hanging chair is from my friend Jan’s shop.
No. 3 / the silver foil piece behind the hanging chair here is by Mike Erickson. We just framed it and moved it to where Happy Birthday has been for years. It’s allowed us to see more of our wall moldings!
No. 4 / David bought this from his friend and old classmate, Brook Hsu when we first started dating. He had it professionally framed (so adult for a 21-year-old! ha) and we’ve had it on display ever since. I never see us putting it in storage, we love it that much.
No. 5 / you can see our newest painting on the left! “Pinkie” is by one of our closest friends here in Brooklyn, Carly Wilhelm. Her work fits our aesthetic to a T.
No. 6 / the yellow number on the left is a collage by our pal, Madeline Gallucci. On the right, two small paintings by Matt Jacobs.
No. 7 / The Marx Bros poster here was a vintage find at River Market Antiques in Kansas City, Missouri… my hometown. : )
No. 8 / a print from Fy! — all of their prints come framed (you can opt to order just the print as well), so we like to get prints from them so they are already framed and ready to go. The frame quality is top notch.
No. 9 / The painting on the left is by Brandon Dean, a good friend of ours and incredibly talented architect!
No. 10 / from left to right: the small piece on the shelf by Dennis Helsel, yellow collage by Madeline Gallucci, painting on the wall above plant by me (!), “I’m Tryin” from Brooklyn-based artist, Nathan Schultz, and framed painting on the far wall is by Kansas City-based artists, Max Crutcher.
Alright, that’s everything we have out right now. We have quite a few pieces tucked away in storage. Hopefully, we’ll own a bigger place someday that will allow us to show them off!
When looking for art to buy now, I love looking at Tappan Collective, as well as Etsy for unique pieces. If you live in a smaller town, I recommend heading to some local art openings to see what artists in your city have to offer! I realize they may be on pause right now, but it’s a good thought to keep in mind for the future.